Drought-tolerant indigenous crops decline in the face of climate change: A political agroecology account from south-eastern Senegal

Historically drought-tolerant indigenous crops, such as sorghum, fonio, and Bambara groundnut, cultivated by the Bassari people in south-eastern Senegal, are declining despite their suitability for the region's predicted drier climate. This decline is driven by a complex interplay of colonial and post-colonial agricultural policies, market forces, outmigration, dietary shifts, and gender dynamics, which have favored water-demanding exotic crops like peanuts and rice. The study, employing political agroecology to analyze secondary sources and field data, reveals that current trends in crop diversity threaten long-term climate resilience. It advocates for a reorientation of research and policy priorities to support drought-tolerant indigenous crops, emphasizing the need to address cross-scale processes and power dynamics affecting agricultural practices.

Porcuna-Ferrer, A., Calvet-Mir, L., Faye, N. F., Klappoth, B., Reyes-García, V., & Labeyrie, V. (2024). Drought-tolerant indigenous crops decline in the face of climate change: A political agroecology account from south-eastern Senegal. Journal of Rural Studies, 105, 103163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103163