Slash-and-mulch: Exploring the role of shrub-based agroforestry systems for smallholder farmers in the Sahel

Summary

In Burkina Faso, degraded soils where no crop production is possible affect more than 1 million farmers (Bai et al., 2008). If restored, these soils could potentially contribute to increased local food provision and to climate change mitigation via global carbon sequestration. Advancements toward the imitation of dryland forest floors to restore agricultural soils in the Sahel, a form of ‘ecosystem mimicry’ (Ewel, 1999), can be achieved via the intensive application of carbon-rich mulches. Therefore, strategies are needed to restore and maintain soil productivity via greater inputs of organic matter, greater water retention, reduced evaporation and runoff, increased soil biological diversity, and nutrient cycling and availability. Indigenous forms of agroforestry based on the use of local shrubs, as practiced by farmers, offer opportunities to design sustainable farming systems that are based on agroecological principles and can contribute to building resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change.