Sustainable Development of Mangrove Agriculture – DEDURAM
The project for the sustainable development of mangrove agriculture in Guinea Bissau (DEDURAM) aims to improve the living conditions of the populations in mangrove areas. Through the transfer of skills and capacity building of local partners, it contributes to the development of the mangrove salt and rice sectors.
Overview of the project
DEDURAM started in 2016 in the Oio region of Guinea-Bissau. Its objective is to promote and disseminate two innovative agricultural production techniques that are inexpensive, ecological, and easily appropriated by producers: solar salt farming; and improved water management in mangrove rice fields.
The project offers an alternative and innovative solar production technique to women salt-producers that is inexpensive, based on endogenous knowledge, and easily appropriated. This technique allows to eliminate the process of cooking brine, and therefore of burning wood for the production of salt (3 tons of wood for each ton of salt produced). Thus, the production becomes at the same time more ecological, more profitable, less time-consuming, and less painful. It preserves the surrounding mangrove forests while reducing GHG emissions by 99%.
It offers rice farmers improved water management to secure the fields (and therefore the crops) against irregular rainfall, and saltwater infiltration caused by traditional techniques and rising sea levels. Thus these techniques guarantee a larger harvest area and better productivity per hectare.
In addition to technical support for the producers, DEDURAM also supports them in strengthening their transversal and organizational skills, particularly in managing their mangrove environment.
At the same time, the project carries out actions of Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity (ECSI) in France, and in Guinea-Bissau to raise awareness among different audiences on the issues of poverty, inequality and the stakes of International Solidarity.
Integrated development of mangrove areas for the benefit of the populations and their ecosystem.
Ongoing research
12/01/2019 - 12/31/2025 , project still in progress
Nowadays, the first results of the project are visible:
- More than 1000 women producers in the Oio region have adopted solar salt farming as a means of production for all or part of their activity in more than 40 accompanied villages
- Reduction of 99% of GHG emissions in the salt production process compared to my traditional method
- Rice production is secured on 2000 Ha thanks to reinforced dykes and optimized hydro-agricultural facilities, and water management is facilitated in a context of increasingly erratic rainfall for greater productivity
- Reduction of the rice shortage period (variable from one producer to another and from one village to another)
- 10 ECSI actions organized per year on average in France and in Guinea-Bissau
Thanks to this basis of exchange between producers and the effectiveness of the proposed techniques, a relationship of trust was established in most of the intervention villages, and allows:
- The implementation of experiments to further improve the technical itineraries
- The approach used is increasingly recognized in Guinea-Bissau. It is currently used in 3 other projects in the country, thus multiplying the impact of these innovations (estimated at least 500 women producers and 7000 additional hectares of land affected by 2025)
- A significant decrease in the work strenuousness of the women-producers of salt and rice
- An improvement of the health of women salt producers thanks to the elimination of fumes containing fine particles of soot and chlorine
This project is mainly funded by the European Union, the French Development Agency, the ADEME, the RAJA Daniele Marcovici Foundation, the Pays-de-la-Loire Regional Council, Cap Atlantique and the city of Guérande.
organisation
Univers-Sel was created 30 years ago by salt producers from Guérande (salt workers), and aims to support peasant agriculture in southern countries in 2 sectors: salt and mangrove rice. With the support of the salaried team, the salt workers volunteers of the association co-develop less costly and more productive production techniques with the populations, which preserve the mangrove environment in which they live, but also strengthen their governance.
These projects are based on the exchange of know-how between producers, promote low-carbon solutions (up to -99% of GHG emissions in salt farming), and the adaptation of populations to climate change, particularly by promoting water management in rice fields in the face of rainfall hazards.
in collaboration
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KAFO
Fédération paysanne de producteurs
WECF: Women Engaged for a Common Future, which awarded DEDURAM the “Gender and Climate Solution” prize at COP 25 in Madrid, and has been supporting the project ever since.
The CFSI and the Loire-Atlantique Department, which have supported the project in the past.