| Sumario: | Diversification in rice-based systems has emerged as a critical strategy to enhance climate resilience, improve farm profitability, and strengthen food and nutrition security in Mali. As climate change intensifies rainfall variability, seasonal unpredictability, pest pressure, and soil degradation, rice monoculture alone no longer provides a stable production system. Between 2022 and 2025, the AICCRA Mali program supported the scaling of diversified farming practices, including rice–legume systems, rice–fish integration, vegetable rotations, agroforestry options, and by-product valorization, all aimed at helping farmers reduce climate risks, restore or maintain soil health, and increase income. A key diversification intervention promoted by the AICCRA project is the provision of solar-powered irrigation pumps, enabling farmers to engage in off-season vegetable production through the Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) scheme. Under this initiative, over 4,483 farmers (60% of whom are women) have benefited from the solar-powered irrigation scheme, supporting dry-season cultivation of important crops. Moreover, over 3658 farmers are engaged in rice-fish farming, of whom about 3% are women.
A workshop held on 21 November 2025 in Bamako brought together researchers, extension agents, and lead farmers to review progress made, share field experiences, strengthen capacity, and identify lessons learned in scaling diversified rice production systems. Through detailed presentations, demonstrations, and interactive discussions, participants gained practical knowledge on diversification principles, benefits, and implementation challenges. Insights from the workshop show that diversification significantly enhances soil fertility, improves household nutrition, expands income streams, particularly for women, and mitigates climate-induced risks. However, constraints such as high input costs, limited access to quality seeds, labor bottlenecks, and insufficient extension support hinder full adoption. The lessons drawn from 2022–2025 underline the need for strengthened farmer support systems, improved agroecological integration, and better financing and infrastructure for sustainable scaling.
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