DIVAGRI

In many rural areas of Africa, subsistence agriculture is dominant, i.e. the production goal is largely self-sufficiency to ensure the livelihood of a family or a small community. In many areas, this livelihood is at risk due to inadequate water supply, a lack of technical know-how and insecure sources of income for the farms. This situation is often exacerbated by unsustainable agricultural practices. The consequence is the migration of the population from rural areas to urban areas.

Climate change in particular has a negative impact on agricultural production in water-scarce regions of Africa. Efficient water use within agriculture is thus a key factor in strengthening rural areas. The establishment of a circular bioeconomy holds considerable potential for the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of agricultural structures. Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in addressing the challenges of food security, poverty alleviation and climate change. DIVAGRI targets smallholder farmers in rural sub-Saharan Africa, who account for 80% of all farms in the region and contribute up to 90% of food production in rural areas.

1. Development of Bio-based Solutions (BBS) together with individual and smallholder farmers in partner countries.
2. Testing and adapting BBS in different contexts to improve production conditions - especially freshwater availability and soil health
3. Diversifying crops, increasing agricultural productivity and economic returns at pilot sites and field demonstrations
4. Creation of new sources of income in certain rural communities through new organic products from residues
5. Integration of BBS into existing agricultural production chains and promotion of the broad acceptance of DIVAGRI solutions

The DIVAGRI project is developing seven bio-based technologies with matching business solutions for implementation in existing African agri-food systems over its four-year duration. From the perspective of smallholder farmers and their communities, the project's solutions address different nodes and stages of the agricultural value chain, from soil improvement to production and new marketing strategies. The following figure shows the main interventions planned in DIVAGRI. These are divided into the following five phases:

1. Use of unconventional water sources and soil improvers as agricultural inputs.
2. Development, integration and testing of sustainable agricultural technologies (food crops)
3. Utilization of agricultural residues through novel biorefinery processes (valorization of biomass)
4. Business models for broader acceptance of biobased solutions and creation of regionally linked value-added networks (activation of the rural bioeconomy)
5. Involvement of political decision-makers and other stakeholders (creation of synergies and framework conditions).