Really working with farmers makes the difference

Why Yams? Why Côte d’Ivoire? Why now?

Yam is an important tuber crop in Côte d’Ivoire and West Africa in general. In Côte d’Ivoire, it is consumed across the country, has a high cultural value for several ethnical groups, and is still produced in a traditional way. Smallholders harvest it to feed their family and village and sell the rest to traders.

Planting yam is a continuous process, farmers have to save yam from their previous harvest to ensure the new production. Up to one-third of the production has to be saved, and most of the farmers tend to save “bad looking yams” and sell the “good looking yams” to traders to achieve the highest price. The replanted “bad looking yams” then lead to lower yields, as these yams are infected by insects, fungi, or other diseases.

The planting process is also made using very little input (fertilizers, pesticides, manure, clean seeds, or improved varieties), and the average result is less than ten tonnes of yam per hectare. Such way of production is not profitable and leads to soil degradation, which makes farmers to cultivate new lands and exacerbate natural resource scarcity.

Tell us a little about the goals of the YAMSYS project.

The external page YAMSYS project focuses on these current issues facing farmers and works on the development of soil and crop management options that are biophysically, economically, and institutionally acceptable in order to sustainably improve yam yields, food security, and the income of all the actors along the yam value chain in West Africa.

What options for improved soil management have your already share with farmers?

Yam productivity and sustainability is mostly determined by the choice of planting material; therefore, YAMSYS works with yam varieties and uses mostly improved varieties, resistant to stress and diseases. In addition, we teach farmers how to clean the seeds before replanting in order to avoid any contamination. We also promote the use of mineral or organic fertilizers to improve plant growth and give recommendations related to the planting density. Such ways of production leads to higher yields with healthier yams.

YAMSYS is also working on ways to sustain the production, proposing a new staking system and implementing solutions to ensure better storage. The YAMSYS vision is system-wide, including the process from planting to storage.

Why is it so important to work with the most important stakeholders involved in the yam value chain?

The innovations offered by YAMSYS are mostly developed for farmers, who feel that the team “really works with them.” We are aware of the importance to think broader and to include all stakeholders involved in the yam value chain in the research process. Thus, the input supplier, the transporter, the trader, the cooker, and up to the Agriculture Council will know about any innovation developed by YAMSYS, and this is at the heart of all actions.

Why is having the WFS Summer School here in Côte d’Ivoire important?

Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s largest producer of cocoa and visiting a cocoa producer country is of great interest. However, one sometimes forgets the importance that other crops play in Côte d’Ivoire and being in the country is a way for participants to discover this reality and its challenges. The location also allows participants realize the important role culture plays in food transition. Students also meet experts illustrating the need of transition in the food system. YAMSYS highlights the transition needed for yams; yams are a tuber crop that needs to evolve in a more sustainable way. This is the same for the manioc situation in Côte d’Ivoire, where processed manioc has been developed (attieke) and represents a great success of food transition.

World Food System Summer School in Côte d’Ivoire: Food Systems in Transition

27 January - 10 February 2018

Find further information on the course here

Also, follow the journey of these students on external page Facebook (@ethzWFSC) and external page #wfsceducation.