Strengthening the resilience of rice farmers in the Senegal River Valley through the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) approach, incorporating the System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
On 23 April, 2026, Dr. Paul Ndiaga Ciss from the COINS partner IPAR, presented experiences from the living labs in Senegal to 24 participants who joined from within and beyond the regional projects. In Podor, Senegal, the technology of Sustainable Rice Intensification (SRI) has been tested by farmers and compared to current farmer practice. The economic results showed a significantly increased yield and financial benefit to the farmers.
The discussion was very lively. Questions included what were the specific challenges faces by the project team, which elements of the technology specifically made SRI so competitive in comparison to other methods and how it could be implemented at larger scale in the region. The discussion here touched upon the most important constraint to wide scaling of the technology, despite its proven benefits: labour availability. A number of suggestions had been made by the research team, including mechanisation, especially for planting, rotating communal labour responsibilities, inclusion of SRI into national policies. Further points in the discussion were how the living labs operated and how the study area Podor differed from other rice producing areas in Senegal.
