In the arid borderlands of the Sahara Desert, a quiet agricultural revolution is underway—and Oregon State University is helping tell its story. digging half-moon-shaped water catchments, planting native trees and grasses, and working hand-inhand to restore ecological balance. The project has helped lift 500,000 people out of food dependence by transforming over 300,000 hectares of barren land into thriving, foodproducing landscapes. “It’s the most cutting-edge horticultural work in the world,” Millison says. “And it’s based on ideas we teach every day here at OSU—water harvesting, soil health, silvopasture, agroforestry. Seeing those principles applied at scale, in one of the harshest environments on Earth, shows students and the world just how powerful they can be.” Top left: In Niger’s Sahel region, farmers dig half-moon water catchments and plant native trees to restore fertility and prevent GHVHUWLńFDWLRQõUHYLYLQJ land once considered beyond hope. Left: Through storytelling and collaboration, Millison’s work bridges education, research, and outreach—advancing Oregon State’s land grant mission on a truly global scale. The project has helped lift 500,000 people out of food dependence by transforming over 300,000 hectares of barren land into thriving, food-producing landscapes. Earlier this year, Andrew Millison, a senior instructor in OSU’s Department of Horticulture, returned from a high-risk mission with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). His charge: document RQH RI WKH ODUJHVW ODQG UHVWRUDWLRQ HŃRUWV on the planet and help bring its lessons home—to his students, to Oregon, and to a global audience hungry for sustainable solutions. With a camera in hand and his boots in the dust of the Sahel, Millison captured compelling footage of how communities in 1LJHU DQG &KDG DUH UHYHUVLQJ GHVHUWLńFDtion using surprisingly simple techniques: 6 PROGRESS | FALL 2025
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