AbTF boosts climate-resilient cotton cultivation for African farmers

AbTF’s Climate Adaptation and Resilience – A Pan-African Learning & Knowledge Exchange Project on Improved Soil Management (CAR-iSMa) project ran for more than three years and had over 100,000 farmers testing soil enhancement techniques.

The technology is said to increase crop yields on demonstration sites even amid the challenges of climate change.

The project’s demonstration fields in Côte d’Ivoire yielded up to 37% more crops than fields that did not incorporate soil optimisation strategies.

Following a subpar harvest in 2022/2023 due to pests, Ivorian farmers involved in the project saw their yields rise from 272kg to 1,007kg per hectare in the subsequent season. This increase translated into an average income boost of €509 per farmer.

AbTF managing director Tina Stridde said: “It speaks for itself that far more than our target number of 100,000 small-scale farmers chose to be trained in the theory and practice of regenerative and climate-resilient agriculture.

“In this project, we worked together with scientists, agricultural experts, and small-scale farmers to bring compost and biochar to the fields and to assess the feasibility of applying carbon credits to small-scale cotton production. We investigated new ways to secure good prospects of a stable income for small-scale farmers and their families, even in times of climate change.”

Throughout the CAR-iSMa project, AbTF concentrated on implementing practical actions aimed at enhancing soil quality, promoting responsible water management, and preserving biodiversity to strengthen the resilience of smallholder agriculture.

The project also explored carbon sequestration through feasibility studies to evaluate the effectiveness of various soil improvement techniques.

These efforts may pave the way for additional revenue streams via carbon credits for small-scale cotton growers in the future.

Key outcomes from the three-year initiative included regenerating soil health, biodiversity conservation, and women’s empowerment. Interorganisational meetings facilitated knowledge exchange among local farmers and partners regarding composting methods, erosion control techniques, and soil cultivation practices.

Strategies such as strategic crop rotation, diversification, cover cropping, tree planting, and integrated production and pest management (IPPM) were part of the project’s focus. Additionally, innovative training materials were developed to ensure continued education on these practices beyond the project’s lifespan.

Women were involved across all regions and engaged in compost production activities that often led to new income opportunities.