NIGER: Mark Collins meets a pioneering Israeli scientist in Niger who believes he has a solution to the food problems of the world's second-poorest nation
Prof Dov Pasternak is used to people telling him that he's crazy. In a guttural accent he recounts the reaction people had over 35 years ago when he suggested that salty water could be used to irrigate the Negev desert in Israel.
"They said that it could never be done. They said that I was wasting my time. But now it's a standard process and Israel has a booming agri-business sector and is a major exporter to the EU," says Prof Pasternak.
He runs the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics just outside Niger's capital Niamey. It is a vast campus, funded by the World Bank and western governments, which employs 70 scientists and technicians who, under his guidance, have been carefully selecting the best fruits, vegetables and grains to grow in Niger.
It is the culmination of his life's work. After nearly 40 years working in agriculture, he has dedicated the remainder of his life to solving the food crisis in Niger. While this year's famine in Niger has made headline news, it is nothing new.
Prof Pasternak estimates that around one million people every year die from poverty which could be prevented given the correct farming techniques.
"It seems to me that people have accepted the premise that you can't farm a desert. But I challenged this back in Israel and I'm challenging it again here in Niger," he explains.
He believes that subsistence farming is not only dangerous, but a complete waste of time.
Farming should have one objective - profit. But the profits he talks about aren't huge. In fact, they're rather modest. "Under my system I hope that a farmer can, after paying himself and his family, make a profit of around $300 per year per hectare."
Prof Pasternak calls his farming solution the Sahelian Eco-Farm. According to him, Niger has an over-reliance on one staple crop, millet. When the crop failed this year, widespread famine occurred. "The farmers have no back up for this crop and are stuck in a vicious cycle of subsistence farming."
With his system, in order for farmers to survive potential famine, they must diversify, and this means farming more efficient crops. He has already introduced a certain type of apple to Niger, a fruit which he called the Pomme du Sahel (Apple of the Sahel). Originally from India, he figured that it would work well in Niger, and it has.
"Niger needs more fruit trees. For a start, they offer protection against soil erosion. Secondly, they produce fruit which has a competitive edge over millet.
"And thirdly, trees have deeper roots and can survive drought better than other crops," he explains.
Prof Pasternak has plans for other crops too. He believes that dates, mangoes and olives are perfect for Niger's soil and, importantly, have an export value.
"If I could roll out nationally what I'm doing around Niamey I could make this country food secure in 15 years. I estimate that it would cost around $150 million to achieve this while generating employment for thousands of people in the meantime.
"So far, however, my appeals have fallen on deaf ears."