Securing Agro-Pastoral System and Rural Livelihood Through the Market Gardening in Niger: Unfolding Smallholders’ Resilience to Interwoven Challenges

Market Gardening (MG) in Niger is a crucial tool for securing agro-pastoral systems and rural livelihoods amid interwoven challenges such as climate change, conflicts and insecurity, demographic pressure, and poverty, which could not be fully coped with only relying on the very limited availability of capital and modern technology. A study of 60 small garden farmers found that MG significantly enhances farmers’ income and household food security. The average annual income from MG accounts for about 70 per cent of the farmers’ total income. However, challenges like water scarcity, land insecurity, and limited access to credit and markets hinder their full socio-economic role. The farmers try to overcome those obstacles through cooperation, sending remittance from part-time off-farm activities, and mobilization of resources based on their social capital. Those who could not overcome the challenges left the village for a “safer” location. The study emphasizes the need for community collective action, rural-urban networking, and external support to improve MG for rural poverty reduction and food security improvement.