In the summer of 2025, the Dosso and Tillabéry regions in south-western Niger were hit by hailstorms – a phenomenon new to the country and directly linked to climate change. In addition, the crops were affected by flooding and pests. As a result, a large proportion of the harvest was destroyed, meaning that farming families were unable to build up stocks of food and seeds.
Summer, also known as the rainy season or winter season, is a crucial time when farmers plough the land and sow seeds for the following year. It is precisely at this time that food supplies run low, whilst families are fully occupied with preparing the fields and sowing seeds. During this period, opportunities to generate income are very limited, which further exacerbates their vulnerability.
To prevent a situation of food insecurity ahead of the 2026 harvests, SWISSAID has launched a project.
évenir une situation d’insécurité alimentaire avant les récoltes 2026, SWISSAID a lancé un projet afin de soutenir ces familles paysannes.
Yields have declined in recent years. The challenges are enormous: declining soil fertility and strong winds that lead to the loss of seeds.
Salifou Illa, farmer and father.
Support for 2,000 families
The project supports 2,000 vulnerable farmers in 40 villages across the departments of Boboye, Doutchi (Dosso region) and Kollo (Tillabéry region). They receive local food and high-quality seeds.
The project aims to reduce food insecurity, in particular through:
- Support with local products: Each family receives cereals, pasta and oil to cover the household’s food requirements for one month.
- Seeds for millet, sorghum and cowpeas: SWISSAID provides vouchers that can be used to purchase new, resilient local seeds that can be grown without artificial irrigation. Families can choose varieties that suit their needs, whilst also boosting the local economy.
- Income from rehabilitation work (Cash for Work): Several dozen farming families receive a direct source of income. They are paid for their work on a 10-hectare pilot site. With the support of experts, they are responsible for making and erecting fences, carrying out transport work and planting hedges to stabilise the terrain. This paid work brings money into households whilst simultaneously creating a learning environment for agroecological innovations.
On the front line of climate injustice
Like many countries in the Global South, Niger suffers the consequences of climate change, for which it bears little responsibility. For example, the African continent accounts for less than 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is forced to endure devastating climate disasters. Whilst a person living in Switzerland emits on average between 10 and 14 tonnes of CO₂ per year, these emissions in Niger amount to only around 0.1 tonnes per inhabitant.
In the Sahel, temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. The consequences are clear: for several years now, Niger has been plagued by relentless droughts. These repeated climate disasters give farming families no respite, deplete the already barren soils and systematically destroy any hope of a harvest.
