Changements des agro-systèmes en Moyenne Casamance

The Middle Casamance, corresponding to the current Sédhiou Region in Senegal, has important edaphic and hydrological resources. If during the mid- nineteenth century the area was sparsely populated, isolated and almost completely covered by the sub-Guinean dry forest, economic, social and climate change have profoundly transformed it. The Middle Casamance's agro-systems follow the topography and can be characterized on the basis of land resource: plateau land, valley and house gardens. Agricultural production systems are characterized by the cultivation of rice, millet, sorghum, maize and fonio, as staple crops; Peanut and many other cash crops. Fruit production is also quite important. Between 1990 and 2013 the main changes observed were not directly related to climate change, but rather with the demographic and social changes. The area of annual crops increases gradually with a rate of 900 ha per year, exclusively on the plateaus. Nevertheless the rice areas in the valleys are sometimes abandoned or underutilized despite extensive recovery works of degraded valleys. The composition of the basket of annual crops has not changed much. At the territorial level, significant differences are observed between the North and South of the Region. In the North there is a sharp increase in millet surfaces versus natural vegetation regression. In the South the main change is related to the extraordinary spread of the cashew crop that is gradually replacing annual crops. In general, the dynamics of food production are consistent with population growth in the region which is reassuring for food security in the near future. However, the shortcomings already observed in the past remain for the most part, although improvements are seen in terms of access to inputs and improved seeds. A thorough analysis of the environmental, economic and social impacts of observed dynamics must be considered in order to support the sustainability of the Region development.