Natural Resources Management for Sustainable Food Security in the Sahel

The agricultural and pastoral production deficit combined with the general rise in food prices has increased food insecurity in the Sahel. In order to guarantee their food security, rural populations adopt agricultural techniques aimed at maximizing production without necessarily considering the resource base. Moreover, during a year of poor production due to low rainfall, people fall back on wood cutting, charcoal burning, over-grazing, etc., which aggravate resource degradation. This project aims to break the vicious cycle and counteract the effects of demographic growth by testing various tools for improving agricultural and pastoral productivity, as well as strategies for managing the resource base with a view to improving food security. The research will be carried out in Burkina Faso and Mali.