Rising from Drought: Resilient Harvests Flourish in the Sahel

Figure:Women farmers in southern Mali reap abundant sorghum harvests.

ICRISAT News – April 25 2025

Millions of people across Africa are projected to face increased exposure to droughts, floods, and extreme heat. According to the State of the Climate in Africa 2023 report by the World Meteorological Organization, without adequate response measures, up to 118 million people living in extreme poverty (defined as living on less than US$1.90 per day) could be increasingly affected by these climate-related events by 2030.

In the Sahel region, the impacts of climate change are already evident through prolonged droughts and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. These shifts are contributing to reduced agricultural productivity and placing significant strain on communities—particularly women and children, who often bear a disproportionate burden in times of crisis.

In response, the Enhancing Crop Productivity and Climate Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security in Mali (EU-APSAN-Mali) project, funded by the European Union, is offering practical, locally grounded solutions. Through the promotion of climate-smart agriculture and community-led initiatives, the project is helping to build resilience and strengthen food and nutrition security in the region.

A Path to Resilience: Key Initiatives of the EU-APSAN-Mali Project

The EU-APSAN-Mali Project focuses on key interventions that strengthen resilience in the Sahel, notably through the development, delivery, and promotion of high-yielding, nutrient-dense, and drought-tolerant crop varieties suited to the region’s challenging climate. These efforts are complemented by capacity-building initiatives, including training programs that equip stakeholders with technical skills for producing nutritious local foods, ultimately aiming to enhance household nutrition and incomes.

The project supports long-term academic training for students engaged in sorghum, pearl millet, and groundnut breeding programs at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and l'Institut d'Economie Rurale (IER). By the end of 2025, all supported students are expected to have completed their studies. To date, the project has provided support to four Master’s students, four PhD candidates, and 14 Bachelor’s degree students.

Farmers are also trained in new technologies through Farmer Field Schools, which offer smallholder farmers practical, hands-on experience in sustainable agricultural practices. These initiatives are further strengthened by innovative awareness campaigns that promote climate adaptation strategies and highlight the nutritional and economic value of local food resources.

In addition, the EU-APSAN-Mali Project is supporting the empowerment of seed entrepreneurs by training seed producers—including community-based producers and cooperatives—in quality seed production and exploring sustainable strategies to promote seed sales at the community level. To date, over 800 seed producers, 37% of whom are women, have received training.

Five Years of Impact: Voices from the Field

Five years after its launch in 2019, the EU-APSAN-Mali project is showing clear, positive results—best reflected in the experiences of the farmers themselves, especially women farmers who are central to local food production.

Ms Niagale Camara from Siby village in the Koulikoro region shares how the project responded to a critical need: “We needed early-maturing varieties—and that’s exactly what the project provided.”

As a project participant, Ms Nah Diarra recalls harvesting only seven 100kg sacks of groundnuts per hectare using traditional varieties. Today, thanks to improved varieties introduced through the project, her yield has increased to ten sacks per hectare—a significant boost that has transformed not just her own harvest, but also the productivity of the entire group of women groundnut producers in her village of Wakoro.

"The EU-APSAN-Mali project demonstrates that climate change adaptation is not only possible—it is already underway. Through the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, active engagement with local communities, and the empowerment of women farmers, the project is contributing meaningfully to building resilience and improving livelihoods,” said Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT.

See https://pressroom.icrisat.org/rising-from-drought-resilient-harvests-flourish-in-the-sahel