From thousands to millions: an update

Monday, March 29, 2010

Two representatives of the West-African farmers organisation ROPPA (Réseau des organisations paysannes et des producteurs agricoles de l'Afrique de l'Ouest), Samba Gueye and Ousseini Ouédraogo, recently came to Arnhem to discuss the progress of the ‘From thousands to millions’ project.

From thousands to millions (or 1000S+, as the project is called in French-speaking West African countries).
In 2006 the IFDC (International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development) and ROPPA started the project 1000S+. Agriterra became involved in 2008.
The motivating principle of 1000S+ is to support small food producers in West-Africa and help them improve their profits, in the expectation that the living standard of the producers and their families will also improve. To achieve this effect 1000S+ organises training sessions where people are taught on a base level and given instruments to realise production increase, quality improvement and business trade.

Reporting back in Arnhem
Ousseini Ouédraogo from Burkina Faso is an agriculturalist and has been working for ROPPA since 2005. Samba Gueye is a food producer and the president of CNCR (Conseil National de Concertation et de Coopération des Ruraux) a farmers organisation from Senegal, which is also connected to ROPPA . Both men hinted that they had trouble adjusting to the cold weather in Arnhem where the temperature was three degrees below zero. At the same time in West-Africa temperatures had reached above 38 degrees and the heat had scorched the earth under one’s feet. The contrast was simply too big to ignore.

But whether feeling warm or cold, Ouédraogo and Gueye were happy to be in Arnhem and report back to Agriterra. When asked to illustrate the effects of the project (1000s+) on the local economy and farmers, they did so with candidness and passion.

Rice in Mali
In Mali women have always worked in the rice fields. In most of these cases the quality of the rice produced is not very good, sales possibilities are limited and the incomes that women are able to generate remain low. But the women who participated in 1000S+ project had been given access to micro-credits. One immediate result is that they can buy more seed of a higher quality. Proceeds have improved.

There is even too much rice, which these women can store and sell later for a better price. In very concrete terms, the 1000S+ project has taught women to do business more efficiently. They have set up their own cooperation, which provides them with a stronger position in the local trade market. Because of the cooperation women are no longer solely dependent on the distributive trades. Profits so secured are directly to the benefit of the cooperation, its members and their families.

Fishing in Niger
Ousseini Ouédraogo knows several examples of good 1000S+ results from his own experiences. He told the following one. Year after year local fishermen in Niger had seen their profits decreasing. The main reason for this was the bad condition of the river. 1000S+ stood by these men and helped them to create fishing lakes. At the start of the project fishes were moved from the river to two natural water pools. The local fishermen were educated in fish farming.

One year later another six fishing pools had become operative. Traders from nearby villages knew where to find those pools and became frequent buyers of the fish. Not only the local economy and living standard of the fishermen have improved as a result. Apparently, certain fishes, which almost became extinct in the river, increased their numbers in the pools.

Corn in Burkina Faso
As a third example Ousseini Ouédraogo told the tale of the corn project in Burkina Faso. It relates to the World Food Program (WFP) of the United Nations, which is active in Ouédraogo’s native country. For a long time the WFP imported grain products from the United States.

Nowadays 80% of the grain products are bought on the local market. In the 1000S+ project in Burkina Faso, the focus is on seed improvement. Micro-credits were made available to people who are involved in the corn production cycle, such as seed producers, traders and corn farmers. Production has increased enormously.

In fact, local production is of such quantity that it can contribute to the supply of corn to the WFP. Because of higher production and better quality, the local economy has received a big boost and the living standard of the families which participated in 1000S+ has generally improved.
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Ousseini Ouédraogo and Samba Gueye spent a whole afternoon telling their Agriterra audience detailed and uplifting stories of the 1000S+ project. Their enthusiasm was inspiring. Samba Gueye gave a quick summary at the end of the session: just giving money is not enough. Educating the local farmers, advising and really supporting them, ensures that their self reliance increases. ‘In this way’, he says, ‘1000S+ is able to build a future of durability in West-Africa.’