Consortium

ADPM - Association for the Defence of the Heritage of Mértola was founded in 1980, with the aim of actively contributing to the harmonious development of the municipality of Mértola, Portugal, sustained by the conservation, promotion and enhancement of local resources. ADPM's mission is fundamentally related to the economic, social and cultural development of the territories in which it intervenes.

In Cape Verde for about 20 years, ADPM has contributed to the areas of valorisation of local resources and community empowerment, increasing family incomes through sustainable agriculture, new agro-ecological practices and the fight against climate change.

In CIRAWA, ADPM has participation in all WP, with a more active participation in WP3, where it leads the innovative agroecological practices; and in WP5, where it also leads the implementation of the most suitable agroecological practices adapted to specific local conditions.

The Association of Women of Planalto Leste - AMUPAL is a non-profit association, which aims at the development of the community. It is based in the locality of Planalto Leste, on the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. The families of the communities of Planalto Leste are fragile in social terms and economic sustainability. Their main activity is rainfed agriculture and domestic animal husbandry, activities that depend exclusively on rainfall.

For this reason, it is very important to seek alternatives that can complement existing initiatives, promoting a greater and sustainable dynamic to keep families in their own places of residence: it is important that they feel stable and able to continue to fight for their own survival.

In CIRAWA, AMUPAL has participation in WP3 in collecting information on agroecological practices in use; and in WP5, in the selection of farmers and implementation of agroecological practices best suited and adapted to specific local conditions.

The Association of Young Farmers of the Peri-Urban Area of Porto Novo - AJAZPUPNV aims to promote the economic, social and cultural well-being of the community of Casa do Meio, Santo Antão island, Cape Verde.

In this community there is an agricultural project with drip irrigation implemented in partnership with ADPM since 2009, which is already producing fruit and vegetables and can increase productivity through agro-ecological innovations, with improved sustainable management of water and soil.

In CIRAWA, AJAZPUPNV has participation in WP3, namely in collecting information on agroecological practices in use; and in WP5, in the selection of farmers and implementation of agroecological practices best suited and adapted to specific local conditions.

Fundación CARTIF is a Spanish Applied Research Centre leader in R&D and technology transfer activities. Its main mission is to provide innovative solutions to enhance industries' processes, systems and products, boosting their competitiveness and creating new business opportunities, focusing on the development of processes and technologies that contribute to the sustainable management of Natural Resources and to the improvement and protection of the Environment, paying special attention to those aspects that help to mitigate the effects of climate change and improving the quality of air, soil, food and water

As a multidisciplinary centre, CARTIF works in multiple fields of knowledge that address the main challenges of society, such as agro-ecology, biotechnology, Nature Based Solutions and sustainable chemical processes, clean, efficient and safe energy, circular economy, etc.

CARTIF, in addition to the project coordination activities, has a significant role in CIRAWA. CARTIF will be in charge of the definition of the study plots, the design and development of an integrated irrigation system (DSS) with fertilisation recommendations adapted to each study site, as well as training activities for the farming community in order to assimilate the results obtained throughout the project as much as possible.

Founded in 1978, with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, ICRAF is the only institution that does globally significant agroforestry research in and for all of the developing tropics. The knowledge they produce enables governments, development agencies and farmers to use the power of trees to make farming and livelihoods more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. With expertise in agroforestry and direct representation in several African countries such as Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Kenya, ICRAF has strong links with all 15 research centres from CGIAR. ICRAF and the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) joined forces in 2019, leveraging nearly five decades of trusted science and extensive partnership networks across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In CIRAWA, ICRAF is primarily participating in WP5 and WP6, in the selection of farmers and implementation of agroecological practices best suited and adapted to specific local conditions. They are also assisting in the capitalisation and knowledge sharing activities such as field activities collecting ground information through surveys and meetings and providing training on agroecology and climate smart practices. Through ICRAF, CIRAWA will establish networking ties with CGIAR Research Centres such as ICARDA.

The Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA) is a public institution of a scientific and technological nature (EPST), it was created in 1974. It is unique in conducting research in four areas of production (plant, animal, forestry and fisheries) and on socio-economy, which gives it an agricultural vocation in the broad sense. The institute operates in the six eco-geographical zones of Senegal.

The Centre de Recherches Agricoles (CRA) in Saint Louis is one of the 11 ISRA centres that coordinate the CIRAWA project. Created in 1972 in Richard Toll and transferred to Saint-Louis in 1984, the CRA covers the agro-ecological region of the Senegal River Valley (SRV), which extends over the administrative regions of Saint-Louis, Matam and Tambacounda. This agro-ecological region is one of the most important agricultural areas of the country. It has significant potential in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry and agroforestry.

The role of the ISRA CRA in this project is to ensure information management, valorising and disseminating the research results of CIRAWA activities. As the focal point of the communication committee, it will manage the visual branding of the institute, the creation of content, and all aspects of digital marketing.

Landfiles has been actively working on projects since 2017, bringing together 9000 subscriber in 18 countries and over 450 groups. Landfiles allows the organisation of participatory experiments within a group or between several groups from different regions and countries, based on shared forms allowing the comparison of data.

LAN is working on the adaptation and development of the farming system cross-border best-practices integration platform as a lead beneficiary of WP4. They are also in charge of the data management plan of the project.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment - MAA is the Cape Verdean government department whose mission is to design, coordinate, control, implement and evaluate specific policies defined by the government for the sectors of agriculture, forestry, livestock, agro-industry, food security, environment, water and sanitation.

In CIRAWA, the MAA is involved throughout the project, particularly in WP5, carrying out the economic, social and environmental assessment of the validated agroecological strategies; it assesses market strategies for food and bio products resulting from agroecological practices.

Established in 1993, the National Agricultural Research Institute evolved from the department of agricultural research, of the then Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (NARI). Today, they are a major party at The Gambian Agricultural Research System (NARS). The institute maintains two main research stations, one in the eastern half of the country at Sapu in Central River Division (CRR) and the other in the western half at Yundum, as well as several satellite research stations countrywide.  The organization’s aim is to provide technological solutions for agricultural producers and inform policy makers on how to increase agricultural productivity without adversely impacting the environment. They also supervise and control the production of nucleus, foundation and certified seeds of the major seeds grown in the Gambia.

This partner focuses on agro-residue valorisation and high-quality seed production, using equipment like drip irrigation, water pumps, and processing tools. They assist in developing and testing agro-ecological strategies tailored to eight regions, including soil analysis and bio-product development.

National Seed Secretariat (NSS) is the government agency responsible for seed quality assurance in the Gambia. The agency was established in 2017 with the mandate to monitor, supervise and regulate all seeds and seed related issues in The Gambia.

In CIRAWA, NSS is primarily participating in WP5 and WP6, in the selection of farmers and implementation of agroecological practices best suited and adapted to specific local conditions. They are also in charge of validation, training and monitoring of high-quality seeds multiplication related services, including seed pre-treatment and processing.

The Njawara Agricultural Training Center (NATC), is strategically located and operate with the 2 CIRAWA project regions adjacent to one another (North Bank and Central River).   As a community initiated and owned organisation established in 1990, their aim is to train youths and adult farmers in sustainable agricultural techniques to improve farm production and profitability. NATC also encourages and promotes an ethos of sustainable natural resource management among the farmers they train.

This partner provides services to implement and monitor agro-ecological strategies in The Gambia, primarily focusing on seed pre-treatment. They also support the development and testing of strategies tailored to local needs in other selected West African regions, including soil analysis and optimized resource management. By engaging farmers and stakeholders, they deliver practical, sustainable farming solutions for validation in diverse systems through a living-lab approach.

REVOLVE is a communication agency fostering cultures of sustainability. They offer a variety of communication services and products that give voice to EU funded projects including Horizon Europe projects, Interreg and other international non-profit organizations.

At the CIRAWA project, as a leader of WP6, REVOLVE is offering support on graphic design, data visualisation, content development, branding and marketing, social media engagement and media relations to maximise outreach and impact of the project.

The research group “Soil Fertility Lab” from the Department of Agronomy of the University of Sevilla has large expertise on soil fertility studies, with particular emphasis in nutrient dynamics and availability studies in Mediterranean regions (P, Fe and Zn), as well as on the use of bio-based fertilisers in agriculture. They have also a relevant experience working on the valorisation of different wastes and residues by composting with a view of developing soil amendments and bio-based fertilisers.

At CIRAWA, Universidad de Sevilla leads WP3, Development and assessment of agro-ecological strategies and techniques, and contributes to other WPs, in particular WP5, Deployment and evaluation of optimal combination of agro-ecological strategies and techniques; WP6, Effective transfer of project results; and WP2, Farming systems needs evaluation and definition of agro-ecological strategies and techniques.

The University of Valladolid (UVA), founded in 1241, is one of the oldest universities in the world. Located in Spain's Castile and León region, it has campuses in Valladolid, Palencia, Soria, and Segovia. The university enrols over 31,000 students and employs more than 2,500 academics, offering a wide range of programs.

UVA focuses on two main areas at the CIRAWA project: the reuse of agricultural residues and hybrid seed selection. In the first area, they specialize in characterizing agricultural waste materials for their potential use as components in solid biomass fuels and construction materials, ensuring compliance with analytical and property requirements. In the second area, they provide expertise in producing quality hybrid seeds for key crops, developing detailed protocols, offering training and capacity building, and overseeing seed sampling and production management.

The West African Centre for Water, Irrigation and Sustainable Agriculture (WACWISA) was established in 2019 by the University for Development Studies (UDS) as a semi-autonomous Centre of Excellence to undertake research and training in irrigation, drainage, water resources management, sustainable agriculture, climate change and food and nutrition security.

As WP2 leader, WACWISA-UDS is in charge of farming systems needs valuation; assessment of stakeholder requirements and baseline information; socio-economic and environmental assessment of validated agro-ecological practices in selected project areas; cost-benefit analysis of proposed agro-ecological strategies; piloting of best agro-ecological practices in the selected project areas; and market and food environment studies of implemented agro-ecological strategies.