EWA-BELT

Linking East and West African farming systems experience into a BELT of sustainable intensification

African countries face high levels of food and nutrition insecurity, exacerbated by the growing impact of climate change on agricultural production. The Sustainable Intensification (SI) approach provides practical methods to increase agricultural yields while preserving natural resources and ecosystem services. EWA-BELT project aims at promoting food production systems through SI in representative small holder farming systems of different agro-climatic areas of East (Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania) and West (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Sierra Leone) Africa to realize an interregional African “belt” able to promote SI by assessing and exchanging best practices and experiences among different contexts. The project particularly focuses on the following key practices and technologies:

- Selection and assessment of Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS).

- Sustainable soil management practices, including different compositions of organic fertilizers, crop management practices, sustainable water management, and agri-livestock integration systems.

- Traditional and innovative technologies for integrated pest management in both pre- and post-harvest phases, such as biopesticides, aflasafe, and conservation and storage technologies. The project also incorporates ICT solutions like the Planthead platform for diagnosing crop diseases and providing practical solutions, and a portable Q3-PCR device for early detection of mycotoxin contamination in crops.

Research activities on SI technologies are based on a multi-stakeholder approach that foresees the direct involvement of farmers and other relevant actors at different levels along the value chain through Farmer Field Research Units.

Funding acknowledgement: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 862848