Empowering Farmers through Agroforestry: An Assessment of Community-Based Programmes in Central Mali's Desertification Battle

Desertification in Central Mali poses significant challenges to agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods. Efforts to combat desertification through community-based agroforestry programmes have been implemented, aiming at sustainable land management. Quantitative surveys were conducted with a sample size of 150 farmers, utilising a mixed-method approach combining qualitative interviews and quantitative data analysis to assess the outcomes of agroforestry interventions. A preliminary analysis indicated that among participants who adopted agroforestry practices, there was an average increase in crop yields by 24% compared to non-participants. Soil health parameters showed a significant improvement with a median soil organic matter content rise from 1.5% to 2.0%. The results suggest that agroforestry programmes have contributed positively to both farmer empowerment and desertification mitigation in Central Mali. Programmes should be expanded to cover more communities, with a focus on training farmers in advanced agroforestry techniques to enhance long-term sustainability. Policy support is also recommended for increased funding and capacity-building efforts. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.