Senegal's agriculture, employing 60% of the workforce and contributing 9.4% to GDP, is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its reliance on rainfed farming and small family operations. Millet and groundnuts are crucial for both economic growth and food security, with groundnuts dominating the Groundnut Basin and millet serving as a staple in the Niayes Region. Vegetable production in Niayes also plays a significant role in cash income and food security. The SCALA programme, funded by Germany's BMUKN, supports 12 countries in implementing climate actions through NDCs and NAPs, using the Climate Action Review (CAR) tool to identify transformative potential. In Senegal, the millet-groundnut and market gardening value chains were identified as having the highest transformative potential.
The study identified 22 agroecological techniques grouped into five categories, with six prioritized for the millet-groundnut chain (adapted varieties, composting, assisted natural regeneration, cultural associations, conservation agriculture, and biopesticides) and three for the market gardening chain (composting, living fences, and liquid biofertilizer). Composting was the only technique prioritized for both chains. Key climate risks include longer dry spells, rising temperatures, and high rainfall variability, affecting crop yields and production costs. Financing barriers, limited access to resources, and gender disparities hinder the adoption of these practices, particularly for women.
Recommendations include promoting large-scale composting by increasing access to organic matter and scaling up models like PROMOGED; disseminating climate-adapted millet and groundnut varieties with local seed stores; strengthening agroforestry through living fences and assisted natural regeneration with improved seed access and financing; adapting financing mechanisms to support initial investments and women's participation; enhancing women's access to land, livestock, and biomass; and strengthening collaboration with research institutions to address knowledge gaps and support the transition. The SCALA programme will focus on securing funding, training stakeholders, and establishing a monitoring system to assess the impact on Senegal's climate goals.
