Audience Type: Farmers

  • Community-Based Private Units (UPC) for Agroecological Pest Management

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    This document describes Community-Based Private Units (UPC) in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso as a social innovation that enables local production and dissemination of biological pest control solutions. These units produce parasitoids (Habrobracon hebetor) and neem-based biopesticides to combat major crop pests, significantly improving yields, reducing chemical pesticide use, and enhancing farmer incomes and environmental…

  • Endogenous Data Collection Network (RECD)

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    A community-based monitoring and evaluation system where trained local farmers use smartphones and digital tools (KoboCollect, KoboToolbox) to collect agronomic, nutritional, and socio-economic data in insecure or hard-to-reach areas. The initiative enhances data reliability, local autonomy, and resilience while enabling real-time scientific tracking of agroecological practices. Organisation: Consortium Groundswell International (GI), ANSD, AMSP, INERA Author: INERA /…

  • Cereal and Legume Intercropping System

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    This technical sheet explains the benefits of intercropping cereals and legumes to optimize land use, reduce input costs, and improve soil fertility. Field results from 2024–2025 show higher economic returns, especially for maize-soybean systems. The document details implementation steps, costs, and target users in semi-arid tropical regions. Organisation: ONG AMEDD (Association Malienne d’Éveil au Développement Durable)…

  • Niobougouma Dual-Purpose Sorghum Variety

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    Niobougouma is an open-pollinated dual-purpose sorghum variety co-developed by research institutions and farmer organizations in Mali. It provides both grain for human consumption and high-quality fodder for livestock, improving food security, livestock feeding, and resilience to drought. The variety enhances agricultural productivity and supports integration between crop and livestock systems. Organisation: IER / ICRISAT / Farmer…

  • Biological control of millet head miner using Habrobracon hebetor in the Sahel

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    This document presents an agroecological innovation using the native parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor to control the millet head miner (Heliocheilus albipunctella), a major pest causing up to 100% yield losses in the Sahel. The approach involves releasing parasitoids in fields via bags or boxes, reducing pest populations while limiting chemical pesticide use. Implemented across Niger, Mali,…

  • Yebagasago Dual-Purpose Sorghum Variety

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    Yebagasago is a hybrid dual-purpose sorghum variety developed in Mali that produces both grain for human consumption and high-quality forage for livestock. It improves agricultural productivity, enhances resilience to drought, and helps address food and feed shortages while supporting integrated crop-livestock systems. Organisation: IER / ICRISAT / McKnight Foundation / Farmer Organizations Author: Karim Dagno; Assitan Daou…

  • Sorghum-based Djouka Processing

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    This document presents a technical guide for producing Djouka from sorghum and peanuts to improve food security, nutrition, and income generation. It details the full processing steps, from raw material selection to packaging, and highlights its economic and nutritional advantages compared to traditional fonio-based Djouka. The innovation supports local food transformation and entrepreneurship, especially among…

  • Dual-purpose sorghum and legume residues for livestock feeding in Mali

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    This project evaluates the use of sorghum straw combined with cowpea and groundnut residues as an alternative livestock feed during the dry season in Mali. Through feeding trials on sheep, it demonstrates that legume residues can partially replace wheat bran without reducing animal performance, thereby lowering feeding costs and improving resource use efficiency. Organisation: IER /…

  • Complementary flour based on malted sorghum, peanut, cowpea and baobab pulp

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    This document presents a nutritional innovation consisting of a locally produced complementary flour designed to combat malnutrition among vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly. It details the production process, ingredient proportions, nutritional values, and implementation steps, while promoting local value chains and women’s entrepreneurship. Organisation: Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER) /…

  • Urgent Need to Regulate the Organic Fertilizer Market in Burkina Faso

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    This policy brief presents findings from a field study conducted in Ouagadougou on the market for organic fertilizers and bioinputs. It highlights major issues such as poor product quality, discrepancies between declared and actual nutrient content, weak regulatory enforcement, and low adoption rates among farmers. The document proposes policy actions including stronger quality control, regulatory…