Open Field Day events & associated Comms/Diss Reports

SustainSahel’s dissemination strategy, implemented between 2022 and 2025, was built around a progressive cascade approach that combined centralized training with decentralized, farmer-led outreach. At the heart of this strategy were the open field days, which served not only as dissemination events but also as key platforms for transdisciplinary collaboration and co-learning among farmers, researchers, students, and extension officers. A total of 123 open field day events have been organized between 2022 and 2025, with a total of 4,893 participations—2,177 in Mali, 1,683 in Senegal, and 1,033 in Burkina Faso. The two-phase dissemination approach began with the training of lead farmers, who were gradually empowered to become facilitators themselves during the second, decentralized phase. This transition has amplified peer-to-peer learning and allowed project messages and practices to spread organically across new villages and farming communities. Alongside the events, the project prioritized the development of accessible, context-specific learning materials, co-designed with farmers and tailored to local realities. Most of these materials were integrated into the open field day activities. These consisted of brochures, videos and posters. For example, seven farmer-focused posters—covering topics such as mulching with native bushes, alley cropping, and the use of shrub cuttings as fodder —were produced and distributed. These materials not only supported farmer learning but also provided a valuable exercise in transdisciplinary communication, encouraging researchers to translate their findings into formats accessible to end users. The open field days are embedded within a broader systemic dissemination approach that includes connections to Innovation Platforms and a project knowledge-sharing forum. This deliverable offers an overview of the outcomes and evolution of SustainSahel’s dissemination strategy, highlighting its achievements, which point to a successful implementation that had as a focus the deepening of local ownership and long-term impact.