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What funders can do to strengthen transdisciplinary research for sustainable development in Africa
This policy brief provides research funders with practical guidance on good funding practices for transdisciplinary research (TDR) in Global North-South collaborations. It is based on a dialog between German and African actors as well as expert interviews. Funders are guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals when investing in solution-oriented research for sustainable development in Africa. Complex sustainability challenges can be addressed by a transdisciplinary research approach which integrates knowledge from research and practice. Setting the funding conditions right is crucial to enable the creation of evidence-based, actionable knowledge through research-practice collaboration. To maximize the impact of transdisciplinary research, current funding frameworks must be adapted to the specific needs of such collaborative research.
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A systematic review of gender in participatory and social learning research in agriculture and land management in Africa
This open-access article by Peter Asare-Nuamah, David Anaafo, Tina Beuchelt and Constance A. Akurugu was published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems on 1 July 2025. Follow the link to view the full article.
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Navigating between local visions and goals of national policies for sustainable land management in Ghana
This open-access research article by David Anaafo, Peter Asare-Nuamah and Tina Beuchelt was published in Development in Practice on 12 June 2025. Follow the link below to view the full article.
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Assessment of the levels of synergies in the land policies of Ghana, Benin and Senegal
ZEF Working Paper Series, ISSN 1864-6638 Center for Development Research, University of Bonn ZEF Working Papers are intended to stimulate discussion among researchers, practitioners and policy makers on current and emerging development issues. The papers are not peer-reviewed. They reflect work in progress and should be regarded as preprints.
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Pastoral women’s information needs and gaps in milk marketing: A case study from Walda, Northern Kenya
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Selecting risk management strategies for smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Investigating roles of sustainable intensification practices in Ghana cropping systems using crop modelling
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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A supply chain analysis of the agri-food sector in Northern Ghana
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Incentive Systems for sustainable land management: Lessons from northern Ghana
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Diet Quality and Food Security Pattern among Fulani Households in Northern Benin: A longitudinal survey using pictograms
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Zinc and Boron application in agroforestry parklands: Impacts on maize grain yields in northern Ghana and Benin
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Understanding land use/land cover change and climate interactions and their implications for sustainable land management: A review
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Characterization of shea tree and maize agroforestry parklands in northern Benin
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Agronomic and economic performance of fertilizer microdosing in the shea-maize agroforestry parklands of Ghana and Benin
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Assessment of herbaceous biomass and their contribution to animal feeding in the context of climate change in Northern Benin
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Household Dietary Diversification and Food Consumption Patterns in Herder Households in the West Gonja Municipality of Ghana
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Influence of Cow Breed and Location on Milk Quality Properties and West African Soft Cheese Yield
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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A Review: Potential of Earth Observation (EO) for Mapping Small Scale Agriculture and Cropping Systems in West Africa
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Sustainable Intensification and Biodiversity
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Following Micro-Dosing and ISFM Innovations in Northern Ghana: Challenges and Prospects for Stakeholders
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Coping and Social Cohesion Mechanisms in Addressing Climate Change and Land Degradation in Ghana
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Leveraging Agricultural Insurance to Incentivize Climate-Smart Farming in Northern Ghana
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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The Role of Financial Incentives in Technology Adoption
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Unlocking Sustainable Intensification: Farmer Insights from Senegal's River Valley
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Regional Scale Biophysical Assessment of the Potential for Sustainable Intensification
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Measure for Impact
During the Status Seminar 2025 on Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Sahara Africa, held in Accra, Ghana, researchers gathered to exchange ideas and showcase ongoing work. As part of the seminar, a series of posters were created to present key insights and current progress.
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Co-Design Mobile-Based Digital Solutions For Low External Input Systems
Digital technologies can offer new opportunities for smallholder farmers, pastoralists, and hunter-gatherer communities. However, top-down approaches often fail to reflect the needs of end users, resulting in low adoption and limited impact. Co-design as an inclusive, participatory process which ensures that solutions are contextually relevant, user-friendly, and sustainable by actively involving end users. This policy brief explores how co-design can bridge the gap between innovation and local practices, enabling more equitable and effective digital solutions for low-input systems.
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Report of an exploratory field Mission Senegal
This report summarises key findings and observations from this joint mission from May 2024 and serves as the basis for Deliverable D1.7.2 for S9; and Deliverable D2.4.1 for S14.
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Integrating gender in social learning approaches for agriculture and land management research and implementation projects
ZEF Working Paper Series, ISSN 1864-6638 Center for Development Research, University of Bonn ZEF Working Papers are intended to stimulate discussion among researchers, practitioners and policy makers on current and emerging development issues. The papers are not peer-reviewed. They reflect work in progress and should be regarded as preprints.
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Good Funding Practices
Defining research objectives with non-academic and societal actors is essential to the transdisciplinary research process. This is a crucial building block to address increasingly complex societal problems, particularly in the domain of sustainable development
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Intervention Forecasting and Monitoring A Land Use Decision in Peri-Urban Hanoi
By co-developing a scientific framework, the project aims to forecast, implement, and monitor effective nutrition interventions in Vietnam and Myanmar.
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Impact pathways and forecasts of sustainable intensification practices
Impact pathway of ISFM as a sustainable intensification practice that can improve soil fertility status and increase productivity and farmers’ profits on existing land.
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Factors for improving resilience in access to and management of water, energy and food
Identifying and implementing adaptation strategies is vital to build resilience against against socio-economic challenges, particularly in vulnerable communities affected by climate change.
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Supporting Pathways to Sustainable Land Management in Africa
INTERFACES is an accompanying project that supports the four research projects DecLaRe, Minodu, InfoRange and COINS in driving change for sustainable land management in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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A steeplechase to land transformation
Our research in Northern Ghana is based around three hypotheses, aiming to identify feasible solutions for change.
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Participatory Approaches Enhance Sustainable Land Management
The INTERFACES project adopts a social learning approach for the development of gender-responsive theories of change to aid in the dissemination and uptake of sustainable land management innovations.
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RURAL21 - Research Article
The INTERFACES project backs four regional ventures run by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and aimed at promoting sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa. Its mission focuses on developing change strategies to boost innovation and implementation processes. Link to article below.
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Fostering gender-responsive innovation adoption among smallholder farmers in Africa
Fostering new farming practices and innovation adoption among female and male smallholder farmers, including marginalised groups requires addressing the economic, environmental and socio-cultural dimensions of development and contribute to social justice and gender equity. This is not a self-evident process as some innovations have contributed to adverse environmental or social effects, resulting in low adoption rates and unsuccessful scaling of innovations. In this briefing series we highlight the reasons for low adoption rates among smallholder farmers and how gender-responsive innovation adoption can be fostered.
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MINODU: Fostering Local Sustainable Development Through Technology and Research
Rapid climate change is exposing subsistence farmers to enormous challenges, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Several foreign aid programs have been set up to cope with these issues, many of which have focused on technical solutions. However, there seems to be a large gap between scientific research and the needs of local communities. Besides focusing on new ways to improve the resilience of local food production, there is also an urgent need to adapt available knowledge to the local context. Based on experiences from a project to co-create community networks in Togo in 2020, we aim to empower local stakeholders, including farmers and scientists, to adapt existing knowledge of sustainable crop farming to current practices. New modes of knowledge exchange can be established with the help of participatory design. These methods may help to foster a collective approach to learning that enables people to cope with global challenges on a local level, all while valuing the traditional practices of local farmers and enriching them with scientific knowledge.
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