CIRAWA is working with small-holder farmers in West Africa to improve food nutrition, local livelihoods, and ecosystem health.

Climate change is not only a threat to the food security of millions of people in West Africa but also affects the whole range of agricultural activities and thus the source of income of millions of people in the region.

CIRAWA partners gathered in Saint Louis, Senegal, to review progress and plan the next steps for promoting agroecology across West Africa. A week filled with field visits, workshops, and knowledge-sharing has laid a strong foundation for the next phase of the project.

Commemorative activities on Maio Island promote environmental awareness, encourage sustainable agricultural practices, and engage the community in protecting natural resources. Learn more about the initiatives carried out in partnership with local authorities and environmental organisations.

After the island of Maio, it was the turn of the island of Santo Antão to receive training on Financial Management, aimed at farmers and breeders. Between 10 and 15 March, the training sessions were divided between the classroom and visits to the participants’ agricultural plots. The training was carried out as part of the […]

By equipping local gardeners with the skills to produce and test their own seeds, this training supports the development of a resilient, locally rooted seed system – one that reduces reliance on imports, boosts the national economy, and strengthens livelihoods across the country.

CIRAWA has benefited from the Go To Market service offered by the Horizon Results Booster, that helped in managing the project’s intellectual property and maximizing commercialization potential.

As part of the 2nd Edition of the Agricultural Fair of Ponte Sul-Chã de Mato, a roundtable on agroecology was organized to address sustainable agricultural practices in Cape Verde.

Globally, 1 in 4 women and girls are expected to be moderately or severely food insecure by 2030. Women play an essential role in the food system, making up 43% of the global agricultural labour force, yet less than 15% of landholders are women. Furthermore, women produce between 50% and 80% of the food, depending […]

At the Open Living Lab Days 2024 in Timișoara, Romania, a workshop was held on September 26th, titled “Deployment of Living Labs Approaches in Africa for Sustainable Agriculture.” This event, organized by Horizon-funded projects such as PrAEctiCE, CANALLS, CIRAWA, and NATAE projects focused on addressing the challenges and potential of Living Labs in Africa to […]

ADPM Mértola, as part of the CIRAWA project – Agroecological Strategies for Resilient Agriculture in West Africa, in partnership with the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on the island of Maio, is holding a series of Training Sessions on Agroecology, Agroforestry Systems and Biointensive Agriculture. There will be two days of training […]

The Young Farmers of Casa do Meio received a visit from the Director-General of the FAO, Qu Dongyu. The visit was an opportunity for the Director-General to get to know the work carried out in the Casa do Meio Young Farmers’ Project, a project promoted by ADPM Mértola in partnership with the FAO. Qu Dongyu […]

On July 24-25, 2024, CIRAWA partner ISRA organized a training workshop in Mbane, Senegal, aimed at strengthening composting practices among farmers in the Senegal River Valley. The workshop sought to build both theoretical and practical knowledge of compost production, helping market gardeners and other producers adopt sustainable agricultural practices.

In February 2024, CIRAWA’s partner REVOLVE had the honour to interview several farmers in Cape Verde. They were able to visit their farms and talk to them about the current agricultural situation and the country’s struggle with a dry and changing climate. Hear directly from the farmers about their experiences and the benefits of agroecology in CIRAWA’s newest video.

From 22 to 24 May, farmers from Maio Island, along with technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Maio and Santo Antão and other organizations, participated in a transformative training session on agroecology as part of the CIRAWA project.

Field technicians and farmers from Ghana took part in a 4-day long training course on Agroforestry techniques and practices that started on 7 May 2024. The training took place as part of the CIRAWA Project – Agroecological Strategies for Resilient Agriculture in West Africa and followed two other events in Ghana: Waste to Wealth on 18 April and Grow Green on 19 April.

In Sakh, a locality in the city of Tivaouane, Senegal, the CIRAWA project has been instrumental in the installation of a methanisation unit. This initiative enables agricultural waste to be transformed into biofertilisers and biogas, providing an innovative and sustainable solution for the management of organic residues. 

On April 19, 2024, teachers and smallholder farmers participated in a transformative training session for CIRAWA’s GREEN SCHOOLS program in Central Gonja, Ghana. Organized by CIRAWA’s partner, the FIDEP Foundation, this session focused on deploying innovative agroecological strategies in school gardens and included the launch of a tree nurturing and planting initiative.

Representatives of the CARTIF Technology Centre (Spain), the coordinating body of the CIRAWA Project, paid a working visit to the island of Maio on 4-5 March. This was an opportunity for the CARTIF representatives to get to know the local reality and the work being carried out on the island. Meetings were held with representatives […]

Agricultural technicians and farmers from the Cape Verde island of Santo Antão took part in a week-long training course on Agroecology and Agricultural Techniques that started on 24 February 2024. The training took place as part of the CIRAWA Project – Agroecological Strategies for Resilient Agriculture in West Africa. It was carried out by ICRAF/Mali […]

CIRAWA Project Plenary Arrives in West Africa on Path Towards More Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Resilience

The CIRAWA project marked a milestone as it concluded its Baseline Data Analyses Workshop held from the 7th to the 12th of August 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

The CIRAWA team has been working hard during the first months of the project to demonstrate how operating with nature can enhance ecosystem health and biodiversity, while improving local livelihoods and climate resilience.