Institutional structuring and advocacy: three days with the DyTAEL of Mbour Petite Côte
There is no agroecological transition without the collective capacity to transform the territory. This is the core challenge behind the institutional structuring and advocacy workshop of the Dynamics for a Local Agroecological Transition of Mbour Petite Côte (DyTAEL), held from March 24 to 26, 2026.
Three days, two major questions
Over three days, discussions focused on two key areas: how to add value to agroecological products while building synergies between agriculture, livestock, fishing, and tourism, and how to resist the appropriation of land and natural resources.
The workshop brought together a diverse range of local actors - territorial communities, farmers’ organizations, women, youth, researchers, artists, and technical partners - around a shared objective: to consolidate the DyTAEL’s institutional structure, clarify its strategic priorities, and strengthen its territorial advocacy capacities.
A key milestone after two years of co-construction
This workshop marks an important milestone. After two years of diagnostics, dialogue, and co-construction, the DyTAEL of Mbour Petite Côte now has solid institutional and scientific foundations to carry forward advocacy rooted in local realities and supported by rigorous documentation work.
Led by the DyTAEL and co-organized by IPAR, ENDA-PRONAT, the University of Bern, and CREATES, this event is part of the ARTS-SOR4D and Bey Diiwaan projects.
Continuity beyond projects
As the ARTS project comes to an end in late April, the commitment does not stop there. The work carried out with the DyTAELs of Mbour and Bignona will continue within the framework of the Bey Diiwaan project.
This continuity is also central to the raison d’être of CREATES as an action-research center: to build a lasting presence capable of accompanying territories over the long term, beyond the constraints imposed by project-based funding, and to advance a programmatic approach to agroecological and territorial transformation.
Thank you to all participants and partners for their commitment.