In 2024, our partner Sahel Eco helped drive a farmer-led transition to agroecology in Mali across the Ségou region. Working closely with local communities, they supported efforts to restore degraded land, strengthen food sovereignty, create spaces for women to lead powerful initiatives, and offer young people tangible, hopeful alternatives for a more secure future. The Sahelian context The Sahel is one of the poorest regions of the world. Stretching across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, … [Read more...] about Partner Impact: Sahel Eco Empowering Farmers and Driving Agroecology in Mali
West Africa
Expanding Agroecology in West Africa: Welcoming CEAL and Urbanet as New Partners in Ghana
We are thrilled to announce two new partnerships in Ghana that will strengthen our collective network impact: the Center for Ecological Agriculture and Livelihoods (CEAL) and Urbanet. These local organizations share our commitment to empowering smallholder farmers, advancing agroecology, and building resilient communities. By joining forces, we aim to extend the support available to those most affected by poverty, food insecurity, and climate change in Northern Ghana, and pool learnings … [Read more...] about Expanding Agroecology in West Africa: Welcoming CEAL and Urbanet as New Partners in Ghana
Displaced Women Farmers in Burkina Faso: Symbols of Courage Amid Rising Violence
Sixty-four-year-old Tindano Pobarou, a mother of nine (five daughters and four sons), lived a peaceful life in the village of Bassieri. But one night, at 3 AM, she was forced to flee her home as armed groups attacked her village. She and her family crossed multiple dangerous regions with little time to prepare, and life as she knew it was turned upside down. The land she cultivated, the home she built, and the security she once had were gone. Yet, Pobarou refused to give up. She kept crossing … [Read more...] about Displaced Women Farmers in Burkina Faso: Symbols of Courage Amid Rising Violence
How Penda Turned a Dumping Ground into an Agroecological Urban Farm in Senegal
It's April. The temperature hovers at 104F (40°C). The ground feels hot beneath our feet, the wind is dry, and the air is heavy. Half-built buildings with brick and concrete walls line narrow sandy streets where women stride with heads held high and shoulders back, balancing fruit baskets atop their heads. The sky isn't as gray as in downtown Thiès or Dakar, but pollution still lingers, with faint smells of burning waste. Gray baobab trees, their branches bare, and a few thorny bushes are the … [Read more...] about How Penda Turned a Dumping Ground into an Agroecological Urban Farm in Senegal
How Agroecological Farming Transformed Emmanuel’s Field in Burkina Faso
We recently met one exceptional farmer whose story speaks to the heart of our work: Wango Emmanuel, from Bonessin, Burkina Faso. After spending several years living and working in Côte d'Ivoire, Emmanuel returned to his native village amid a grave political crisis. His only means of feeding his family was a small plot of land he inherited from his father. But the soil had hardened like cement, rendered unproductive by decades of extractive farming practices common in the area. As … [Read more...] about How Agroecological Farming Transformed Emmanuel’s Field in Burkina Faso
Community-Led Responses to Conflict in the Sahel: Displaced Families Finding Refuge through Agroecology
Dakuyo Izoun, a 55-year-old butcher from Doumbala, Burkina Faso, was forced to rebuild his life from scratch when armed groups attacked his village. As the country grapples with one of the world’s most neglected polycrisis, thousands are fleeing their homes in search of safety in neighboring countries. But even in the Sahel, one of the harshest environments on Earth, communities are finding ways to care for each other, building powerful models of solidarity and resilience while providing refuge … [Read more...] about Community-Led Responses to Conflict in the Sahel: Displaced Families Finding Refuge through Agroecology