Blog post
Where mangroves meet rice: Balancing conservation and food security in Guinea-Bissau
When you think about mangroves, you probably picture swamps, aerial roots, clear blue water, mosquitoes, fish, and even crocodiles. But do you think about rice? Magaly Reid, an MSc student in Forest & Nature Conservation student spent eight months thinking and studying this topic in 2024.
Let me take you to Guinea-Bissau, a coastal country in West Africa, home to the second-largest area of mangroves in Africa1. These mangroves play a crucial role in food security for much of the population through rice production. In fact, Guinea-Bissau has approximately 90,000 hectares dedicated to mangrove swamp rice cultivation2. This technique is practised in coastal regions, here mangroves are cleared to create rice fields3. Mangrove rice cultivation depends on saltwater ecosystems and tidal movements, requiring the construction of dikes to prevent saltwater intrusion and retain freshwater runoff 4.
Beyond being remarkable carbon sinks and vital for global biodiversity, mangroves provide essential ecosystem services for nearby populations, including biomass fuel, construction materials, and food security. Narratives surrounding mangroves have shifted over time. Once viewed through a colonial lens, as dark, dangerous, disease-ridden, and unproductive wetlands5, they are now recognised as natural wonders that host unique species, withstand harsh conditions, and provide coastal nurseries and protection.
This more positive perspective is particularly embraced by environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which promote mangrove conservation as a climate change mitigation strategy. Such initiatives, often backed by donors investing in carbon credits, focus on natural restoration, replanting, and alternative livelihoods. However, the prevailing view among international and local organisations is that, while communities rely heavily on mangroves for various ecosystem services, their unsustainable use of these resources - particularly the expansion of rice fields - threatens mangrove health and thus conservation6.
While this concern holds true in some areas, there is often a failure to acknowledge the political and economic drivers behind mangrove degradation in Guinea-Bissau. Instead, responsibility is frequently placed on individuals or communities, when in reality, poor policies, weak governance, and limited economic opportunities are key factors perpetuating mangrove degradation7. Moreover, local knowledge of mangrove management is sometimes disregarded in favour of Western-based approaches, with NGOs often imposing perceived needs onto communities, proposing solutions to problems that may not exist8. Such approaches overlook the mutual benefits that people and nature share, as well as the ways in which those dependent on mangroves actively contribute to their preservation9.
In Guinea-Bissau, the lack of economic resources to maintain rice fields leads to their degradation, forcing people to clear new areas in the mangroves, which contributes to mangrove cover loss. This, combined with the proximity of rice fields to the coastline, exacerbates threats such as sea-level rise, high tides, and coastal erosion. Local communities are often aware of these issues, however, the daily struggles of economically disadvantaged groups mean that immediate livelihood needs take priority over mangrove conservation10.
Hence, my research showed that the issue is not a lack of awareness among local populations about degradation or the risks of climate change; rather, mangrove degradation stems from the absence of viable economic alternatives. Mangroves are indeed important for carbon storage and other ecosystem functions, but in Guinea-Bissau, as in many parts of the world, they are primarily a matter of food security. There are opportunities for improved restoration practices. These require greater recognition that the value attributed to mangroves is linked to people's well-being needs and that their vulnerability to environmental change is connected to economic inequality. Effective long-term solutions must integrate socio-economic and political dimensions to address mangrove degradation in Guinea-Bissau.
Ultimately, knowledge-sharing, dialogue, and collaboration between local communities, academic institutions, and governmental and non-governmental organisations are crucial for developing restoration strategies that reflect local needs and ensure the long-term sustainability of mangroves. Strengthening the link between governmental institutions, NGOs, and academia, such as involving local students in monitoring and evaluating restoration projects, could improve post-initiative sustainability11. Additionally, educational programmes that inform communities about project progress and outcomes could enhance community involvement and support for restoration initiatives. This would foster an environment of collaboration among all actors, prioritising the voices of marginalised groups in pursuit of environmental justice.
Contact: reidmagaly@outlook.com
Read more in Magaly’s MSc thesis: Reid, M. (2024). Gendered and socio-ecological dynamics of mangrove ecosystem services in Guinea-Bissau's coastal communities.
1 Vasconcelos, M. J., Cabral, A. I., Melo, J. B., Pearson, T. R., Pereira, H. D. A., Cassamá, V., & Yudelman, T. (2015). Can blue carbon contribute to clean development in West-Africa? The case of Guinea-Bissau. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 20, 1361-1383.m
2 Temudo, M. P., & Cabral, A.I. (2011). The social dynamics of mangrove forests in Guinea- Bissau, West Africa. Human Ecology 45, 307-320 ; Écoutin, J.-M., Barry, M., Boujou, S., Charles-Dominique, E., Journet, O., Penot, E., Ruë, O., Souaré, D., and Sow, M. (1999). Aménagement technique du milieu. In Cormier-Salem, M.-C. (ed.), Rivières du Sud: societes et mangroves ouest- africaines, vol. I. IRD, Paris, pp. 209–268.
3 Cormier-Salem, M. C. (1999). The mangrove: an area to be cleared... for social scientists. Hydrobiologia, 413(0), 135-142.
4 Sousa, J., Campos, R., Mendes, O., Duarte Lopes, P., Matias, M., Rosa, A. P., ... & Catarino, L. (2023). The (dis) engagement of mangrove forests and mangrove rice in academic and non-academic literature on Guinea-Bissau–a systematic review protocol. PloS one, 18(4).
5 Friess, D. A., Yando, E. S., Alemu, J. B., Wong, L. W., Soto, S. D., & Bhatia, N. (2020). Ecosystem services and disservices of mangrove forests and salt marshes. Oceanography and marine biology.
6 Mangora, M. M. (2011). Poverty and institutional management stand-off: a restoration and conservation dilemma for mangrove forests of Tanzania. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 19, 533-543.
7 Feka, N. Z., & Ajonina, G. N. (2011). Drivers causing decline of mangrove in West-Central Africa: a review. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 7(3), 217–230.
8 Temudo, M. P. (2012). “The White Men Bought the Forests” Conservation and Contestation in Guinea-Bissau, Western Africa. Conservation and Society, 10(4), 354-366.
9 Mangora, 2011
10 Ibid
11 Feka & Ajonina, 2011