Researchers strategize to promote integrated agriculture in drylands

A scientific meeting is underway in Kumasi, Ghana, to develop strategies to promote integrated agriculture in dryland communities and develop technologies to manage risks imposed by the environment.

Research partners under the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Dryland Systems for West Sahel and Dry Savanna will work out plans to implement the integrated production systems for improving food security and livelihoods in dry areas.

The program is led by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and implemented in West Africa by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and partner institutions. It is to validate the effectiveness of interventions in specific agro-ecosystems.

“In the West African Sahel and Dry Savannas region, the aim is to improve the lives of 23 million people and to mitigate land degradation on over 200,000km²”, said Dr. Zac Tchoundjeu, ICRAF Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

Drylands are fragile ecosystems and people are extremely sensitive and vulnerable to global and environmental change. Such lands are characterized by constrained agriculture where risk and vulnerability are the most immediate concerns.

Minimizing the risks and sources of vulnerability is an urgent challenge to research organizations and partners.

The Dryland Systems is the first-ever global-scale research program to use innovative, integrated systems approach to improve agricultural productivity, protect the planet and alleviate poverty and hunger in dry areas.

“The CRP on Dryland Systems is engaging in large-scale action research to identify innovative intervention packages – developed together with stakeholders – to sustainably improve agricultural productivity and livelihood resilience”, Dr. Tchoundjeu stated.

He however acknowledged the road to sustainable dryland ecosystems and improved livelihoods is long and challenging, which demands strong partnerships to overcome.

Dr. William Payne, Director of the CGIAR Dryland Systems Program, stated that whilst diverse scientific disciplines are being deployed to improve farming and livelihoods in drylands, better policies are critical to achieved the desired socio-economic and environmental impact.

Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has undertaken research and development activities to enhance agricultural production and improve food security and livelihoods in dry areas. These include development of drought resistant, high yielding, early maturing, pest and disease resistant varieties of maize, plantain, cassava, yam, oil palm, cowpea, rice, soybean and groundnut.

 

Director-General of the Council, Dr. Abdulai Salifu, is hopeful the CRP Dryland Systems will focus attention on “development of more productive, profitable, diversified and sustainable dryland agriculture with well established linkages”.

Representatives of research institutions and farmers’ organizations from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal are participating in the two-day scientific planning meeting.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh