Reaching Malian Farmers Through CATI

Mali’s farming communities live with a strong dependence on seasonal rainfall, access to water and the changing conditions of the Sahel. In the south, cultivation is more widespread, while communities further north often depend more heavily on livestock and other income sources. For many families, a difficult growing season can affect much more than harvests; it can influence household food supplies, earnings, livestock conditions and the ability to meet everyday expenses. Research in Mali therefore needs to capture how rural households experience these changes throughout the year.

Telephone surveys make it possible to maintain contact with farmers and livestock-owning households across the country, including respondents who may be difficult to reach through repeated field visits. CATI Africa can gather firsthand information on farming activities, animal ownership, access to water and inputs, household food supplies, market participation and experiences with support services.

Supporting Agricultural Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

For research and M&E, telephone surveys can help to:

• Understand how households are responding to rainfall changes and water shortages
• Track shifts in crop production, livestock conditions, and rural income
• Examine access to seeds, equipment, animal feed, and farming services
• Gather feedback on initiatives intended to support rural communities

The Niger River also plays an important role in Mali's rural economy, supporting farming, fishing, and livestock activities around its basin. This creates an important opportunity for research to look at how access to water influences household production, income, and food availability. A wider view of rural livelihoods can reveal changes that production figures alone may not capture.

Across Mali, CATI can support studies covering:

• Smallholder farming and livestock keeping
• Water access and irrigation
• Rural food security and household income
• Market access and farming services
• Weather-related pressures on rural livelihoods

CATI Africa for Research in Mali

CATI Africa combines telephone interviewing with experienced local field teams to reach respondents in different parts of Mali and collect information that is relevant to their everyday realities. Our approach can support baseline studies, routine monitoring, outcome assessments, and endline research, giving development partners, government agencies, NGOs, agribusinesses, and research institutions a reliable way to hear from farming households at different stages of an initiative.