Three Seed Money Projects on salinity have been granted!

Resilient Roots: Leveraging Indigenous Practices for Salinity Adaptation in Southern Bangladesh

Salinity poses a grave threat to agriculture and livelihoods in coastal Bangladesh, impacting approximately 1.5 million hectares of arable land. High salinity levels, often exceeding 4 dS/m, severely reduce rice yields, degrade soil, and drive economic losses and migration. The project aims to develop a climate-resilient agricultural supply chain by harnessing Indigenous knowledge and practices to adapt agricultural systems to salinity the objectives of identifying effective Indigenous knowledge, tools, practices, crop types, and varieties for salinity adaptation; evaluating the socio-economic, ecological, and cultural feasibility of the indigenous practices; and develop a bankable project proposal to scientifically validate, pilot, and scale these practices while providing policy input and strengthening local partnerships.

The project will be led by the consortium of Center of People and Environ, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and Krisoker Sor (Farmers’ Voice). The implementation will take place in three climate-vulnerable locations viz. Koyra, Khulna (salinity, cyclones, and storm surges), Bhandaria, Pirojpur (waterlogging, salinity, cyclones, and storm surges), and Hatiya, Noakhali (tidal inundation, salinity, waterlogging). The project will undertake a participatory, evidence-based approach including Screening (Reviewing existing databases and engaging with local communities to identify relevant Indigenous practices), Assessment (Field surveys and stakeholder consultations to evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of identified practices), and Dissemination and Proposal Formulation (Create informational materials and draft a proposal for scaling up successful practices). The project will promote sustainable agriculture, facilitate knowledge sharing, and support policy advocacy by focusing on indigenous practices, a replicable model for enhancing resilience in salinity-affected areas.

Integrated Soil Salinity Management in rice-based cropping systems in the delta of Senegal River Valley (ISSM4RICE)

Soil salinization, the most prevalent form of soil degradation in the Senegal River Valley, severely limits rice yields. This undermines agricultural productivity, devalues land, and threatens Senegal's food sovereignty. Therefore, Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and MetaMeta are excited to announce their partnership to implement a six-month project focused on integrated soil salinity management in rice-based cropping systems in the Senegal River Valley.

The project will run from July to December 2024 and build upon AfricaRice extensive experience in integrated soil salinity management in rice-based cropping systems in the region. This initiative focuses on joint learning to raise awareness and strengthen capacity on cost-effective farm solutions for salinity

The project consists of three key work packages designed to address the critical issue of soil salinity in irrigated rice production systems. The first work package involves demonstrations of integrated salinity management options through farmer field schools, focusing on practical applications and increasing awareness to help farmers and extension services apply adaptive salinity management technologies. The second work package focuses on knowledge co-creation, compiling a comprehensive knowledge product that provides a practical overview of effective salinity technologies specific to the Senegal River Valley. The third work package is dedicated to capacity strengthening through exchange visits and stakeholder facilitation sessions to enhance dialogue and learning among various stakeholders.

Mozambican Saline Agriculture Research and Practice: Agroforestry Solutions and Training Development (MoSARP)

Eastern Africa faces severe agricultural challenges as a consequence of soil and water salinization. Due to its long coastline, the effects of salinity are particularly severe in Mozambique, and excessive land clearing is exacerbating the degradation of the land. While initial efforts on Saline Agriculture have focused on classical approaches such as crop salt tolerance and improved soil/water management, there is a pressing need for more comprehensive solutions, harnessing the whole spectrum of agroecological management solutions adapted to coastal agricultural systems. At the same time, despite the severity of the salinity problem, Mozambique still lacks a consistent institutional approach to address the issue (including policy, education and research).

The MoSARP project intents to address these knowledge and action gaps by focussing on two key aspects: (1) Identification of Agroforestry solutions adapted to salt-affected coastal lowland environments, and (2) Development of Saline Agriculture training curricula suited for the Mozambican context. MoSARP builds on previous Saline Agriculture initiatives in the country, bundling the expertise of diverse actors from the Mozambican and European (Dutch) research and development sector. Through concerted effort, the consortium, consisting of ASSAMBA, ABIODES, University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research, Weltweit e.V., The Salt Doctors, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, is sounding out opportunities for future long-term collaboration. At the same time, the involvement of external experts and institutions, will allow for best-possible knowledge transfer and supra-regional scaling and collaboration. Key activities include: (a) a set of topical workshops assessing the state of the art for Agroforestry solutions adapted to salt-affected coastal lowland environments, combined with the establishment of a respective pilot field trial, (b) mapping of international and local Saline Agriculture initiatives and the integration of these topics into the educational landscape, followed by the elaboration of a topical training concept.