New partnership with Netherlands Enterprise Agency for resilient food systems in Sahel
The situation in Africa's Sahel is the world's fastest-growing humanitarian crisis. Over 3 million people are fleeing violence. They are ravaged by hunger, disease and increasing drought caused by climate change. Both ENDS and its partners are successfully working on accelerating the resilience of local food systems and communities in the Sahel, based on ‘Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration’ (FMNR). The project, funded by DOB Ecology, will end in mid-2026, but has already been followed up thanks to a new collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
Both ENDS and its partners have years of experience with FMNR in the Sahel. This method has proven to be very successful in greening landscapes and increasing farmers' yields - and for as little as €50 per hectare. It is a cost-effective approach that has already regreened more than 120,000 hectares and trained more than 80,000 farmers in FMNR techniques.
Both ENDS is working with the same partners in the new project: SPONG (Burkina Faso), CRESA (Niger) and IED Afrique (Senegal). The consortium is well matched. "We look forward to the impact that can be realised within the RFO programme. With an additional focus on women and youth, and with a stronger emphasis on healthy nutrition and value chain development, this project offers a great opportunity to further accelerate and expand the progress made since 2018 in the region," said Janna Fleuren, project coordinator Africa - land use and management.
Richard Ouedraogo, ARFSA coordinator at SPONG-Burkina Faso, and involved in the coordination and implementation of the programme from the beginning, sees the great value of the projects in Burkina Faso: "Inevitably, the most important player in the protection of natural ecosystems in Africa remains the family farmer. One of their most pressing needs remains food security and nutrition. The Accelerating Resilient Food Systems in Africa (ARFSA) programme has a very precise plan to support these farmers in ensuring progress towards food and nutrition security based on the sustainable management of farms and multiplying income sources for women and youth, towards local communities less prone to environmental and social crises."
The new project is part of RVO's ARFSA programme and will run for three years.
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