Innovation Type: Methodological

  • Compost from Millet and Fonio Crop Residues

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    This innovation involves producing compost using millet and fonio crop residues combined with organic activators. It provides a low-cost alternative to mineral fertilizers, improving soil fertility, increasing fonio yields by up to 46%, and supporting sustainable agriculture practices in Mali. The method enhances degraded soils while boosting productivity and farmer income, especially for women producers.…

  • Dougouyiriwa Dual-Purpose Sorghum Variety

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    Dougouyiriwa is an open-pollinated dual-purpose sorghum variety developed in Mali that provides both grain for human consumption and high-quality forage for livestock. It improves food and fodder security, enhances resilience to drought, and contributes to better soil fertility through increased manure availability. The variety is rich in micronutrients and adapted to Sudano-Sahelian conditions, offering higher…

  • Sorghum and Cowpea Dual-Purpose System for Sustainable Crop-Livestock Integration

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    This project promotes the diversification of legumes (cowpea, groundnut, soybean, mungbean) combined with dual-purpose sorghum to produce both human food and animal feed. It enhances soil fertility, optimizes resource use, and increases farmers’ income while strengthening crop-livestock integration in Mali. The approach includes intercropping, crop rotation, and organic-mineral fertilization, with demonstrated impacts on yields, biomass…

  • From Invisible Diversity to Targeted Interventions: A Gendered Participatory Diagnostic for Climate Resilience in Niger

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    This project develops a participatory and gender-sensitive diagnostic tool (DATAR) to document and analyze intraspecific agrobiodiversity (local crop varieties and animal breeds) in Niger and Bolivia. It highlights the importance of farmer-managed diversity for climate adaptation, reveals hidden gendered knowledge (especially among women), and produces standardized, comparable data to inform targeted agroecological interventions and seed…

  • Improved Clay Jar for Safe Cowpea Storage

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    This innovation enhances traditional clay jars and silos to reduce post-harvest losses of cowpea while preserving nutritional quality and food safety. Tested with farmers in Burkina Faso, it significantly reduced grain losses by 40%, maintained stable protein levels, and kept aflatoxin contamination extremely low. The approach combines indigenous knowledge with simple scientific techniques using local,…

  • 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)…

  • Improved Jar Innovation for Healthy Cowpea Storage

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    This document presents a local innovation that enhances traditional jars and silos to improve cowpea storage in Burkina Faso. By combining indigenous knowledge with scientific techniques, the method significantly reduces post-harvest losses caused by pests while maintaining nutritional quality and minimizing aflatoxin contamination. It relies on low-cost, locally available materials and promotes environmentally friendly practices.…

  • 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…

  • Village Agroecological Committee (CAE) Implementation

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    This document describes an endogenous approach to scaling agroecology in Burkina Faso through the creation of village-level agroecological committees. These committees strengthen local leadership, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and address the lack of extension services. The approach includes participatory diagnosis, organizational design, structuring, and continuous capacity building to ensure long-term sustainability and local ownership. Organisation: INERA;…

  • 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) /…