Taking the chance out of agriculture in Cabo Verde

25/07/2024

The beans pop out of their sheathing as Elisabeth Da Conceiçao lays them out to dry. It’s the end of the harvesting season. This year there was enough rain that she could keep some of the beans, sweet potatoes and corn for her family’s consumption, but also sell some. It all depends on the rain.  

Though the climate in Rui Vaz in the high hills of Cabo Verde’s capital island, Santiago, is humid and gets more precipitation than the rest of the arid country, there have been big changes here too.

“In recent times, rainfall has been one of the major challenges because, as we know, the climate has changed. It rains less. We spend a lot of money to produce, and when there's a lack of rain, everything is lost,” says Elisabeth.

With the changes in climate, Cabo Verde like many other countries, has not only seen a decrease in rain but has also seen an increase in agricultural pests. In 2017,  fall armyworm arrived in the country decimating much of the corn crops, and not only. But there has been an increase in many other pests as well.

Elisabeth recounts, “The biggest challenge from 2016 until now has been pests, such as the corn earworm, the green stink bug, insects… It is worrying because in Rui Vaz, agriculture is a source of income; it's sustenance for families.”

It is these types of concerns that a training offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as part of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme, is addressing.

Experts from China are passing on expertise to fight these challenges. Through hands-on trainings, Zhiqi Li, an expert in livestock production and Yanhua Zeng, an expert in horticulture, are showing ways of dealing with various issues, such as saving water through proper irrigation techniques or producing organic fertilizer made from manure and other readily available materials.

They have also shown farmers how to implement better pest control through pheromone traps and other innovative, non-chemical solutions. With these and more tips, Elizabeth and other farmers in Cabo Verde are seeing an increase in production, despite the erratic rainfall and the pest invasions. 

Cabo Verde is certainly not alone in these climate challenges, but it is a unique country, one made up of 10 islands, nine of which are inhabited. It is part of the arid Sahelian belt of mainland Africa, despite being situated approximately 500 kilometres off the coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. Cabo Verde is part of a group of countries known as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that face a set of challenges apart from other developing countries and distinct from mainland countries.

“The exposure to [soil] erosion is something that really defines a SIDS country… We are in the open sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. You can see the wind conditions are higher than in other places,” says Ana Laura Touza, FAO Representative in Cabo Verde. “But there are other issues not related with climate that also define SIDS countries. And those are related with the dependency on the import of food, in particular in the context of the increasing price of staple foods that in recent years have more than doubled,” she continues.

Partnerships are all the more important in these contexts. “What we need is to adapt the production system to these challenges and build a smart agriculture. This needs finance, capacity building, innovation and what we see is that we also need very strong cooperation with our partners,” states Gilberto Silva, Minister for Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde. 

Elisabeth finishes harvesting the beans and goes home to see her daughter off to school. Her mom, her sister and her daughter are in the kitchen taking out the “couscous” corn cake, a homemade specialty in Cabo Verde. This dense cake served with eggs or beans give Elisabeth and her sister the energy needed for the afternoon of tending to the livestock and preparing the land, implementing the new techniques she learned in the training sessions on horticulture production, soil management and pest control.

“Agriculture is important to me because I see it as a cradle. It's where I grew up, and I teach my daughter its importance. I want her to understand its significance… But in recent years, it has become very uncertain due to severe drought, numerous pests, and it's not something you can have confidence in. It's a matter of chance,” comments Elisabeth.

Her words ring true to many of Cabo Verde’s farmers and even beyond these borders. It explains in great part the migration of youth to cities and away from agriculture. Yet, this is a perception that FAO, particularly through the SSC project, is working to dispel. Nature cannot be controlled, but agriculture doesn’t need to be based on chance.

Solutions that China has utilized with success in its own rural landscapes are now being adapted and applied in the context of this SIDS country.

Elisabeth understands the soil better now and how to provide it with nutrients with organic manure. She hopes to attend even more training, particularly on greenhouse cultivation, where again chance plays a lesser role.  

Learning that there are even simple solutions to complex challenges, Elisabeth and other farmers are also gaining new motivation and new trust in this sector.

“In agriculture, I also want the opportunity to show the world its importance, its advantages... because there’s nothing better than producing for yourself, having for yourself and harvesting for yourself,” concludes Elisabeth.

The FAO-China SSC programme is working in 19 countries to pass on innovations, shared expertise and replicable practices. With all countries battling climate change in different ways, it is critical that experiences and solutions are shared among them through partnerships like the FAO-Cabo Verde-China cooperation.

The FAO SSC programme has successfully implemented numerous projects in countries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia, contributing to agrifood system transformation through increased agricultural productivity and profitability and improved value chains and investments.

Related links

Learn more

• In-depth story: Drought within an ocean
• FAO Digital Media Hub: Drought within an Ocean: Cabo Verde photos and videos
• Website: South-South and Triangular Cooperation
• Website: FAO country profile: Cabo Verde
• Website: SIDS Solutions Platform