Our Story

Common Pastures helps farmers in Mali and Burkina Faso create sustainable farming practices through the integration of grazing animals, trees, shrubs, crops and pasture.

Common Pastures is a Browse & Grass Growers Cooperative project partially funded by the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Agricultural Volunteer Opportunity Project (AVOP) Small Grants Program. AVOP provides small grant funding for international development programs focused on expert volunteer technical assistance. 

Who We Are

Farmers

We serve small, low-resource farmers in Mali and their families.

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Volunteers

We bring volunteers with relevant knowledge and experience.

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Partners

We partner with organizations and individuals around the world.

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Our Focus

While all small-scale farmers have multiple challenges and constraints, women and young adults are more heavily impacted. Traditional customs may prevent them from fully participating in decisions affecting the family’s farming enterprises and yet they may be the ones that more fully understand and control the operation.

Women and youth do the daily management activities of small ruminants, chickens, and gardens along with the majority of household chores. They are often the gatekeepers for implementation of new methods yet are seldom included in critical decision-making. Without their participation, understanding and involvement in new methods, change seldom occurs. 

Trainings will explore alternative agriculture products, services, and marketing opportunities that do not directly compete with the traditional farming activities of men. Examples are small ruminant fattening, chick hatchery, compost, worm protein, mineral blocks, dairy products, mushrooms, branded dried meats or spice packs, and collecting, processing and packaging native, nutritious foods such as moringa tree products and amaranth.

Learn about MaliLearn About Burkina Faso

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Building Sustainable Rural Livelihood

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Traditional & New Age Shepherds

Traditional & New Age Shepards Mali possesses the most important livestock population in West Africa and stock breeding plays a key role in Mali’s economy. There […]

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Small-scale Farmers

The small farmers of Mali practice a subsistence system of agro-pastoral farming based on crop production and livestock. During the rainy season crops include maize, millet, […]

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Small Ruminant Fodder Production Systems

Feeding Small Ruminants Year-Round The primary objective of this assignment was to provide the F3P supported farmers with knowledge, skills and tools to practically implement better […]

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Cassava Trials

What is Cassava? Cassava is the world’s third largest source of low cost carbohydrates with Africa as its largest center of production. It is the principal […]