Think Creative Fall 2024

The boiler in Label d’Or’s climate-smart shea factory in Lomé, Togo, is powered by shea byproduct instead of fossil fuel.

West African producers harness climate-smart agricultural innovations, from indigenous practices to cutting-edge technology, to adapt to rising environmental shocks. West Africa experiences significant climate variability, marked by rising temperatures, un predictable rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme weather events like droughts and floods. These conditions challenge the region’s agricultural sector, which relies on predictable weather patterns. From 2019 to 2024, USAID’s West Africa Trade & Investment Hub worked to boost regional food security and livelihoods through mar ket-based co-investment. In the face of esca lating climate challenges, Trade Hub partners in Senegal, Togo and Nigeria are pioneering efforts in climate-smart agriculture to foster resilience and environmental sustainability. Planting trees and reforestation Several grantees are planting trees to com bat climate change and enhance agricultural resilience. Trees play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change and sup porting biodiversity by providing habitats for different plants and animals. They also help prevent soil erosion, regulate the water cycle and improve air quality by filtering pollutants. In Nigeria, grain processor Adefunke Desh has encouraged its supplier farms to plant trees to protect their crops. “We’re recommending about 15 trees per hectare around the borders of farms,” says Ugochukwu Oguike, Chief Operating Officer of Adefunke Desh. “These trees serve as wind breakers, reducing the effects on plants during storms.” Label d’Or, a Trade Hub grantee in Togo that sells shea butter, depends on trees. The com pany sources nuts gathered and processed by local cooperatives and pioneered reforestation efforts in their supplier communities. The Diheza cooperative, located near So touboua, Togo, once relied on charcoal pro duction, leading to widespread deforestation. But since partnering with Label d’Or, they have begun replanting shea trees that promise both environmental benefits and economic opportunities. “The shea tree is symbolic,” says Gustav Bakoundah, CEO and founder of Label d’Or. “And in keeping with organic principles, it’s

Label d’Or’s climate-smart shea factory in Lomé, Togo, harnesses two-thirds of its energy from solar panels.

shortages in Nigeria have significantly impact ed agriculture, leading to desertification and land degradation. Adefunke Desh has encouraged its farmers to use cover crops to retain soil moisture during dry spells. Cover crops work like mulch to cover the soil's surface while increasing its nutrient content. “You don't see a lot of results in the first year, but by the second and the third year, you begin to discover that you require less and less fertil izer because the soil is getting richer in organic content,” says Oguike. Ehson Elijah, Smallholder Program Head at Tomato Jos in Kaduna, Nigeria, says drip irri gation systems have helped farmers maximize water use efficiency. “Drip irrigation also allows for fertigation [sup plying fertilizer to crops through an irrigation system], reducing nutrient erosion into aquatic ecosystems and minimizing fertilizer wastage,” he explains. This method ensures that every drop of water and ounce of fertilizer is used effectively, boosting productivity and sustain ability. In regions with erratic rainfall patterns and frequent droughts, like the north of Ghana, drought-resistant crops ensure food security and stable incomes for farmers. In Tamale, Ghana, AMAATI focuses on cul tivating and processing fonio, an indigenous,

always important to safeguard natural species like trees.” Members of the Diheza cooperative have de vised strategies to graft shea trees to reduce the time it takes for them to fruit. “Before, when you replanted one, it would take 15 years or 18 years to start getting fruit,” says Panawa Méhéza, the cooperative’s president. “Now, we replant, and we can graft them after three years. After eight years, they will start to produce.” Adapting to drought and desertification Effective water management is essential for adapting to climate change, particularly in regions experiencing water scarcity. Water

Photos by Jim Huylebroek

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