Turning agriculture into a carbon sink

Challenge

VPA addresses several major challenges facing Senegalese agriculture in a context of intensifying climate change.
First, soil degradation and desertification are accelerating as a result of intensive farming practices and erosion, leading to the long‑term depletion of agricultural land.
Second, the sector remains heavily dependent on imported chemical inputs, whose high costs and environmental impacts undermine the profitability and sustainability of farms.
Finally, the climate emergency calls for solutions capable of durably sequestering carbon, in order to actively contribute to reducing atmospheric CO₂.

Innovative solution

To tackle these challenges, VPA deploys an integrated model based on innovative agroecological solutions:

• Multi‑layer agroforestry: a farming approach that restores biodiversity, improves soil water retention and supports crop diversification;
• Biochar and biofertilisers: local production of organic soil amendments that significantly reduce reliance on chemical inputs;
• Stable‑carbon biochar production: through the pyrolysis of agricultural residues (co‑products), carbon is durably sequestered in soils, creating a monetisable carbon sink.

Impact

• 250 new collectors integrated into the supply chain
• 575 direct jobs created
• 30 new B2B clients under contract
• 940 tonnes of products commercialised