Agro-Shrub

The Agro-Shrub Alliance is a learning and observatory network promoting sustainable agriculture in the West African Sahel. Its work focuses on the Optimized Shrub System (OSS), a scientifically validated, shrub-based farming approach developed around two native species: Guiera senegalensis and Piliostigma reticulatum. The Alliance seeks to strengthen food security and livelihoods while supporting environmental stewardship through research, partnerships, and wider adoption of this farming technology.

OSS increases the density of naturally occurring shrubs in farmers’ fields and incorporates pruned shrub material into the soil. According to the Alliance, this practice can improve soil quality, water retention, nutrient availability, and crop yields, while reducing time to harvest by about 15 days. The shrubs’ deep roots can bring water from wetter subsoil layers closer to the surface, and their presence supports soil health and microbial diversity without competing with food crops.

The Alliance shares guidance on managing native shrubs and provides research publications, drawing on more than 20 years of study and over 34 publications.