conservation agriculture in africa ,the challenges and vision

Conservation Agriculture in Africa:

The Challenges and Vision

by

Saidi Mkomwa

Executive Secretary

African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) Email: [email protected]

for presentation at the

Launch of CAWT Scoping Study; Nairobi Kenya

22 February 2011

mailto:[email protected]



Scaling Up CA in Africa

Contents 1. Food security & climate change challenges in Africa

2. Background of the CA SARD and SCAP projects

3. The Conservation Agriculture with Trees (CAWT) interventions being promoted

4. The CAWT validation and scaling up approaches

5. About ACT

6. Achievements

7. Lessons learned

8. Challenges

9. Way forward

10. Acknowledgements


CA for What in East and West Africa?

THE HEAT IS ON! ANSWERS ARE NEEDED NOW TO ADDRESS:

The number of undernourished people in SSA Africa swelled from 170 m in 1991 to 236 million in 2007

To improve crop yields – for the rising population densities. SSA’s population projected to increase by 150% (to 2 billion) by 2050.

Adaptation (and mitigation) to climate change Coping technologies to lower/sporadic rainfall, floods and rising

temperatures.

To stabilise yields in years of extreme weather


… continued .. CA for What?

To reduce production costs albeit the rising inputs prices

To overcome shortages of labour & farm power In the wake of HIV/AIDS

Rural-urban migration

“Modernisation” wave by youths to dislike manual work

Smallholder farmers and Africa are net importers of food. Food trade deficit of US$ 16.5 billion in 2007 (FAOSTAT 2009). This is forex diverted away from other investments


CA SARD PROJECT


Who is our targeted CA beneficiary?

Smallholder farm families, cultivating 1-2 ha in poor communities, and women in particular. 4,000 (CA

SARD) and 1,000 (SCAP).

Agro pastoralists and smallholder cotton farmers (SCAP)

Agricultural implement manufacturers, artisans and retailers – for sustained availability of CA equipment and after-sales services.

Local government and civic leadership systems - to streamlining of CA into official programmes, attract investments and active promotional support


ACT WCA offices in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso

Small holder Conservation Agriculture Promotion (SCAP) project in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger). In 3rd year of phase 1.

Project financed by IFAD and AFD; implemented by ACT with ICRAF and CIRAD.

Host projects of PPILDA, PADER/BGN, PICOFA and PDRD

Partnerships with National Gvts and NGOs.

ACT and SCAP in West and Central Africa


SCAP

IFAD LOAN PROJECTS PADER/BGN, PDRD, PICOFA PPILDA

Other partners : Public services, NARS, Universities,

Farmers’ groups, NGO etc.

innovator farmers; farmers’ groups; FFS groups

SCAP Implementation Arrangements

IFAD AFD


The CA Interventions being promoted

The 3 principles

Minimum soil disturbance – or direct seeding if possible

Permanent soil cover

Crop and cover crop associations and rotations

Maximum and sustainable benefits derived when the 3 principles overlap


Complimented with Essential CA enhancers

… (which are however not CA!)

Good agronomic practices Timely planting Proper plant spacing Effective weed control (with and without herbicides)

Use of improved external inputs Improved seeds Judicious use of fertilisers Judicious use of pesticides

Agro-forestry – Fertiliser trees, fodder, fruit, live fences, wind breakers, [Faidherbia Albida; Baobab; Grevillea; Shrubs; ]

What equipment for minimum soil disturbance?

Start with what farmers have or can afford

Jab planter Oxen ripping Oxen direct seeding

Tractor mounted seeder Highly mechanized

The hand hoe – for basins making The Dibble stick

Zai pits, manured before sowing and with stone lines

How to Achieve Permanent Soil Cover?

Mixed cropping –

with relayed and/or

slow growing cover

crops or shrubs

Purposeful crop

residue retention

Zero or controlled

grazing

Cover crops non-

edible to livestock

East

Africa

West

Africa

Trees and shrubs – for soil cover and fertility

Piliostigma – cut before planting

Faidherbia albida – shade and dropped leaves

CA with Trees

potential:

Food security via

increased productivity

Adaptation to climate

change

Carbon sequestration – below & above ground Zero cost nitrates – 120 kg

N/ha/year

Micro climate

Forest products

Learning Processes to introduce

and adapt innovative CA technologies A: Farmer Field Schools (FFS)

Communal technology validation fields (0.4 ha)

Learning by doing throughout crop cycle and together solve crop productivity problems

From group plots to individual farm adaptations

B: Innovator farmers

Individual farmers validating preferred CA technology options in own fields

C: Other interventions

Participatory M&E involving farmers

Farmer exchange visits/Field days

Commercial CA equipment hire service providers


ACT - and the CA SARD Project Achievements

ACT is Coordinating the Tanzania & Kenya CA for SARD project implemented by FAO.

CA SARD phase II from 2007 to March ’11.

Some 5000 households (49% women) directly reached through 227 FFS

47% of targeted households have truly adopted CA (2 or all 3 principles) in 1,600 hectares.


… other achievements of CA SARD . .

Higher yields From 3 tones/hectare in conventional to 6 t/ha for maize

under CA)

From 0-1 tone/ha for conventional in drought to 0-4 tones/ha under CA

Marked improvement in food security and nutrition

Less labor (up to 57%) in land preparation and weeding

Freed up labour and cash used for better crop management and enterprise diversification (high value/year round agriculture: vegetables, dairy, poultry)


CA: Impact on crop yield

0 5 10 15 20

Maize+cowpea(conv)

Maize

Maize+dolichos

Maize+mucuna

t/ha

MAIZE BIOMASS AND GRAIN YIELDS

Grain-maize Biomass


Some lessons from CA SARD

It is possible to increase land productivity without too much emphasis on yields. Innovative synchronization of cropping systems

(intercrops, relays, crop spacing) to raise 2-3 crops simultaneously instead of 1, reducing weeding labour.

Innovative introduction of “cover crops” valued by the community as crops (e.g. pigeon peas, bananas) helps deter livestock and maintenance of soil cover

CA with external inputs is MORE PROFITABLE but also MORE RISKY

More lessons to be shared during End of Project Workshop (24 -25 March 2011)


WIN-WIN: MAIN AND COVER CROP


Crop mixtures: for land productivity,

weed suppression and soil cover


Mono cropping wastes land and labour

resources and is unhealthy for the soil


CA with external inputs is MORE

PROFITABLE but also MORE RISKY

Sub-soiling 0.0 Land prep (plow/hoe) 46.9 Seed maize 10kg 35.9 Fertilizer (1 bag) 71.9 Planting (with hoe) 62.5 Stalk borer control 3.1 Weed manag. (hoe, 2x) 75.0 Top dressing 0.0 Harvesting 6.3 De-husking 10.9 Shelling 11.3 Miscellaneous 21.9 TOTAL VC 345.6 REVENUE 12 bags 703.1 GROSS MARGIN 357.5

Cash needed (risked): 110.9

Sub-soiling 31.3 Land prep (herbicide) 21.9 Seed maize 10kg 106.3 Fertilizer (2 bags) 143.8 Planting (jab planter) 43.8 Stalk borer control 12.5 Weed manag. (herbicide) 25.0 Top dressing 6.3 Harvesting 15.6 De-husking 21.9 Shelling 31.3 Miscellaneous 28.1 TOTAL VC 487.5 REVENUE 25 bags 1,781.3 GROSS MARGIN 1,293.8

Cash needed (risked): 346.9

CONVENTIONAL US$ per hectare CA WITH INPUTS US$ per hectare

Data source: FFS groups – Nakuru District, Kenya


More Lessons /successes from CA SARD

Emergence of many CA off-springs from CA SARD – sustaining the approach. 6 NGOs, 10 district councils supporting CA,

8 local production workshops in Ke and Tanzania,

2 new development projects

ACT’s capacity strengthened – patronage from regular Board meetings; secretariat staff from 2 to 16; 5 fold increase in annual operating budget;

CA knowledge and information sharing: web site www.act-africa.org; Publications; Newsletters

http://www.act-africa.org/




Accomplishments of SCAP (2 cropping seasons only)

• 800 smallholder farmers in 28 villages and 31 FFS reached with CAWT and engaged in validation of the technology

• IFAD loan project partners, Ministries of Agriculture, INERA, CRS, SOS Sahel – BF, IFDC, Réseau MARP, Arfa are enticed and supporting development of CA with trees

• 5 MSc students have been engaged and working with smallholder farmers to solve real and burdening problems


ACT and CA Scaling – up in Africa:

What is ACT?

‘Not for profit’, voluntary membership NGO, in Nairobi

Built on support from , etc.

Common vision developed in Harare in 1998

Current membership: above 2000 Individuals and Institutions from 33 countries.

A secretariat at the Nairobi hqts, sub-regional offices (Dar es salaam, Harare, Ouaga), Board of Directors, Country Focal Persons/Institutions

Working with partners through the Network


The African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT)

Core Functions = One Stop Information Support Facility =

Knowledge memory “bank”

ACT promotes and facilitates sharing of information and experiences on conservation farming principles and practices in Africa.

CA appraisal & identification of knowledge gaps

Stimulate and facilitate strategic thinking on CA

CA Promotion, lobbying and advocacy

CA Training and training support


CA Training and Capacity Building

About 300 extension and research staff from SADC countries trained between 2002 and 2007

New addition of tailor made and International training courses (jointly with partners).

Three courses conducted in 2010

Four international courses planned for 2011.

Influencing curriculum reform at colleges

ACT is a member of the CA Regional Working Group (CARWG), coordinated by FAO REOSA.


CA2AFRICA

Conservation Agriculture in Africa: Analysing and FoReseeing its impact – Comprehending its Adoption (CA2AFRICA)

o Objective to assess and learn jointly from past and on-going CA experiences under which conditions and to what extent CA strengthens the socio-economic position of landholders in Africa.

o The project funded by EU, has 10 partners (including ACT) led by CIRAD, is for 2 years from March 2010

o Operates in 4 platforms: Southern; Eastern; Western and North Africa.


Other projects started in 2011

Agro-ecology based aggradation-conservation agriculture (ABACO): Targeting innovations to combat soil degradation and food insecurity in semi-arid Africa. The four year project for semiarid areas of East (Kenya, Tanzania), West (Mali, Burkina Faso) and Southern (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar) Africa started in Jan 2011.

ACT is the leader, the North-South consortium partners are SOFESCA of the UoZ; CIRDES of Mali; FOFIFA of Malagasy; CIRAD of France; Wageningen University; NRI, Greenwich University UK; Yellow Windows of Belgium and EMBRAPA of Brazil.


Other projects .. .. o Conservation Agriculture with Trees (CAWT)–

establishing the status quo and setting the regional stage for scaling up: o funded by SIDA, for 2011; o co implemented with ICRAF; o case studies from Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and Ghana.

ACT and Wildlife conservation Society (WCS), will execute the Monitoring Carbon, Environmental and Socio-Economic Co-Benefits of BioCF Projects in SSA In Niger, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, DRC Congo and

Madagascar projects. Funded by the GEF and implemented by the World Bank.


Challenges Maintenance of crop residues to keep the soil

covered: competing uses of residues

Weeds are a real problem! available mechanical weeding options not CA compliant;

demand too much labour; cover crop seeds not available; is glyphosate totally safe?

Produce prices highly variable, increasing the risks of using expensive inputs. The African farmer gets punished for both over and under production!

Risks are aggravated by inadequate development of water resources + inadequate soil cover at beginning of CA - which leaves most farmers at the mercy of highly irregular rainfall.

1. A RE-DEFINITION OF CA IS REQUIRED!

It must be simplified for people to SEE CA. What

colour is CA? Farmers, Investors, Policy makers and

Development partners need to see CA.

CA (the concept) must be de-alienated from inputs.

The re-definition – should be geared primarily for

the advocacy and promotional point of view.

Watchdog to certify when inputs are not CA?

WAY FORWARD

2. We must bring on-board the private sector (including

investments from non-farmers) to invest in and

promote CA.

3. There is need to attract more investments for CA –

National Governments, private sector and

Development partners for the watershed benefits of CA

4. Africa requires comparatively longer term, concerted

efforts and investments for the promotion of CA

5. Systematic documentation and wider sharing of

CAWT Experiences and Learning's at all levels

… continued .. WAY FORWARD

6. The Need to Sharpen Approaches .. ..

Of the 105 m ha under CA world wide, less than 4 million ha is adoption by smallholder farmers

Smallholder farmers in Brazil are benefiting from CA, but not as much as large scale farmers. Their youths are migrating to cities (R Kochhann, SEMEATO, 2008).

The world over, farming is a business, driven by profits and commercialisation, or strategically subsidised. Can Africa succeed to modernise farming through aid?

The services of the medium scale farmers need also to be unleashed and brought on board

We need to strive for competitiveness in

TRADE by full exploitation of the AID Commercialise smallholder

farmers’ production

Target the middle class urban dweller:

They are a food market

Like the maize milling machines, they can invest and provide CA services

Target regional rather than export markets

7. Value addition of the cover crops (e.g. mucuna, lupins) through processing will bring more money and diversify cover crops’ use into animal feeds

8. Facilitate access by farmers to CA equipment services through hiring schemes. Win-Win!

9. Develop CA equipment attachments to exploit the power for the increasing walking tractors


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We express our gratitude to all ACT Directors, network members, donors and partners, who have contributed to support the organization. In particular, the ACT Secretariat would like to thank the following Donors and Partners for their generous support and collaboration in the CA SARD and SCAP:


Thanks – CA SARD and SCAP supporters

Development partners: Federal Republic of Germany – for CA SARD

IFAD and AFD – for the SCAP

National Governments of: Kenya and Tanzania for CA SARD

Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea – for SCAP

Collaborating/implementing partners FAO of the United Nations; CIRAD; World

Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF); AFD; EU; Universities and NEPAD


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS cont…

THANK YOU

We have the opportunity to make a difference ….

… we, not somebody else, can take

Africa and the farmers to the tip top, …

www.act-africa.org

ACT IS FOR ALL OF US

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