A two-day public conference in Dakar, Senegal to promote Agroforestry in the Sahel

In continuation with SustainSahel’s final annual meeting organised this year in Dakar, Sénégal in May, the project partners organised a two-day public event to share our findings and recommendations to a wider audience. On the first day, the Agroforestry conference focused on recommendations based on scientific evidence, which was then followed on the second day by a Policy event, focusing on recommendations for policy makers.

Figure 1. Agroforestry conference

Figure 2. Agroforestry conference

Keynotes speeches on the past, present and future of agroforestry research in the Sahel

The Agroforestry conference started with two keynote presentations, further demonstrating the relevance of the project's approach and activities. First, Dr. Jules Bayala, Country Director Burkina Faso and Sahel Regional Convenor at CIFOR-ICRAF shared his insights on 50 years of agroforestry research, and particularly on his work in the Sahel region since the 1990s. He concluded his presentation with strong words, affirming again that agroforestry in the Sahel is not a choice, but a necessity. Then, Dr. Cheikh Mbow from Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE, Sénégal) followed with a presentation on the current and future challenges of agroforestry research in the Sahel and wider African continent. He noted that the first challenge of agroforestry adoption would lie in recognizing it as a potential source of socio-economic gains. Dr. Mbow also argued that addressing this challenge and others required to shed a critical light on scientific knowledge and research in Africa. He gave the example of the trees outside of forests (TOF), which are typical of Sahelian landscapes.

Sharing SustainSahel's project recommendations from 5 years of research and experiences

Over the past months, SustainSahel's research activities generated insights that were translated into recommendations for three target groups. These recommendations were presented and discussed at two events: farmers, extension workers, and researchers at the Agroforestry conference, and policymakers at the Policy event. All project partners contributed to refining the outcomes of their work and turning them into evidence-based recommendations tailored to each group. Further details will soon be shared about these recommendations here on the project website.

A good source of inspiration for the continuing activities of SustainSahel

As the SustainSahel project is reaching its end this year, efforts should be continued to refine and redefine our understanding of Crop-Shrub-Livestock (CSL) systems interactions in the Sahel region. Collaborative approaches such as the innovation platforms (IP) implemented by the SustainSahel project are needed to strengthen connections between farmers and other stakeholders.

Both online and in person attendance of the event were possible and people from diverse sectors and countries were able to join the two-day event, which demonstrates again the importance of the topic of agroforestry in the Sahel. A pressbook from the conference compiled by CSE is available (see link below).

Further links and downloads

Pressbook