Planting Seeds of Change: The Role of Traditional Agriculture in Africa’s Climate Fight
NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In the words of the Tuareg people, who have called the Sahara Desert home for generations, there is a saying: ad wər təsəmmətərǎγ agugel əd məṭṭawǎn — 'Do not advise an orphan on the matter of tears.' The desert teaches its own lessons to its inhabitants, with farmers adapting methods to their soil in ways outsiders may never fully grasp.
At the Sahara's edge, a unique kind of revolution is taking place — one rooted in the earth and planted for the future. Despite contributing only 4% of global emissions (Matiashe, 2022), Africa bears a disproportionate burden of climate change’s impacts. The global temperatures are projected to rise by 3.2 degrees Celsius by the century’s end (UN Emissions Report, 2019), and this is the best-case scenario where all expressed and committed climate goals are achieved. This alarming increase will intensify violent droughts and heatwaves, posing severe threats to agriculture, water supplies, and public health for Africa's 1.493 billion people (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022).
With Africa's population expected to reach approximately 4.2 billion by 2100, prioritizing environmental sustainability is crucial, necessitating a complete transformation of industrial and farming practices, with an urgent focus on water footprint amid escalating water stress. This article advocates for integrating traditional approaches into the international sustainability dialogue, such as the successful replanting of trees in regions bordering the Sahara Desert in the massive, but yet unrealized, Great Green Wall, and the reintroduction of ancient and neglected native seeds, such as local wheat varieties successfully planted in Tunisia, for a renewed agrobiodiversity fit for water crises.
Certain native seeds, more resistant and less water-intensive, were abandoned in Africa in the 20th century as they produced lower profits compared to high-yield, semi-annual harvest varieties imported from the international seed industry. Imported varieties, primarily cultivated for export, generally demand excessive water and chemical inputs to maximize yields, which in turn degrade the soil and its nutrients in an increasingly arid landscape, rendering their cultivation and this model unsustainable.
Bolstering food security and curbing environmental damage are crucial not only for Africa but also for the global population, which will necessitate an estimated 60% increase in food production by 2050 (World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future, 2019). Achieving a successful transition to sustainable agriculture in Africa, shifting from water-intensive practices to intensive scale-up for the daily needs of billions, also necessitates significant funds for innovative agricultural projects for long-term but urgent ecological viability. By integrating traditional and local methods with modern investment strategies, we can robustly support global climate efforts and strengthen sustainability in a multi-faceted approach.
Bissap leaves from West Africa (Photo by Carlos Torres on Unsplash).
The Great Green Wall Revegetation Project: Increasing Arable Land in the Deserts
As part of the ambitious global climate efforts, a remarkable project blending traditional knowledge with modern initiatives was launched to regreen and reforest Africa. Initiated under the African Union's Declaration 137 VIII in 2007, following years of localized efforts, the Great Green Wall is now an official pan-African project from the Atlantic to the Red Sea that aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across the Sahel, from Senegal to Djibouti, for a total of 12 countries, by the year 2030. It seeks to sequester 250 million tons of carbon and also to create 10 million green jobs, presenting an innovatively comprehensive solution, taking into account social sustainability, to climate challenges (National Geographic, 2023).
Learning from past unsuccessful attempts at desert planting, the first question arises: how can seeds survive the scorching Sahara climate, especially on such a vast scale? The answer lies in the time-tested planting techniques of the Sahel regions, which have proven effective for seeds to survive high mortality rates in arid conditions, employing traditional natural soil digging practices for water retention.
Local populations have demonstrated remarkable success in land restoration, surprising project managers who had tried with little success mainstream project methodologies, with 200 million trees having grown in Niger through traditional practices, mostly the zai technique and assisted natural regeneration. Traditions from Burkina Faso and Niger — one of the poorest countries on Earth — have demonstrated the mastery of sustainable, green practices in rejuvenating desert landscapes with flourishing vegetation. From 1989 to 2004, local communities with extremely limited resources steadfastly worked to transform 300,000 hectares of degraded land into productive farmland in Burkina Faso, securing food for 500,000 people (Overseas Development Institute, 2014).
There have been more tree-rich regions in southern Niger too, where the practice resulted in an additional half million tons of cereal grains annually, assessed sufficient to nourish 2.5 million more people. The transformative success seen in these areas was largely invisible to the broader initiative due to the reliance on coarse satellite imagery that failed to capture the scale of local achievements. It wasn't until detailed aerial photography and field surveys were conducted that the extent of the regreening efforts, led by local populations utilizing traditional practices and minimal resources, was fully appreciated.
Deployment of planting pits coupled with water retention barriers has catalyzed a remarkable transformation of vast expanses of barren land into flourishing, productive terrains. These approaches have successfully circumvented the high seed mortality rates — close to 80% within just two months — associated with the conventional, non-traditional tree-planting strategies. At the heart of the challenge was the disconnect between top-down project management and grassroots involvement, demonstrating an overlooked potential of local knowledge and practices and reliance on modern technologies which sometimes fail to recognize or measure the full impact of grassroots contributions.
Central to this grassroots success is the zai technique, an old agricultural practice that involves planting pits to capture water and concentrate nutrients where they are most needed. This technique involves adding organic matter to the soil to attract termites, which naturally dig underground channels by themselves to reach it. These termite-dug channels significantly improve water infiltration and soil aeration, enhancing in turn soil structure and fertility. Nutrients become more accessible to plant roots, allowing for natural and sustainable cultivation in desert areas. This fully natural method, free from expensive technology or devices, has demonstrated impressive success in regreening parts of the desert. Its adoption by local populations has been both natural and largely unnoticed by authorities and major players, showing that local communities are quick to efficiently adapt to their environment.
Yacouba Sawadogo, famously known as 'the man who stopped the desert' made a profound impact on land restoration in Burkina Faso and beyond through the revival of the zai technique. Amid devastating droughts in the early 1980s, while many fled rural areas for crucial city incomes, Sawadogo chose to return to his village, determined to combat the crisis firsthand. He received numerous international awards for his life commitments to revegetation, presented in an international documentary as well.
Sawadogo’s efforts centered on the zai technique, which he used to turn a barren, desertic 27-hectare plot into a thriving forest teeming with over 60 species of trees, crops, and diverse wildlife. This transformation was achieved without foreign aid. Despite not being able to read or write, he continued developing this powerful climate solution, even after a devastating fire in 1984 destroyed his small forest, which he replanted from scratch. Having seen his sorghum yield increase by 300% on initially dry land and being able to feed his family for three years per annual harvest, Sawadogo organized zai markets on his land in 1984 to share the method, long before governmental and NGOs invested in this traditional technique. These events held twice a year, grew to large-scale markets with participants from over 100 villages and neighboring countries. After each harvest, farmers would bring samples of their crops to these markets, where Sawadogo stored seeds in a special seed bank at his homestead. Then, before the rainy season, farmers returned to select seeds, choosing varieties suited to the improved growing conditions in their zai fields (ILEIA, 2000).
The zai technique not only revitalized the soil but also had a profound impact on water management. In various villages, water levels in wells increased by 5 to 17 meters, providing year-round access to water in areas that previously faced severe shortages for up to eight months each year. This improvement in water availability has been crucial in sustaining both agriculture and daily life (Right Livelihood, 2023). The huge benefits of zai extended to vital crop yields for food production. Millet and sorghum, grown on previously non-productive soils, achieved remarkable yields of up to 1,500 kg per hectare of grain and 5,000 kg per hectare of straw, for animal fodder. The shift to mechanized zai helped. The term zai stems from the Burkinabé word zaï which means 'take maximum advantage of,’ reflecting the labor-intensive method.
Previously, farmers needed up to 380 hours to manually cultivate a single hectare with zai. Mechanization drastically reduced it to just 50 hours in total, while crop yields have seen an increase of up to 40% compared to the manual zai method. The economic impact was extremely impressive too, with farmers' revenues increasing from 17,270 CFA per hectare with manual zai to 167,338 CFA per hectare with mechanized zai — a 968% increase due to higher yields and way less human cost than manual zai. The soil is also rehydrated and, after three years, is considered restored (Vertigo, Electronic Review of Environmental Sciences, 2008).
Sawadogo’s work demonstrated the innovative impact that traditional techniques can have on agriculture, the environment and social amelioration. By restoring tens of thousands of hectares in Burkina Faso’s Yatenga and Gourcy provinces, the zai technique has fed millions and provided a model for sustainable farming across the Sahel, addressing climate change with immense success. There are currently in Africa around 132 million hectares of degraded croplands with the potential of restoration with the zai, but this time, ambitious investments in land restoration should be mobilized to support populations in urgently addressing climate change. The adaptation of stone contour bunds for rainwater harvesting is another example of local ingenuity. Utilizing simple tools crafted locally, farmers unable to read or write learned very quickly to align these bunds along land contours accurately. This innovation ensured the optimal capture and retention of rainwater, enhancing soil moisture for agricultural productivity while regreening the landscapes with the full support of the farmers in the first lines against desertification.
As appealing as it initially appears, planting trees serves as more than a simple, yet crucial, method for local communities to combat global warming through carbon dioxide absorption — it also provides habitats for wildlife, revitalizing ecosystems and biodiversity. Reforestation, emerging as a natural cooling remedy for Africa's climate challenges, charts a sustainable path for the environment through comprehensive approaches. Indeed, trees contribute to soil health by increasing organic matter and their root system, improving soil fertility and structure. This fortified soil can better absorb and retain water, reducing runoff and erosion. With less erosion, soil supports stable and productive crop growth, ultimately boosting agricultural productivity for better harvests and food security among families and communities.
Reforestation also has a role in reducing the severity and frequency of droughts with evapotranspiration. Trees and plants enter this process by absorbing water through their roots and releasing it into the atmosphere through transpiration from their leaves. The process is essential in increasing humidity levels, which in turn stimulate cloud formation and enhance rainfall, adapting to recurrent Sahel droughts. Additionally, tree roots improve soil moisture retention, minimizing runoff and facilitating groundwater recharge, important to sustain vegetation during dry periods. Regreening the landscapes would then support easier access to fresh water for both natural ecosystems and local communities. In other words, planting trees in the desert is more than an attractive concept, it is key in reaching climate goals (MIT, 2021).
While the initiative marks a significant effort in combating desertification and promoting socio-economic development, progress has been challenging. As of May 2024, only 10% of the targeted land for the Great Green Wall is nearing restoration, drawing questions for its slow pace and highlighting areas where implementation could be enhanced to better meet the needs and expectations of local communities. This shortfall highlighted a critical need for re-evaluation and adjustment of strategies, which should include the local communities. Following the 2021 launch of the Great Green Wall accelerator and increased direct on-the-ground planting support by NGO partnerships several new monitoring initiatives were introduced in March 2024 to further streamline the project’s progress, requiring $33 billion for total completion (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 2024).
Official United Nations Presentation of the Great Green Wall (Photo by UNCCD).
In conclusion, the surprising success of the local stone contour bunds and the zai technique, quietly nurturing the growth of hundreds of millions of trees unnoticed for years, played a crucial role in the launch of the Great Green Wall initiative across twelve nations in 2007, which now mostly needs heavy funding. This accomplishment serves as a profound lesson of humility for international experts, the zai decisively advocating for locally driven initiatives, offering local authoritative lessons to internationally address climate change.
Reviving Agrobiodiversity: The Case for Tunisian Native Crops
Tunisia's climate crisis, marked by five years of severe droughts and acute water scarcity, has reached a critical point. Renewable water availability has plummeted to 420 m³ per year per inhabitant, far below the water scarcity threshold of 1000 m³, as defined by the Falkenmark Water Stress Index. If no significant changes occur, this figure could fall to 150 m³ by 2050. Moreover, national agriculture policies focusing on high-demand export crops like melons, tomatoes, and strawberries, which require daily watering for up to nine months to yield a harvest, exacerbate the water scarcity issue. These crops, though economically beneficial in the short term, are highly water-intensive and contribute significantly to soil degradation. This unsustainable approach has led many farmers to sell their lands, unable to maintain their livelihoods due to deteriorating soil and depleted water resources. Essentially, Tunisia has been exporting its water for decades, and the negative consequences are now starkly visible, with the country struggling to meet its water needs (Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Fishing & German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Joint Report, 2023).
This is not unique to Tunisia. Globally, modern agriculture techniques have caused a drastic reduction in crop diversity worldwide within a century. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, three-quarters of crop diversity was lost between 1900 and 2000, with only about 30 crops now providing 95% of the human diet, homogenizing local diets across the world (UN Report of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture). This shift towards monoculture harmed biodiversity with crops poorly adapted to local environments draining more water resources, eroding soil health and, with time, the nutritional value of grown foods.
In response to these challenges, Tunisian locally-driven farming initiatives revisit their agricultural roots by focusing on ancient wheat varieties such as Schili, Biskri, and Mahmoudi. These native seeds, sidelined in the 1950s for high-yielding hybrid varieties from Europe and America, are now recognized for their resilience and suitability to local conditions. Unlike hybrid seeds, which require precise technical instructions and chemical inputs, traditional seeds have naturally adapted to Tunisia's dry climate over centuries, making them more resistant to regional diseases, climate change, and drought (IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 2019). Mahmoudi wheat, for example, consumes half the water of modern hybrids and grows to about 1.70 to 1.75 meters tall, also providing ample straw for animals, without needing fertilizers or other chemicals (Climate Change Field Report for Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2023).
Mahmoudi wheat from Tunisia (Photo by Mohamed Fsili on Unsplash).
Native seeds offer numerous benefits, being naturally adapted to their environment. However, their harvesting can be unpredictable, with products varying in shape, taste, or suitability for consumption. In contrast, hybrid seeds offer genetic stability and consistent yields when the use of fertilizers and pesticides is followed correctly. Yet, hybrid seeds are essentially sterile and must be purchased anew each year, imposing a financial burden on farmers and contributing to environmental degradation due to the required chemical inputs and water consumption, which are no longer sustainable.
Tunisia’s current agricultural policies favor hybrid seeds, with more than 90% of officially recognized seeds in the farming catalog being hybrids. This policy, coupled with the lack of state support for native seeds, forces farmers to grow hybrid seeds to access subsidies. This situation is further exacerbated by the current economic crisis in the country, making the cultivation of hybrid seeds, which require chemicals and intensive irrigation, increasingly unsustainable. Native seeds, on the other hand, can be locally saved and replanted, fostering self-sufficiency and reducing the need for chemical inputs and water irrigation.
The case of the French apple industry provides a poignant demonstration. As of 2018, France was home to an estimated 5,000 traditional, local apple varieties, with more than 3,000 of these genetically analyzed by the National Institute for Agricultural Research to identify valuable disease-resistant genes. However, only about ten international varieties dominate the French market, mostly due to their commercial traits. Ancient varieties like the Egremont Russet, which boasts ten times more phytonutrients than modern varieties, are largely absent from the market, even though one apple from a local variety is as nutritious as ten apples from imported varieties. The focus on foreign commercial varieties by farmers has led to heavy pesticide use, as many commercial varieties lack natural resistance to local climate and diseases — posing serious environmental and health risks (Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, 2019).
Reviving traditional seeds like Tunisia’s Mahmoudi wheat presents an innovative solution to Tunisia's climate crisis. These seeds, naturally adapted to the local environment, reduce dependency on chemical inputs, preserve biodiversity, and provide excellent nutritional value. By heavily investing in and supporting the cultivation and reintroduction of traditional seeds, countries can achieve sustainable food security, protect natural resources, and promote the well-being of farmers and consumers. The Seed Vault in Norway, the world's largest seed bank, may play a crucial role in the effort to support the cultivation and reintroduction of traditional seeds. As of May 2024, the Seed Vault safeguards duplicates of 1,301,397 seed samples from almost every country, with the capacity to store up to 4.5 million varieties of crops. The Seed Vault's mission is to secure as much of the world’s unique crop genetic material as possible, making it the most diverse collection of food crop seeds in the world. Its precious catalog of crop diversity provides a wide range of native and adapted seeds. This crop availability can globally support both sustainable food production projects and land restoration, beyond the Sahel or Tunisia (Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, 2024).
A sustainable agricultural transition will require significant investments to support farmers in adopting greener practices for global food production, including identifying and reintroducing appropriate native seeds from the Seed Vault or regional seed banks. This approach requires comprehensive changes at regional, state, and international levels, making it imperative for all stakeholders to collaborate and invest in this greener transition.
Public and private actors must collaborate to provide financial support, technical training, and infrastructure development. Authorities must also revise agricultural policies to recognize and support native seeds, moving away from the absolute preference for hybrid and high-yield seeds for a more sustainable integration. Recognizing and empowering local communities as key agents of change rather than mere beneficiaries of top-down interventions is crucial. By valuing the ingenuity of local farmers and their traditional practices, the continent can bridge the gap between ambitious environmental goals and the practical, lived experiences of those most intimately connected with the land. Just as the trees of the Sahel and native seeds were nurtured by local hands, the success of this initiative hinges also on fully empowering local communities with courageous means and novel partnerships, to lead the path towards greener horizons.
About the Author:
Ibrahim Ati holds an LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) from the University of Southern California, graduating with honors. He is at the forefront of designing a new generation of ADR by integrating COP28 cross-border investments into high-potential transition ventures, bringing fresh, forward-thinking approaches to sustainable investment models.
Ibrahim has made significant contributions to international dispute resolution. He has organized and moderated high-level panels alongside distinguished Ministers of Justice from Egypt and Pakistan, which drew the attention of the American Bar Association. This recognition led to his appointment as Chair of the Ethics and Professionalism Committee in the Young Lawyers Division. Notably, he served as the New York City Bar Association’s youngest representative at the UNCITRAL sessions at the United Nations HQ.