Centre for Action-Research on Ecological and Social Transformations
CREATES
Research. Action. Transformation.
The context
The Sahel is at a turning point.
Land degradation, food insecurity, rural exodus. Top-down solutions have failed. Yet Sahelian communities hold knowledge, practices, and resilience that remain largely invisible to mainstream approaches. CREATES was born from this conviction: lasting change can only come from the ground.
65%
of Sahel land degraded
300M
people affected
70%
of population under 30
CREATES
Our response
CREATES brings together researchers, communities, and practitioners in a single space: Thiafoura, an action-research centre rooted in the territory. Here, we don't design solutions for communities. We design them with them. Our approach bridges natural and social sciences, local knowledge and innovation, art and data — because the Sahel's challenges don't respect disciplinary boundaries.
Learn MoreImpact Areas
Our work spans five key dimensions of transformation, from food to governance, from energy to knowledge.
Resilient and Healthy Food Systems
Governance of Land and Natural Resources
Social and Solidarity Economy
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Infrastructures
Politics of Knowledge Production and the Arts
News
DyTAEL workshop in Mbour: action-research serving the territories
CREATES presented the territorial diagnostic of Mbour – Petite Côte and its online mapping platform for agroecological initiatives at the DyTAEL workshop held at the Mbour City Hall.
NICE project launch in Senegal: workshops in Bambilor and Kaffrine
CREATES participates in the Phase 2 launch workshops of the NICE (Nutrition in City Ecosystems) project in Bambilor and Kaffrine, from February 3 to 6, 2026.
New publication: niche orchestration and agroecological transition in Senegal
A paper co-authored by Patrick Bottazzi examines how a local NGO orchestrated the DyTAES coalition to accelerate the agroecological transition in Senegal.
AgroVoices: a documentary from the heart of the Petite Côte territories
As part of the AgroVoices project, CREATES launches the production of an immersive documentary filmed in the Bandia–Sessène and Ndiouck–Fissel areas, capturing the voice of communities facing territorial transformations.
Projects
2025 - 2027
Bey Diiwaan
Cultivating Territories
Funded by
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
2026 - 2029
NICE
Nutrition in City Ecosystems
Funded by
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
2023 - ongoing
AgroWork
Agricultural labor and agroecological transition
Funded by
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Our partners
