LEG4DEV
Legume-based agroecological intensification of maize and cassava
cropping systems in Sub-Saharan Africa for water-food-energy nexus
sustainability, nutritional security & livelihood resilience in Ethiopia,
Tanzania, Zambia & Malawi
Grain and agroforestry legume crops have major unrealised potential for climate-smart transformation of nutritional, income and sustainability outcomes from smallholder systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the quantity and quality of protein produced and consumed is insufficient to meet current and future nutritional demand and requirements. Legumes produce high-quality edible protein for humans that is critical for future sustainable protein supply in SSA for nutrition and food security needs.
In sub-Saharan Africa SSA, legumes are widely used as an intercrop in maize and cassava systems, and are also significant sources of income for women. Rain-fed legume-maize and legume-cassava cropping systems can boost smallholder productivity and reverse declines in soil fertility. Both yields and adoption rates of leguminous crops remain low in SSA despite their potential role in improving nutrition, soil health, income, and food security.
The LEG4DEV project’s objective is to promote scaling of legume-based agroecological intensification of smallholder maize and cassava cropping systems in SSA for water-food-energy nexus sustainability that enables food security and livelihood resilience.
Want to learn more about the expected results and project mission?
Partners
University of Galway
The University of Galway is the lead
applicant in the LEG4DEV research project and is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland.
Wageningen University & Research
Wageningen University & Research is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in technical and engineering subjects and is an important center for life sciences and agricultural research.
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, or Swedish Agricultural University, is a university in Sweden, speciliasing in ecology, agricultural and veterinary sciences.
University of Hohenheim
The University of Hohenheim is a campus university located in the south of Stuttgart, Germany. Its primary areas of specialisation had traditionally been agricultural and natural sciences.
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center is a non-profit research-for-development organization that develops improved varieties of wheat and maize with the aim of contributing to food security.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture is a non-profit organisation that works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture, with the ultimate goals of reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
The International Livestock Research Institute is an international agricultural research institute based in Nairobi, Kenya, and founded in 1994. It is a member of the CGIAR and focuses its research on building sustainable livestock pathways out of poverty in low-income countries.
