As part of the “Programme d’actions structurées des acteurs de la Lutte contre la Désertification” (PASS-LCD), CARI and its partners wish to highlight the women and men working daily to promote agroecology in the Sahel. These spokespersons for agroecology carry out advocacy work at different levels (national, regional, local) and work with local populations to encourage the emergence of agroecological practices and demonstrate their relevance in the fight against desertification.
Discover the first portraits of the Spokespeople for Agroecology, produced during the Regional Meeting on Agroecological Intensification held in Senegal from 11 to 13 September 2024.
Mame Birame Sène, a driving force behind the commitment to and application of agro-ecological practices
Mame Birame Sène is president of the Jamm Bugum association in Niakhar, a commune in the Fatick region of Senegal. The association’s name means “I want peace” in Serer. Set up in 1989, it is active in a wide range of fields, including animal husbandry, culture, sport, education and the environment, and specialises in the production and processing of certified millet seed.
Mame Birane SÈNE has been the driving force behind the association’s commitment to the introduction and application of agro-ecological practices, realising the need to combine agricultural production with the preservation of the land and natural resources, by making the most of farmers’ know-how: “Agro-ecology is the innovative way for man to find his fulfilment. It’s the way to save farmers“.
As far as his career is concerned, it’s easy to say that he has several strings to his bow. With a background in modern literature, he taught French for several years before becoming a trainer at the Centre régional de formation du personnel de l’éducation au Sénégal (CRFPE) and focal point for distance learning for teachers in the Fatick education authority.
He is also deeply involved in his home town of Niakhar, where he is second deputy mayor, Chairman of the Association of Deputy Mayors of the Fatick department and region, Secretary General of Senegal’s Deputy Mayors, Chairman of the region’s young agro-pastoral producers’ cooperative and a millet and cowpea grower himself. He is a man of the field, resolutely focused on his fellow man. “In a 24-hour day, I have 4 hours for myself and the other 20 hours are for others“.
Since June 2022, he has been General Secretary of the Dynamique pour la Transition Agroécologique Locale (DyTAEL) in Fatick. He is working to roll out agro-ecological practices throughout the region by working directly with young people and farmers, and at national level by lobbying decision-makers.
Find out more on video
Workshop on integrating agro-ecology into municipal development plans in the Department of Fatick with DYTAEL
Workshop for DyTAEL departmental councillors on the integration of agro-ecology
8th communal reforestation day in Niakhar
