SustainSAHEL

Synergistic use and protection of natural resources for rural livelihoods through systematic integration of crops, shrubs and livestock in the Sahel

Tree and shrub integration has been promoted as a means of enhancing rural livelihoods by providing sustainable watershed services and products. However, research to support this effort has been limited. Focussing on the Sahel zone, the EU-funded SustainSAHEL project aims to enhance the resilience of smallholder agricultural farming systems to climate change as well as their intensification potential through scalable innovations on crop–shrub–livestock (CSL) integration. The development of CSL systems through innovation platforms will help increase both productivity and farmers’ income. The project is working closely with existing Africa–Europe networks and programmes, establishing partnerships that could emerge as a model laboratory on CSL for the Sahel.

Funding acknowledgement: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 861974