A red dirt path, flanked by mango trees and rows of moringa, winds its way to the village of Bodobono, just 8 kilometres from Sotouboua in central Togo. Stretching out in every direction, the fields are framed by living fences of acacia and neem. Beneath their protective shade, corn and cowpea plants flourish. This is the half-hectare family farm of 45-year-old Rouki Mamah. She says, “This soil used to be a grave. Now, it’s a cradle.”
To cope with recurring droughts and soil erosion, Ms. Mamah turned to agroecological practices. She planted acacia and neem trees to shield her crops and improve soil stability. She enriches the land with compost made from crop residues and livestock manure, and she has introduced hardy, drought-resistant crops like cowpeas.
Gazing across her transformed field, she says, “During the dry season, the soil used to crack here. Then the rainwater would wash everything away.” Ms. Mamah inherited a plot of land left barren by decades of intensive farming. In 2022, she took part in a training organized by the Revo Agro Cooperative, where she was introduced to agroforestry. The cooperative continues to offer women guidance and support as they apply these sustainable practices.
Inspired by the training, Ms. Mamah planted around 120 moringa trees and 80 neem trees, spacing them five meters apart to form living fences. As the trees matured, they became natural barriers against wind and rain erosion. Their deep roots help retain rainwater, while the fallen leaves, buried in the soil, replenish it with nitrogen.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mamah produces two tons of compost annually from crop residues and manure. Thanks to these practices, she has had surplus yields for the past two years. She estimates earning 150,000 FCFA (about $259 USD) from selling her surplus production.
Today, Ms. Mamah’s farm stands as a model of success. Thanks to the trees, soil moisture now lasts up to two months longer during the dry season. Birds like hornbills and songbirds help control pests such as caterpillars and locusts, while earthworms tunnel through the soil, naturally aerating it. Their droppings enrich the land with nitrogen and phosphorus, further boosting fertility. The compost Ms. Mamah applies has significantly increased the soil’s organic matter in just two years. Beaming with pride, she says, “People used to mock my techniques. But when my corn grew twice as tall as theirs, the laughter stopped.” Today, about ten families in the community have adopted her methods to boost their own yields.
A few meters away, 52-year-old farmer Abalo Kawe is energetically hoeing his field. He confesses, “I used to think trees stole water from crops. Now I know I was wrong.” After seeing Ms. Mamah’s crops withstand a drought in 2023, he planted 40 acacia trees and began using compost. As a result, his corn yield increased from 300 to 700 kg per hectare in just two years. He now sells 200 kg of surplus each month at the Sokodé market, earning an extra 50,000 FCFA (around $76 USD). He declares, “Now my children eat three meals a day.”
Marius Adossi, an agronomist at the Ekofoda training farm in Tchébébé, explains that agroecology is a sustainable farming method that restores soil and preserves biodiversity by relying on natural processes. This approach combines tree planting—like acacia, which can store up to two tons of CO₂ per hectare annually—with organic fertilizers that increase soil organic matter from 1.2% to 3.5% in five years. He says, “Agroecology isn’t an alternative—it’s a necessity.”
As the sun sets on Tuesday evening in Bodobono, Ms. Mamah shows her 10-year-old son how to graft a young moringa tree. She tells him, “These trees are your future. The earth gives back what we give to it.”
