Effect of Adoption of Climate-Smart-Agriculture Technologies on Cereal Production, Food Security and Food Diversity in Central Mali

Abstract

Over a period of two years, this study analyzes the effect on food security of introducing new technologies through farmer field schools in the project “Adapting Agriculture and Livestock to Climate Change” (ACC). A household survey was conducted to compare 125 households in villages that were part of the project to 79 households in villages that were not part of the project. These two groups were compared regarding cereal surplus production, the number of food-secure months and food diversity. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance, a two-sample t-test and boxplots. The project was implemented in the semiarid regions of Segou and Koulikoro in Mali. The technologies introduced were microdosing of mineral fertilizer, seed priming, new cereal varieties, horticulture, poultry and goat production, assisted natural regeneration and ridging. Microdosing of mineral fertilizer and seed priming was adopted by more than 85% of the households in the ACC villages. Grain yields of pearl millet, sorghum and maize increased by 418, 429 and 673 kg/ha, respectively, (p < 0.0001) due to seed priming and microdosing. This resulted in a cereal surplus of 756 kg in the ACC households, while the surplus in the non-ACC households was 161 kg. In addition, the ACC households were food secure for two months longer than the non-ACC households and consumed food from one more food group than the non-ACC households. This study shows that, despite the difficult situation in Mali, it is possible to improve food security by introducing improved technologies.