The INTERFACES colloquium of 11 July 2024 saw Dr. Jonas Meier of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) who talked about “Co-Developing Innovations for Sustainable Land Management in West African Smallholder Farming Systems”, introducing the state of activities and preliminary results from the COINS project.
Against the background of West Africa facing major challenges of securing sustainable living conditions under climate change, social transformation and a growing population, Dr. Meier postulated that efficient land management is needed to ensure long-term food security and sovereignty in Africa while at the same time conserving natural resources. This is the core of the COINS project which consequently looks at the intensification of agriculture, i.e. the sustainable increase in productivity without taking up new land.
Dr. Meier introduced the two study areas in Ghana and Senegal in which exemplary activities are investigated within an innovation lab approach which integrates various stakeholders and actors. These jointly investigate mechanisms and framework conditions under which sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture can work and move on to strengthen the skills and knowledge of farmers and other key stakeholders to foster implementation. The targeted SI practices include integrated soil fertility management practices in rainfed systems of Northern Ghana and the system of rice intensification in irrigated systems of the Senegal river valley. The COINS project uses a variety of digital technologies, such as modelling, earth observation and data science, to promote improved cropping and agricultural management practices.
In the discussion, possibilities for data exchange and further collaboration between COINS, DecLaRe and WASCAL Competence Center, as well as a further exchange on participatory approaches between COINS, InfoRange and INTERFACES were explored.
