This paper presents the results of a study carried out in the Ségou region of Northern Mali to analyse the use of fodder shrubs. The farmer-level fodder banks consisted of three perennial legumes (Gliricidia sepium, Pterocarpus erinaceus and Pterocarpus lucens). The main question addressed is whether this new type of fodder was more profitable for smallholder farmers compared to alternative fodder options. To test hypotheses for profitability, farmers were grouped in two different ways. The first grouping was based on the different village communities the farmers belonged to. The second grouping consisted of three user groups based on individual (non-) use patterns of the fodder banks. Keywords: legumes, fodder shrubs, land degradation, desert margins.