The term desertification refers to land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid zones caused by various factors such as human activities and / or climatic variations.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the temperature increase is above the global average.
This phenomenon worsens desertification and drought in agricultural areas.
Agriculture is the livelihood of the majority of the poorest populations. Farmers and their families are therefore the first to be affected by desertification and are dependent on the vagaries of the weather, which is becoming more and more extreme.
In Burkina Faso, where Morija operates, 9 million hectares of land are degraded and unproductive.
To cope with this phenomenon, the Family Bocage Fields (FBF) project in Morija enables farmers to restore soils and improve agricultural yields while respecting biodiversity.
Farming families are trained in the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and agroecological techniques. The plots are protected from desertification thanks to a local technique: the Sahelian bocage.
The Sahelian bocage technique
Hedges and trees surround the plots which are thus protected from the wind and animals. All of these plants allow better infiltration of water into the soil. The roots help keep plant nutrients in the soil and promote crops. Trenches are dug and water retention basins are created.
