| Sumario: | Rice production is rapidly increasing in Mali. However, population growth continues to outpace rice production, raising concerns about whether Mali can reach its goal of rice self-sufficiency. Additionally, rice production systems in Mali are vulnerable to the combined effects of recurring extreme weather events and the lack of co-designed relevant adaptation strategies. Without proper climate-smart agricultural (CSA) strategies, considerable yield declines have been reported in rice fields, with projections indicating that these declines may worsen in inland rice production systems. Hence, there is a need to continuously promote the widespread access and use of context-specific CSA innovations, such as the Smart Valleys' approaches to inland water management, which is key to enhanced rice productivity. Since 2022, the AICCRA Mali project has been promoting the dissemination of various CSA innovations in rice-based systems in Mali, particularly by engaging local partners who directly provide capacity-building and agro-advisory services to farmers. Between 2022 and 2025, 54 Smart Valleys have been developed in rice production systems in Mali, supporting the rice production activities of over 4500 rice farmers, about 84% of whom are female. The main objective of this workshop is to enhance and strengthen the capacity of different actors engaged in rice value chains on site selection, development, and post-development maintenance of Smart Valleys in inland rice production systems. The workshop also identified various constraints faced in adopting the Smart Valleys approach to water management. To ensure the ongoing expansion of the AICCRA initiative, key lessons and insights from implementing the AICCRA project between 2022 and 2025 were highlighted by workshop participants, which are essential for promoting sustained scaling of Smart Valleys in Mali.
This report summarizes the outcomes of a one-day AICCRA Mali training workshop, held on 18 November 2025 in Bamako, focusing on the scaling of the Smart Valleys approach for land and water management. The workshop was attended by 22 participants, with 35% being women. Facilitated by AfricaRice, the session brought together extension agents, local authorities, researchers, NGOs, and farmer representatives to strengthen participants' capacity and skills in inland Smart Valleys development and climate-smart rice production. Through five interactive modules, participants explored the ecological foundations of lowlands, criteria for selecting suitable sites, participatory techniques for developing bunds and drainage systems, and essential practices for maintaining structures and improving soil fertility. Lively exchanges between the trainer and participants enriched the training, allowing field-based questions to clarify technical principles and contextualize lessons learned from Smart Valleys implementation in Mali between 2022 and 2025.
The workshop highlighted both the strong adoption potential of the approach and the key constraints facing communities, including labour demands, technical capacity gaps, limited access to tools and materials, irregular rainfall, and the need for consistent maintenance. Insights from four years of implementation of Smart Valleys underscored the importance of community ownership, accurate technical execution, sustained mentoring, and the integration of Smart Valleys into local development plans as critical drivers of long-term success and ownership. Overall, the session strengthened participants’ ability to design, manage, and scale Smart Valleys interventions, offering a clear pathway for expanding climate-resilient land and water management practices across Mali as the AICCRA project progresses.
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