Irish charity organisation GOAL has adapted an ancient technique in Niger to see a 14% increase in acceptable food consumption.

Farmers have relied on the Zaï hole technique as a way to improve soil fertility. This technique involves digging small pockets in the land and filling them with compost. This degraded land softens to allow for better crop production.

However, there has been a high level of food insecurity in many regions of the country as crops have deteriorated year on year.

GOAL specialists presented an adapted and modernised idea to local farmers. The aim was to help them utilise more land by arranging an arc downstream on the Zaï hole to capture the rainwater for the benefit of the sown plants. This recovered more degraded land.

This new method was carried out in the town of Gouré in the Zinder region and the rise in acceptable food consumption has risen since 2017.

“Phenomenal results have been recorded from the adapted method and will serve the community for a long time as farmers share their learnings with family and neighbours,” said a spokesperson for organisation.

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