Sack gardening in Mali: an innovative solution to hunger
Food security in Mali is precarious, with millions of people unable to feed themselves adequately. Women are particularly at risk of hunger. A new approach helps them to grow vegetables despite the poor soil and thus diversify their diet.
In the Global Hunger Index 2024, which assesses and analyzes the global hunger situation, Mali ranks 96th out of 127 countries – hunger levels are classified as serious. There are many reasons for this: the overlapping crises in the country make it difficult for families affected by poverty to access food. There are repeated violent attacks by extremist groups, for example. As a result, thousands of people are forced to leave their homes and are displaced within the country. Climate change is also exacerbating the hunger situation in Mali: persistent droughts, soil degradation, irregular rainfall and extreme weather disrupt agricultural cycles and reduce crop yields. Traditional agricultural structures, already damaged by inefficient farming and overexploitation of natural resources, are suffering.
Food prices are rising, and many can no longer afford food. As a result, many are eating fewer and poorer quality meals and often go without vegetables. This situation makes a healthy and balanced diet impossible.
Women as key actors in food security
Women, in particular, are at risk of hunger. They play a key role in agriculture and food security for families, particularly in rural regions of Mali. As the primary keepers of home gardens, they are often responsible for producing, processing and preparing food. They therefore play a central role in eradicating hunger and increasing dietary diversity.
However, women in precarious situations, especially internally displaced persons, often have no access to land due to social, economic and legal barriers. This barrier prevents them from carrying out agricultural activities necessary to meet their own and their families' food needs.
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Ayuda en Acción's approach: sack gardening
Our partner organization, Ayuda en Acción, has a new approach to improving the general nutritional situation of families in Mali: it trains women in sack gardening. This type of cultivation makes it possible to grow plants directly in sacks, meaning that the women farmers are not dependent on the natural soil conditions in their region, which are often degraded by desertification or erosion. The method saves space and can be used in urban areas, slums, refugee camps or densely populated areas.
Last summer, a WHH expert in teaching community organizations about horticulture provided training to a team of Ayuda en Acción employees in Ségou. Ayuda en Acción and WHH are both members of the Alliance2015.
Thanks to WHH's methodology and training, the Ayuda en Acción team has already trained 200 women (both displaced women and women from the host communities) in sack gardening. Another 200 participants are to be added by 2025. Ayuda en Acciòn Sahel is supported by the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation (AACID).
The women can now grow vegetables they would otherwise find challenging to buy, allowing them to diversify their diet and save money. In addition, the displaced women now have the opportunity to secure their economic livelihoodand food security even without land rights. In the workshops and while gardening, the participants can also make new contacts with each other, which improves social cohesion between the displaced families and families from the host communities.
A version of this article originally appeared on the Alliance2015 website.
