Consumption of fruits and vegetables by types and sources across urban and rural Senegal

PR2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; IFPRI3; DCA; Feed the Future InitiativeMarkets, Trade, and Institutions (MTI); Food and Nutrition Policy; Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH

Modes de gestion de la diversité cultivée par les paysans dans le bassin arachidier au Sénégal : la coexistence comme nouvelle normalité ?

Farmer seed systems play a crucial role in access to seeds in West Africa. However, governments and development organizations aim to structure these seed systems, notably through the expansion of seed cooperatives and the commercialization of certified seeds of approved varieties. Nevertheless, the discrepancy of these normative frameworks with the reality and specificities of family farming raises concerns. Through a detailed and quantified description of the management practices of cultivated diversity by households in four villages in the Senegalese groundnut basin, our study highlights the coexistence of varieties more or less ancient, derived from farmer selection or research, and disseminated through local, state, or private exchange networks, without one supplanting the other. This coexistence can be observed at both the household and village levels, depending on the specificities inherent to each farm and agricultural terroir and the influence of territorialized development projects. The articulation and porosity between these different systems of supply at different scales show the need to consider the support of these changes on a case-by-case basis, according to each local context. Faced with this complexity, farmers, in their diversity, are ultimately in the best position to guide their choices. An evolution of the normative frameworks of seed policies appears necessary to better accompany them in this sense

Crop Diversity Management: Sereer Smallholders' Response to Climatic Variability in Senegal

International audienceBeyond the observation of climatic variations and their impact on livelihoods, farmers' knowledge about climate change can help to understand how rural populations respond to environmental changes and what factors should be considered when planning rural adaptation. This study documents Sereer farmers' observations of local environmental changes in the Fatick region of Senegal and explores how the farmers use crop diversity to adapt to those changes. Their observations of environmental changes were documented through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Variations in crop diversity, as well as farmers' explanations for these variations, were assessed through surveys in two villages (n = 126 households). Sereer farmers identify four distinct periods of similar climate trends and reported how they managed crop diversity in response to the climate variations between periods. Three management responses stand out: 1) abandonment of long-cycle varieties during drought periods, 2) adoption of short-cycle varieties during periods with shorter rainy seasons, and 3) reinstating of long-cycle varieties with the return of rains. Sereer farmers consider that climate variations are important reasons to modify their crop varieties, although variety selection is also affected by other socio-economic and cultural reasons. This study illustrates the contributions that local knowledge can bring to understanding the local impact of climate change on smallholder farmers. Understanding how they use crop diversity to adapt to climate variations can be the basis of climate change adaptation policies that address local needs and constraints

Consumption of fruits and vegetables by types and sources across urban and rural Senegal

Purpose: This paper analyzes the consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) in Senegal by: (1) urban and rural areas; (2) FV types (African-indigenous vs non-indigenous); (3) sources of FV (imports, purchases and own-production). Design/methodology/approach: The authors undertake descriptive and regression analyses on consumption of FV sourced from purchases, own-production and gifts. The data come from primary surveys in 2017/2018 of 6,328 rural and urban households in Senegal. Findings: The analysis showed that FV are important in urban and rural food consumption. A stunning 76% of rural FV consumption is from purchases, showing the importance of FV supply chains even into and among rural areas. Only 12% of national FV consumption is from imports. Most FV consumption in rural and urban areas is now of non-indigenous FV; African-indigenous FV have a minor share. Research limitations/implications: A limitation of this paper is that it uses a cross-sectional dataset. Originality/value: There are few national survey-based studies of FV consumption in Africa. This is the first to disaggregate FV consumption between primary versus secondary cities and rural towns, and rural areas close to and far from cities, in such detail regarding types and sources of FV as outlined in the findings. The regressions contribute by including determinants beyond income, including gender, employment, spatiality and education

Linking seed networks and crop diversity contributions to people: A case study in small-scale farming systems in Sahelian Senegal

International audienceSmall farms rely on a range of nature's contributions to people (NCPs) provided by crop diversity, covering both material and immaterial dimensions that are crucial for livelihoods and well-being. The maintenance of these NCPs over time, despite perturbations, is a key component of small farms' resilience. However, the processes involved in farmers accessing the different NCPs provided by crops are largely unknown. Such knowledge would be instrumental for evaluating the vulnerability or resilience of farmers to potential disruptions that affect these distribution channels