Modern farming challenges in a Central African nation have led workers to adopt a traditional restorative method that has both environmental and financial benefits.
According to a report from Mongabay, factors such as accommodations for the agricultural industry, demands for firewood, and poor land management have decimated millions of acres in Cameroon.
To combat this issue, locals have begun deploying a traditional West African technique called Zai to help remediate a region that receives just 4 inches of rainfall monthly and has been exploited for its natural resources.
Bonne Gissata, a project lead with Forests and Rural Development (FODER), says the agroecology tactic requires digging holes 8 inches deep, 10 inches wide, and 27-31 inches apart. This restores degraded soil, increases crop yields, and prevents erosion on slopes by capturing grains, compost, and rainwater in the same hole.
Farmer Pierre Adamou, a member of the Nangam Djoungo cooperative, is one of 247 farmers utilizing this strategy. Adamou told Mongabay that it helps "against dryness, lack of rain and retains humidity in the soil."
He and his fellow farmers use compost manure and no longer have to invest in toxic chemical fertilizers that can cost $50-60 for a 110-pound bag and poison the soil and water.
"Before now, we cultivated our farms using chemical fertilizers and had no idea of the existence of the Zai technique until FODER introduced it to farmers. Even when there is no rain, the soil maintains humidity for two weeks. The harvest was poor before, but now, with Zai, the yield is higher," Jilkakak cooperative president and Zai technique expert Aiessatou, a mononymous individual, told Mongabay.
Some farmers have resisted the Zai technique, citing the convenience of chemical fertilizers and the physically demanding nature of the method.
However, FODER — which falls under the purview of the European Union-funded nonprofit organization EcoNorCam — has set up a demonstration farm for those willing to transition to the sustainable alternative. The farm teaches the strategy and helps establish cooperatives for farmers to work collectively and, therefore, more efficiently.
These efforts are part of Cameroon's plan to reverse the effects of human-driven desertification on 30 million acres by the end of the decade — 80% of which is spread across three northern regions.
An assessment by the World Wildlife Fund on behalf of the Cameroonian government found that roughly 64,000 acres around Bénoué and Faro National Parks require restoration. It's a crucial cause that will preserve the habitat of indigenous flora and fauna, including over 300 bird species, hippopotamus, savanna elephants, lions, leopards, African mahogany trees, and sausage trees.
The agricultural sector is a threat to global biodiversity and is responsible for 30% of global dirty energy pollution, per the U.N. Environmental Programme. It's what has motivated one British biotech company to develop a microbial biofertilizer to improve soil fertility and crop health, while one German institution has utilized AI to promote green practices.
With the help of the Zai technique and other innovations, Cameroon is also on a path to a more environmentally friendly future — one that is mutually beneficial for its farmers.
"With the Zai technique, I can see the difference; the yield from half a hectare [around 1.2 acres] has increased from three bags to about seven," Adamou said. "My life and many activities have changed. I pay school fees for my children, buy clothes, take care of medical bills, and invest in rearing goats and sheep."
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