Agroecology in Cape Verde

Farmers find in tradition solutions to drought and lack of rain.

Santo Antão is known in Cape Verde as the island of the mountains. It is the second largest island in the archipelago in surface area and the third in population. It is also the northernmost and westernmost island, and is therefore the westernmost point of the African continent. From the desert climate in Porto Novo, the island’s largest city, to the humid terraces on the slopes of its steep Tope de Coroa, the country’s tallest mountain (1,979m), and the stunning Ribeiras, or river valleys, Santo Antão is a territory full of contrasts where the common ground is a lack of water.

REVOLVE visited the volcanic island, where several agroecological experimental fields have been running for some years. Their goal is to test and replicate an agricultural system that works with, not against, nature, by looking back to traditional techniques that combine trees, crops and animals, coupled with soil management principles and social practices. Ultimately, these agroecological practices will contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change and creating more resilient and independent food systems.

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*A man waters the gardens in front of the port of Porto Novo, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 27 February 2024. This is the main port of entry for people and goods from São Vicente, the nearest island.*

*General view of the beach in front of the main Porto Novo square, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 27 February 2024. Besides agriculture, fishing is the main economic activity in Santo Antão.*

*A group of women sell dried salted fish in Porto Novo’s market, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024.*

*A man cuts ñame, one of the most common vegetables in the island, before selling it in Porto Novo’s market, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024.*

*A producer chats with transporters in Porto Novo’s market, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 27 February 2024. Transporters carry the goods sold in the market to close and unproductive islands like São Vicente.*

*A man carries three sets of bananas to one of the vans parked in Porto Novo’s market, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024.*

*Traders load their vans with vegetables in Porto Novo’s market to cross to São Vicente by ferry, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024.*

Near Porto Novo is the agroecological experimental field Casa do Meio. Its story begins in 1995, when the government paid 22 farmers to come to this area to remove the volcanic stones dominating the whole island and to find some groundwater wells. They cleared the area, started cultivating some fields and created a local association. Casa do Meio is now run by the sons of those pioneer farmers. They maintain most of the techniques that they learnt from their fathers, thanks to which they only need to water the experimental field once a week.

*An abandoned container next to the Casa do Meio small plant nursery, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024. The 22 farmers that came to clear the area 30 years ago lived in this container until they finished the preparations.*

*A farmer works on the land in Casa do Meio, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024. Tomato, potato, mandioca, coriander, banana, carrot, and moringa are some of the most common crops in this area.*

*Three young farmers work the land in Casa do Meio, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024. Most farmers in Santo Antão still use manual agricultural practices, they work hard and dry soil and use organic compost to be able to start cultivating it.*

*General view of the agroecological experimental field in Casa do Meio, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024. Sugar cane is used in the borders for wind protection.*

*Two men work on the grogue processing site located next to the Casa do Meio fields, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024. Grogue is an aguardiente made from sugar cane, very popular in Cape Verde and the word also means “tipsy”.*

*A man introduces sugar cane into the processing machine in Casa do Meio, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024. The sugar cane residue from the site is reused by farmers for several purposes.*

*A cow and several goats graze next to the grogue plant in Casa do Meio, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024. Pruning of the sugar cane and other trees provides dead ground cover that helps maintain moisture and increases soil organic matter.*

*João Lima, a farmer and agroecology technician in Casa do Meio, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, shows the pellets he produces i*n his farm in Casa do Meio, Santo Antão, on 26 February 2024. When there’s no pasture in the dry season, farmers produce these pellets out of the sugar cane residue, a Mediterranean plant that doesn’t resist the strong wind in the island, and moringa, to feed the animals.

*Lima shows the hibiscus seeds he extracted from a flower in the Casa do Meio agroecological experimental field, Santo* Antão, *Cape Verde, on 26 February 2024.* *This is another of the most common plants on the island, used to produce juices, liqueurs, jams and other products.*

Besides climate change effects, other agricultural areas in Santo Antão face added challenges like remoteness and lack of economic support. This is the case of the agroecology experimental field in Planalto Leste, run by the Women Association of Planalto Leste (AMUPAL). This organization was created in 2005 because there were not many female farmers and men didn’t want them to work on the fields, but to stay at home while they worked. Almost 40 women got together to create AMUPAL, and they received financing from the agriculture ministry to start working. Droughts force many people to migrate and now there are 27 women left in the association, which, apart from the agroecology experimental field, also manages a seed bank and a sustainable tourism accommodation facility.