Centre for Action-Research on Ecological and Social Transformations
CREATES
Research. Action. Transformation.
The context
The Sahel is at a turning point.
Land degradation, food insecurity, rural exodus. Top-down solutions have failed. Yet Sahelian communities hold knowledge, practices, and resilience that remain largely invisible to mainstream approaches. CREATES was born from this conviction: lasting change must emerge from the territories themselves.
65%
of Sahel land degraded
300M
people affected
70%
of population under 30
CREATES
Our response
CREATES brings together researchers, communities, and practitioners around action-research rooted in the territories. We don't design solutions for communities. We design them with them. Our approach bridges natural and social sciences, local knowledge and innovation, art and data — because the Sahel's challenges don't respect disciplinary boundaries.
Learn MoreTransformation Pathways
Our work is structured around five transformation pathways, from food to governance, from energy to knowledge.
Resilient and Healthy Food Systems
Governance of Land and Natural Resources
Social and Solidarity Economy
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Infrastructures
Politics of Knowledge Production and the Arts
News
Territorial advocacy: the DyTAEL Mbour Petite Côte technical committee sets its roadmap
Meeting on May 16, 2026, the technical committee of the DyTAEL Mbour Petite Côte defined its advocacy priorities to defend territories against land grabbing, overfishing, and the breakdown of local value chains.
Mariam Sow visits the TERAL Living Lab in Thiafoura and inaugurates CREATES' new podcast studio
CREATES had the honour of welcoming Mariam Sow, one of Senegal's leading voices in peasant movements and agroecology, for a day of exchange between Thiafoura, Ndioukh o Fissel and Ngaparou - including field training and the inauguration of CREATES' new podcast studio.
Visit of the Vice-Prime Minister of Liechtenstein to Ndiouck Fissel
H.E. Sabine Monauni, Vice-Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, travelled to Ndiouck Fissel with the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) delegation to discuss the concrete realities of the agroecological transition in Senegal.
Institutional structuring and advocacy: three days with the DyTAEL of Mbour Petite Côte
From March 24 to 26, 2026, the DyTAEL of Mbour Petite Côte gathered to consolidate its structure, clarify its strategic priorities, and strengthen its territorial advocacy capacities - bringing together local governments, farmers' organizations, researchers, and partners.
Projects
2025 - 2027
Bey Diiwaan
Cultivating Territories
Funded by
LED - Liechtenstein Development Service
2026 - 2029
NICE
Nutrition in City Ecosystems
Funded by
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
2026 - 2027
TERAL
Territorial Food Systems - Community Supported Agriculture
Funded by
SOR4D - TAG (Transformation Accelerating Grants / SNSF)
Our partners
