In the Dakar suburb of Rufisque, the 56-hectare Lendeng market gardening zone — a vital “green lung” supporting 185 farmers, over 2,000 direct jobs, and approximately €1.8 billion in annual turnover — faces encroachment from private investors and urban developers. Despite a presidential decree protecting the area for agricultural use, fraudulent land acquisitions, including a 2024 bid to build a petrol station on the site, have sparked community-wide resistance.
Led prominently by women, local farmers organized protests, legal actions, and civil society coalitions to defend their land, their agroecological practices, and their food sovereignty. The case highlights the vulnerability of communities without formal land titles and the power of grassroots mobilization.
