Rooted in Resilience: How To Conquer Food Insecurity

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Introduction

Mali is a culture that faces a quiet and mostly unnoticed struggle against food insecurity. Food insecurity is a major issue in the country, which affects most of their population, and requires innovative and long-term solutions to combat. To address hunger and increase food security in Mali, a mix of old and new methods and technologies is needed. The people and communities should take the first step by adopting them. To achieve this, Mali’s government needs to work together, plan accordingly, and communicate with its people…

Food insecurity isn’t just a statistic — it’s a crisis that touches the lives of real people every day. But if we shift our lens towards proven traditional strategies and resilient crops, there is a way forward. This isn’t just about feeding people — it’s about restoring autonomy, dignity, and climate resilience through intelligent agriculture.

The Crisis: Poverty, Climate, and Conflict

Mali is a landlocked nation in West Africa that has a multi-party democracy. Over half of its people live in rural areas, with agriculture being the preferred occupation, especially around the Niger River due to abundant water resources. However, conflicts and climate shifts in the region cause poverty in almost half the population. About 1.6 million kids need urgent help, and nearly a third of children under five are stunted. Climate change plays a large role in this mess.

Agriculture is a huge factor in Mali despite only 4% of Mali’s land being cultivated, with cotton and cereals driving the economy. Agriculture significantly contributes to Mali’s economy, constituting 37% of its GDP and engaging 80% of Malians. Households have around six people living in huts or mud houses. Their diet includes raised chickens, lamb, beef, fish, and veggies like carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, peanuts, with rice as a major part.

This is not just a matter of food — it is a matter of survival, sovereignty, and justice. If we ignore these overlapping threats, we are complicit in the problem. But if we lean into solutions designed by and for Malians, we can rewrite the future of food security for millions.

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Food Insecurity and Climate Change

Food insecurity in Mali is registered at 30%, which equates to about 6.3 million people, with about 1.2 million of these being children. Income poverty has a direct relation to malnutrition as it directly decides whether you have enough money to spend on caloric and nutritious foods. However, there are factors other than poverty that affect food insecurity, the primary one of which is climate change. Most of Mali is either a desert or a semi-desert, meaning that they don’t get enough rain in a year, which is further aggravated by the effects of climate change.

Since the 1900s, Mali has suffered more droughts and has seen its land become more desert-like due to climate change. Five severe droughts, partly caused and exacerbated by climate change, put 1.2 million Malians at risk of famine and led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Malians and millions of cattle. Rainfall in Mali has decreased by about 30% since 1980, leading to major subsistence crops like wheat, millet, and sorghum decreasing in production by even 50% in some years.

We are past the point of theoretical concern — these are real-world consequences with deadly outcomes. But the solution doesn’t require a miracle. It requires intentional investment in strategies that already exist and already work.

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A New Hope: Cassava

Cassava is a highly nutritious crop that has been a staple food in East and Central Africa since the late 1500s. Cassava is very versatile as its flour can be used for baking, and its leaves are rich in calcium, protein, and essential vitamins. Furthermore, its starchy roots can serve various purposes from starch production to bioethanol/fuel production. Another one of its amazing capabilities is its ability to adapt to extreme situations such as droughts and poor soil, which is now making cassava the largest major African food crop that is able to adapt to climate change by 2030.

Yet, despite its potential, Malian farmers restrict cassava production to small-scale gardens due to its low yield and other problems. A similar policy to Nigeria’s NextGen Cassava project in Mali, implemented by drawing on IITA’s expertise and collaborating with them, could create high-yielding cassava varieties for Malian farmers.

Imagine a future where every village grows a climate-proof staple crop — one that nourishes, strengthens, and fuels progress. Cassava could be that future. But only if we stop underestimating its value and start giving it the investment it deserves.

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Indigenous Wisdom: Multicropping and Crop Rotation

Centuries-old knowledge and agricultural methods passed down from generation to generation, such as multi-cropping and crop rotation, shouldn’t be forgotten. Multi-cropping is the cultivation of complementary crops in the same land over a year to better soil quality and fertility by managing nutrients in the soil. It also augments soil carbon and nitrogen levels, bolstering crop yield, especially in the long run. The diversity prevalent in the practice of multi-cropping mitigates the risks of entire crop failure in the event of disease for one particular crop.

Crop rotation presents another method to enhance the use of soil nutrients throughout the seasons. Unlike monoculture, which depletes soil quality and nutrient concentration, crop rotation preserves nutrients, ensures quality, and decreases the chance of erosion. Despite the many advantages multi-cropping offers, Malian farmers have not fully embraced it, making it a missed opportunity.

If farmers were empowered to use their land more efficiently with these methods, the entire country could take a leap toward self-sufficiency. These are not experimental practices — they are proven tools waiting to be scaled with vision and resolve.

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Bambara: Mali’s Native Supercrop

Bambara, an indigenous African legume, shows excellent resilience against many conditions, exhibiting many climate-smart traits like nitrogen fixation and tolerance to poor soils and drought. Furthermore, its nutritional composition comprises 65% carbohydrates, 24% protein, 6% fat, and 5% fiber in addition to rich mineral content, rendering it a holistic food source.

While Bambara was used everywhere before colonization, it is very underused today. Bambara has the potential to be a nitrogen-fixing crop in rotation systems like multi-cropping and crop rotation with major crops like wheat and cotton. Furthermore, its adaptability across Mali’s diverse environments, from deserts to the tropical south, makes it suitable for widespread adoption.

We are sitting on a forgotten solution. With support and awareness, Bambara can become a cornerstone of Mali’s food future. All it takes is the courage to prioritize what truly works over what merely looks impressive on paper.

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A Holistic Way Forward

To achieve food security in Mali, the problem requires a holistic approach using multi-faceted solutions, including agricultural methods like multi-cropping and crop rotation in addition to including varieties like Bambara and Cassava to growing systems. Reviving indigenous forgotten farming practices will lead to a sturdy, fruitful and sustainable agricultural environment in Mali.

We can’t afford to keep relying on short-term aid or imported solutions that fail to address local realities. The answer is already in Mali’s soil. Let’s amplify it — boldly, urgently, and intelligently.