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Intensified rice production negatively impacts plant biodiversity, diet, lifestyle and quality of life: transdisciplinary and gendered research in the Middle Senegal River Valley

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Abstract

A major programme of irrigated rice extension in the Middle Senegal River Valley has further limited the river’s natural flooding in the floodplain (Waalo), initially reduced by drought. We conducted a transdisciplinary (TD) and gendered study in the region to explore links between agricultural biodiversity and family diets using a social analysis of women’s practices. The results showed how rice expansion impacts local agrobiodiversity, diet quality and the cultural way of life. Disappearance of the singular agropastoral and fishing system of the Senegal River Valley is profoundly modifying the landscape, limiting wooded riverine settings, and is undermining the traditional diversified flood-recession cropping system in the Waalo. This is causing an overconsumption of rice by reducing alternative food sources, such as sorghum, vegetables and animal products (fish, milk and meat). In particular, flood-recession sorghums are in danger of disappearing, yet they are more nutritious than rice and now sell for twice as much, or more. The way of life is being disrupted, notably sociabilities previously based on territorial complementarities, and women are disadvantaged in terms of recognition and added workload. Women’s groups have launched collective irrigated gardens, organic or not, only supported by the local NGO, but any surplus is hardly ever sold on the weekly markets in the neighbourhood. Moreover, this diet imbalance increases nutritional risk factors for health, such as vitamin and iron deficiencies, especially for women, hypertension and diabetes. We argue that, firstly, gendered TD experiences are relevant for documenting women’s activities in order for them to gain political support and, secondly, that targeting women’s care tasks gives more value and impact to TD research results.

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The authors and their institutions and partners institutions declare that there are no restriction of availability of data including protocols, pictures (subject to the authorization of the persons photographed if any), and any kinds of presentation originated from this study.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to specifically thank Ms. Haby Ba from Enda Pronat who was the linchpin of the interactions of the entire academic team with the inhabitants of the villages throughout the project. We are also very grateful to the Enda Pronat team of Guede who thanks to their longstanding, permanent presence in the area, were instrumental in establishing an experimental (non-probabilistic) sample of families to be asked, holding meetings and providing facilitation and day-to-day contacts of the research team with the local actors in the villages. We also thank the Senegalese Association of Peasant Seeds (ASPSP), Dr Hélène Joly (Cirad) as well as Dr Alpha Ba (Thies University) and Dr Aram Top Sene (Directorate General of Social Affairs/Senegal).

Funding

This research received the financial support of INRA-CIRAD GloFoodS MetaProgram “Transitions for a global food security”, second round (2017–2019).

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Correspondence to Danièle Clavel.

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The purpose of the DIVA study and the reason for the presence of foreign students and researchers was explained to the participants prior to data collection. An Internal Review Board of the NGO Enda Pronat approved the study before the fieldwork began. All participants included in the study gave their free and informed consent to participate and agree for publication and release of the results. So we emphasize that we adhere to the Camille Noûs Collective as a sign of deep attachment to the values of ethics and probation defended by the Collective. We endeavor providing a framework for innovative research in the service of the general interest, involving separate disciplines and institutions, building consensus of reason and bringing their conclusions to civil society, being given what our results are collective construction. More information on this approach: http://www.cogitamus.fr/.

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Clavel, D., Guétat-Bernard, H. & Verger, E.O. Intensified rice production negatively impacts plant biodiversity, diet, lifestyle and quality of life: transdisciplinary and gendered research in the Middle Senegal River Valley. Agric Hum Values 40, 745–760 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-022-10392-5

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