Abstract
As the effects of climate change are severely straining West African agricultural systems, the adoption of more incisive interventions in support of sustainable development agendas for the region is highly critical and cannot be further delayed by governments. Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are one important ally in pursuing resilience in both production and food systems because of their promising traits in terms of nutrition, adaptation to local agroecosystems, and economic potential for local populations. Focusing on fonio, a gluten-free traditional cereal, and Bambara groundnut, a protein-rich leguminous crop, we investigate issues in their production, commercialization, and consumption in southern Mali. The aim was to assess needs and opportunities for improving their value chains and increasing their use and societal benefits. Using a Rapid Market Appraisal method, we surveyed traders, producers, processors, and consumers of target crops in 2017 and 2018. Our findings indicate that while both crops are consumed and praised by local populations, critical bottlenecks inhibit their wider socioeconomic potential. Lack of access to inputs and equipment and presence of sand in the commercialized product are important issues for fonio, whereas the Bambara groundnut value chain suffers from poor processing facilities and lack of market promotion. Policy recommendations to tackle the identified bottlenecks are proposed.
Highlights
Research on the effect of climate change in agriculture in West Africa shows that crop mixes will need to adapt in the coming years, as the effects will have a direct impact on livelihoods
Production challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Mali are likely to be heightened as the effects of climate change amplify in the region, possibly with an additional burden in terms of increased malnutrition and reduced food security [5]
We focus on two such crops grown in Mali: Fonio (Digitaria exilis (Kippist) Stapf) and Bambara groundnut
Summary
Research on the effect of climate change in agriculture in West Africa shows that crop mixes will need to adapt in the coming years, as the effects will have a direct impact on livelihoods. Looking at sorghum and millet in West Africa, Sultan et al [2] evaluated the effects of 35 possible climate scenarios on yields and found negative impacts in 31 cases In this context, rural populations reliant on rain-fed agriculture are likely to be hit the hardest [3]. Production challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Mali are likely to be heightened as the effects of climate change amplify in the region, possibly with an additional burden in terms of increased malnutrition and reduced food security [5]. The former could severely increase and disproportionately affect children, together with rising anemia and stunting rates [6]
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