From Local Actors to Leaf Carers: Companion Modeling for Rethinking Tree Protection in Senegal’s Groundnut Basin

How can a participatory simulation model contribute to understanding social-ecological dynamics and fostering alternative strategies for the sustainable management of trees, considering their role in enhancing soil fertility and contributing to farmers' food security? In Senegal's groundnut-growing region (Peanut Basin) , the Sahelian ecosystems have undergone significant degradation, characterized by a reduction in tree cover, as a consequence of the droughts in the 1960s and the 1990s. The Peanut Basin stands out for its positive interrelationships between trees, crops, and pastoralism. However, the regeneration of the Faidherbia albida tree population, essential to these interrelationships, has declined since the major droughts. Through collaborative efforts with agro-pastoral farmers living in the area, we developed a simulation model –- The SAFIRe model : Simulation of Agents for Fertility, Integrated Energy, Food security, and Reforestation –- that aims to identify, in collaboration with local communities, ways to reduce the pressure on tree populations and to restore conditions for medium-term tree regeneration. By exploring the results of the model co-designed with local stakeholders, we identified potentially more effective management strategies. More importantly, we have collectively questioned the conditions for improving tree cover and the viability of the socio-ecosystem, particularly in relation to the demand for firewood and local cereal for sustenance. This has prompted the stakeholders to engage in community-wide discussions and transform agro-pastoralists into leaf carers.