Farmer-Researcher Networks in West African Organic Value Chains. Economic and Sociological Challenges

Farming in tropical Africa is getting more and more complex. Land shortages often lead to soil fertility decline, as the usual fallow can’t be practiced anymore. Organic farmers have to compete additionally with subsidized synthetic fertilizer programs, cost-rising GMO competition and policy preferences for conventional and non-organic practices. The EuropeAid funded Syprobio project in West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin) involves organic farmers, researchers and technicians from farm organizations organized in networks to develop innovative technologies to improve competitiveness of organic value chains as well in enhancing food security for the producers. The main challenges of both economics and sociological issues are described and recommendations made. The role of information technology is presented and first research results are discussed on the use of video for farmer-to-farmer extension. Socio-economic preconditions are proposed in order to institutionalize these new communication tools and to further strengthen farmer-researcher networks