Minodu
Climate change and population growth in sub-Saharan Africa make it difficult to manage land sustainably while conserving natural resources. There is often a gap between existing, scientific concepts on sustainable land management and concrete solutions on the ground.
The Minodu project aims to close this gap by processing existing knowledge in a user-friendly way, creating local networks and developing concrete solution approaches together with the communities. It also considers how results can be shared with groups that have limited access to digital technologies. The goal is to provide and improve knowledge on topics such as climate change, sustainability, water management, and desertification, as well as relevant technologies, through various participation formats.
Together with communities in Togo, the project team is working out how to make concrete improvements on the ground toward more sustainable land use, what resources are available, and how stakeholders can benefit from a shared network with other actors. Digital technologies and social action are combined to create new opportunities and build connections between different groups. Through this hands-on approach, knowledge is sustainably anchored in all participants and an emotional connection to the topic is created.
Practical Research from +40 students at Kara University (including research reports, audios for communities in both French and Kabiyè languages): Recherche Pratique Université Kara: https://minodu.notion.site/Recherche-pratique-Universit-Kara-2763612f4b0380f39c00df53ef803304
Alali, Essomanam. Climate-adaption focussed glossary French-Kabiyè. Bilingual translation of key climate and agricultural terms to strengthen accessible knowledge transfer. Lexique Kabiyè
Lange, C., Fröbel, F. Book Chapter “Rethinking Innovation: A Locally Anchored Approach to Participatory Design and Knowledge”, Handbook on Innovation in Africa, Howard University in publication.
Fröbel, F., Lange, C., Gschwendtner, P., Foli-Bebe, O., Afanou, S., Tsamedi, V., & Joost, G. (2025, November). If I were a digital application, I would be ChatGPT: Student perspectives on digital technology in Togo. In Proceedings of the 5th Biennial African Human Computer Interaction Conference (pp. 267-283). https://doi.org/10.1145/3757232.3757251*n.*
Koudima Bokoumbo, Mikémina Pilo, Magnan Petit Katanlé Kasseba, (2025). Contract farming and sustainability: the case of organic soybean producers in Togo*, SN Business & Economics*, 5(7), 1-28. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43546-025-00855-2
Mikémina Pilo, (2025) Electric power: a pillar for agricultural transformation in Togo, *Cogent Food & Agriculture, 1(11), 1-17. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/23311932.2025.2598722?needAccess=true.*
Fröbel, F., Lange, C., & Joost, G. (2023). Minodu: Fostering Local Sustainable Development through Technology and Research. In Proceedings of the Weizenbaum Conference 2022. https://doi.org/10.34669/wi.cp/4.17
Open Lab Abend: Klimawandel auf die Ohren. Hands-on Workshop. Futurium Berlin. 12.06.2025 https://futurium.de/open-lab-abend/open-lab-abend-klimawandel-auf-die-ohren
Pilo Mikémina and Kolani Lardja (2025). Impact of land tenure security on the adoption of sustainable land management practices: evidence from farm households in Togo, Status seminar, 2025, June, 2-6 2025, Ghana.
R&D Management Conference Stockholm 06/24: „Design-Driven Approaches for Climate Resilience“
Mikémina Pilo, Anara Kpassiro Agolo, Koudima Bokoumbo (2024). Sustainability of sesame farm households supported by Orge NGO in the Savanes region of Togo ; Tropentag 2024, September 11 – 13, Vienna, Austria. https://www.tropentag.de/2024/abstracts/links/Pilo_khwiD207.php
Mikémina Pilo, Mèba Grasse Akpe, Essowè Tantiana Abalo (2024). Consumer valuation of organic horticultural products in Lama community of Togo, Tropentag 2024, September 11 – 13, Vienna, Austria. https://www.tropentag.de/2024/abstracts/links/Akpe_NTq2yXoH.php
Fufu-Workshop, 30.05.2024 at Berlin Open Lab. https://www.drlab.org/2024/05/14/fufu-workshop-bol-i/
Hands-On Workshop, Building Bridges: Soldering for Climate Change Awareness at Re:publica 2024. 29.05.2024. https://re-publica.com/en/node/4164
Mindou – Fostering local sustainable development through technology and research in West-Africa. BOL X Hybrid Plattform | Symposium II, Berlin. Vortrag, Berlin, 26.01.2023. https://berlin-open-lab.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Programm-BOL-Symposium-II.pdf
Mindou – Fostering local sustainable development through technology and research in West-Africa. Weizenbaum Conference: Practicing Sovereignty. Interventions for open digital futures, Vortrag, Berlin, 10.06.2022. https://www.weizenbaum-institut.de/events/weizenbaum-conference-2022-practicing-sovereignty-interventions-for-open-digital-futures/
This current blog is the annual overview of highlights from 2025 and gives an outlook to upcoming activities for 2026 of the regional projects COINS, DecLaRe, InfoRange and Minodu and the accompanying project INTERFACES from the BMFTR-funded consortium for “Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Improving livelihoods through local research”.
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This current blog from the Minodu team, written by Carina Lange, Jules Alali and Morgan Clarke gives insights into the development of the living glossary for a changing climate. In addition, an online course has been created to encourage others to take steps towards co-constructing linguistic methods to address climate challenges.
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In this blog an annual overview of 2024 is given including insights and highlights from across the projects as well as an outlook into activities for 2025.
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As part of the capacity development within the BMFTR Consortium for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Improving livelihoods through local research, the INTERFACES project and the Minodu project both offer e-certificates. Available e-certificate courses: Research and Innovation on Sustainable Land Management in Africa Linguistics in Agriculture (EN) La linguistique dans l’Agriculture (FR)
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Rural West African communities, particularly in Togo, are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change despite their minimal contribution to it. The ability to adapt to this change is dependent on access to information and resilient agricultural practices. The development of appropriate information and communication technology (ICT) solutions for subsistence farmers requires thorough contextual understanding. Full list of contributors: Friederike Fröbel; Carina Lange; Philipp Gschwendtner; Ousia Foli-Bebe; Séti Afanou; Victoire Tsamedi; Gesche Joost
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This current blog summarises key messages from the pre-conference workshop on “Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Science-Policy Interfaces in Agricultural Research” as well as further highlights from the Tropentag Conference 2025 in Bonn, including winners from the Poster Awards and the Let’s Plant e.V. Photo Competition!
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This video features a statement by Ghana’s Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Hon. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who encourages researchers to develop context appropriate technologies that support farmers in adopting smart and sustainable agricultural practices. It also provides an overview of the keynotes, workshops and the field trip. The status seminar took place from 2 to 6 June 2025.
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What is the Fufu workshop about? Fufu is a traditional dish from Togo and many other African countries. In the workshop, you will be introduced to the art of preparing Fufu, break a bit of a sweat, taste something delicious, and along the way, gather some impressions from Togo. Spoiler: It won’t look anything like the picture, because generative Artificial Intelligence really has no idea about Fufu.
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This current blog, co-authored by Kingnidé Wilfrid Adjimoti and Aiveen Donnelly, shares a recent project highlight of an official UNCCD COP16 Side Event, which was jointly organised by the INTERFACES team at IDOS and the GEO LDN, hosted by the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana and run by GIZ.
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This current blog summarises key messages from the pre-conference workshop at Tropentag 2024 in Vienna and invites all workshop participants and friends of the BMBF funded projects to join in upcoming Knowledge Cafes.
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The workshop aimed to draw attention to the multi-faceted impacts of climate change by mediating knowledge through a hands-on approach with DIY electronics in which we soldered LEDs on a custom circuit board and thereby learned about the various regions of Togo in sub-Saharan West Africa.
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This current blog shares insights from a collaborative workshop that the Minodu project team held in Togo in March 2024. The aim of the Minodu project is to process existing knowledge on the effects of climate change in a user-friendly way. Creating local networks and developing concrete approaches to solutions together with rural communities and students from the University of Kara is at the heart of the project.
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This first blog of 2024 will introduce the projects and summarise a selection of highlights from the past year along with some examples of planned activities for the next year.
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As part of the Minodu project a hybrid collaborative university course was held simultaneously at the University of Kara, Togo and the University of the Arts in Berlin, Germany over the winter semester 2023/24.
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Discussion: Carina Lange and Dr. Damghane Oudanou “Minodu – experiences from fostering local sustainable development through technology and research”
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Presentation: Carina Lange and Dr. Damghane Oudanou “Minodu – experiences from fostering local sustainable development through technology and research”
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The BMBF funded programme INTERFACES and the four regional projects, COINS, DecLaRe, InfoRange and Minodu came together at the Tropentag Conference 2024 from 11 to 13 September in Vienna. Highlight was the pre-conference workshop organised by INTERFACES. This workshop saw an exchange from across the BMBF funded regional projects on sustainable land management in Africa under the FONA umbrella, on the various steps of knowledge co-creation and management in agriculture. One special aspect was deepened to give impulses for discussion: The African Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development (KM4AgD) system provided by the Forum for African Research in Agriculture (FARA)—the apex continental organisation responsible for coordinating and advocating for agricultural research for development, including insights from three of this year’s participants.
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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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The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) funds transdisciplinary research on sustainable land management in order to improve livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa.
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This video was taken during the first Status Seminar held in hybrid form (first day only) and online 26-28 April 2023 at IDOS in Bonn.
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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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The BMBF funded programme INTERFACES and the four regional projects, COINS, DecLaRe, InfoRange and Minodu came together at the Tropentag Conference from the 20th to 22nd of September in Berlin. Highlight was the pre-conference workshop organised by INTERFACES.
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