First, I think you need to have a clearer sense of the term you are using. "Agroecological" characterization refers to the evaluation of the existing total ecological space within which agricultural activity takes place. Thus, the Sahel can already be characterized "agroecologically." I am not very familiar with the region, but I understand that is characterized by deteriorating soil quality and increasing desertification, mostly due to human practices (burning, overgrazing, etc). The use of the word "agroecological" in regard to farming points to practices that guard/restore soil fertility, increasing nutrients and including other restorative strategies based on ecological principles (such as the planting of trees for shade and erosion control). Each regon, based on its ecological characteristics, will have different strategies for farming "agroecologically." My understanding is that food security in this region has been compromised by several human practices, and I would see an agroecological approach, well thought out and with the inclusion of both scientific and local knowledge, as providing only benefits.

Agroecology is a scientific discipline which use the  ecological theory to study, design, manage and evaluate agricultural systems that are productive and also resource conserving. Sustainable production and consumption will enhance the food security and your approach will help you a lot in achieving your targets.

Dear Sir,

Based on results of experiments or trials in Vietnam, agro-ecology cannot supply food enough to its residents. And they will refuse that model in areas.

It is rather a question of what is the target/reason of such small agriculture?

Try to specify question more precisely.

To bring food security, small agriculture must fulfil two minimum requirements:

1) smallholder has access to efficient chemistry(or sustainable fertilizers) and seeds;

2) smallholder has access to mechanics/equipment to enhance own labour productivity;

If these two prerequisites are met, one can expect smallholder farm to produce food not only for self-consumption.

In more general sense, smallholder farmers are more motivated to maintain the quality of soil than big owner, as they do not have a possibility to change the land. But may be in Burkina Faso the situation is different...

The smallholder farmers in developing countries are mostly constrained by the lack of resources to procure commercial inputs, be it chemical or organic. Under such conditions, agricultural practices based on the concept of 'agro-ecology' is the most sustainable way to achieve food self-sufficiency for the smallholders. 

Dear Aboubakar,

there  is a whole library on successful agroecology in Burkina Faso on the internet.

Start with

http://www.amurt.net/agroecology-in-burkina-faso/

http://www.groundswellinternational.org/sustainable-development/burkina-faso/advocating-for-agroecology-in-west-africa/

http://www.groundswellinternational.org/where-we-work/burkina-faso/

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/12/burkina-faso-farmers-grain-151210113903044.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hokqhfblvrU&noredirect=1

http://www.agroecology.org/Case%20Studies/Burkina_Faso.html

https://groundswellinternational.wordpress.com/tag/agroecological-farming-in-burkina-faso/

http://cidd2015.sciencesconf.org/51391/document

http://www.fert.fr/en/quel-accompagnement-des-producteurs-sur-la-voie-de-lagro-ecologie-de-la-pratique-a-une-demarche-burkina-faso/

http://afsafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Compost_Burkina_Faso.pdf

Best wishes, Kees

Food security is all about availability, affordability and accessibility of food. The link agroecology can have with food security is in helping better understanding and skillful management of an area (sahel) which can be put into more productive use(s). It's contribution is tangential but a needful option especially for communities within derelict salehian landscapes. 

Dear Andrea

Thank you very much for your explanation of both sahel ecosystem and agro-ecological farming in that system.

It is true looking at the agro-ecological approach, from farmers’ side will be very inclusive in the sense that combining scientific + local knowledge will be fruitful in bringing food security.

Thanks very much Suraji. Indeed sustainable practices (in my case agro-ecological farming) will enhance food security, and my approach will try to demonstrate, based on farmers' learning processes of sustainable practices.

Dear Thai Le Xuan,

It is true that agro-ecological models can vary according to the geographical location. The adaptation of these practices will normally change (see the first answer to my question by Andrea Schuman where he said “Each region, based on its ecological characteristics, will have different strategies for farming "agroecologically"” and I totally agree with his statement. Because the reality in Sahel (drought, loss of soil fertility,…) is not the same as in the humid tropic condition (like the case of Vietnam,). Even if some farmers might be interested in growing organic produce (eg. Organic rice…), in the humid tropic (for some reasons, …) and recently I saw a very interesting integrated rice farming in Indonesia, where farmers mixed rice with fish production by benefiting from both sides.

Dear Lurii,

Thanks for your answer!

Smallholders in Sahel in general, don’t have access to efficient chemistry (fertilizers, seeds), but rather they have animal like donkeys, cows for ploughing their farms and local transport…considering the fact that you stated two prerequisite are not met, I assumed that smallholder are producing mainly for subsistence with the traditional methods sometime. But looking at Andrea’ (again) point of view, Agro-ecology will have positive results when it combines local knowledge with the scientific one.

Dear Luni Piya,

Thanks for the reply!

Not all smallholder farmers in developing countries are constrained by the lack of resources to procure commercial inputs (this vary according to the agro-ecological zones). For instance, in the sudanian- savanna, cotton farmers, used to receive credits (to buy inputs) from cotton companies, and thereby using chemicals for both cotton and maize crops. But in Sahel, there is no agro-industries (like cotton company), hence the importance of thinking about agro-ecological methods to restore the degraded soils, and provide food for their family.

Dear Kees,

Thanks very much for sending these very interesting links on successful agroecology in Burkina Faso.

Best wishes,

Thanks to Marc-Anthony for suggesting agro ecology in the management Sahel ecosystem in order to be more productive.

yes resource availability such as inputs , credit , labour and water in time is important in sudan as you said cash crops such as cotton and groundnuts operation fainance by Sudan Gezira Scheme managments and cost detacted from cotton revenue . whever , this will support other crop operation. crop rotaion is important to keep soil with good fertility.

Area like Burkina Faso, where small holders have livelihood system anchored around livestock, health of local ecology becomes very  critical. Sustainability in such system has to be looked through assessment of  impact of land based livelihood earning activities on sustainability of  local ecology 

Aboubakar,

Agroecological approaches have proved to bring food security in several parts of the world. One important aspect you would probably like to consider is building the agroecological resilience especially when dealing with smallholders. 

In my database of edible plants of the world (www.foodplantsinternational.com) there are 100 edible species adapted to the Sahel, 1,047 edible species in Burkina Faso and 1,592 species adapted to arid areas in Africa.  They may assist you.

thanks to all your contributions in sharpening my thinking on agro-ecology and food security in Sahel

thanks to all your contributions in sharpening my thinking on agro-ecology and food security in Sahel

Hi, you may be also interested in seeing this UNCTAD / UNEP report http://unctad.org/en/docs/ditcted200715_en.pdf

Thanks for sending this very interesting report of UNEP!

Dear Aboubakar,

Here you have a report on this.

Regards,

Alfredo J. Escribano.

Thanks dear Alfredo!

Please see http://futureoffood.org/pdfs/Coventry_University_2013_Maintstreaming_Agroecology.pdf

muchas gracias! dear Gonzalo.

Your study will be more useful if you can also look at impact of small holders farming systems on social  and cultural sub processes. As nature of impact on on social and cultural sub systems will determine behavior pattern of small holders which then will influence their actions and actions will then influence  ecological sustainability.

Dear Aboubakar,

Agroecology is the approach you want to employ in order to achieve food security in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso. Bruce shared an excellent database for you to consider and this should be a great resource, in addition to information you will get by talking to local farmers. The literature is becoming abundant in agroecology and you can find a lot of reputable information through your searches. Here attached I wish to share some considerations of mine about the compelling needs to embrace agroecology in present agriculture that I hope may inspire you a step further, to continue working in this direction. Bon travail!

yes it surely will increase the food productivity