Source: United States Department of State
The African Market Garden model has been pilot-tested in Niger, West Africa, with very successful results. These women of the Yobbi Women's Group are growing and selling more lettuce, tomatoes and okra with support from the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF).

USADF, funded by the U.S. government, provides direct economic development grants to marginalized groups in conflict and post-conflict areas in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2010, Yobbi used funding from USADF and technical assistance from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to pilot the African Market Garden (AMG) model on 25 percent of its arable land. This agricultural intervention combined drip irrigation, improved crop varieties and soil fertility management to increase yields and provide for year-round cultivation. Yobbi was the first test of AMG in Niger.

The village women's group previously had no access to water or quality seeds to grow nutritious crops so they could earn extra money and keep local families healthy. In two years, Yobbi produced more than 33,000 pounds (14,969 kilograms) of fruits and vegetables, approximately nine times the results from traditional practices.

The group's net income is now 20 times higher than before. Health and nutrition among neighborhood families have improved, and group members command honor and respect in their village. Yobbi's 85 members will expand production to the rest of their two-hectare plot, and production and income gains are forecast to grow even more.

"We don't want to depend on aid," said Yobbi's secretary, Hadiza Sidikou. "With USADF's help, we are independent. Now, women members feel empowered as leaders in their own community. We are really influencing people. People come from all over to visit and learn about our garden."

USADF plans to award Yobbi a grant to expand gardening as a tool for income generation. Together, USADF and ICRISAT plan to replicate the AMG model in Benin.