Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa

SIMLESA Experiences and Lessons

Mulugetta Mekuria and Team SIMLESA Program Leader

CIMMYT Southern Africa Regional Office Harare, Zimbabwe

Beating Famine Southern Africa Conference Lilongwe, Malawi April 14th – 17th 2015

Outline of the Presentation• The what and Why of Sustainable

Intensification(SI)• The Problem Setting• CIMMYT’s and its partners Response: SIMLESA• SIMLESA First Five Years Journey: Lessons and

Insights• Take Home messages

The problem setting

Low productivity Scarce biomass Land degradation

Poor marketsClimate variability Limited resouces

What is SI?• Sustainable intensification (SI) means

producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts and at the same time improving natural resources and environmental services. 

• Sustainable intensification is receiving growing attention as a way to address the challenge of feeding an increasingly populous and resource- constrained world

Sustainable Intensification

Sustainability•Conserve the natural resource base (Godfray et al., 2010; Pretty et al., 2011; Tilman et al., 2011)

•Ecologically and technically sound eg soil quality degradation through erosion, fertility decline

•Socially and Culturally acceptable ( Do the technologies fit local farming systems?)

•Economically viable (does it make economic sense?)

Intensification•Increased yield or outputs per unit area/inputs (Enhance productivity)•Diversification from maize for diet diversification and improved incomes•Integration of crops & livestock•Improved resilience to market shocks and climate risks •Improved efficiency per unit input eg water, labour, capital, inputs

Improved food security and livelihoods

Why SIThe use of sustainable intensification in current debates is based upon three fundamental assumptions about agricultural production systems in the 21st century(iied,2015)• The world must produce significantly more food in the

coming decades to feed a growing, increasingly affluent population.

• The arable land base cannot be expanded significantly. Agricultural production must preserve the natural capital on which sustainable and resource use efficient to agriculture relies.

Rationale for Investing in SI(John Dixon ACIAR 2014)

The pressure on land, water and energy resources was reflected in increasing prices, for example the crisis in 2008. The declining real prices during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s led to complacency and neglect of public and private investment in agricultural innovation. A commitment to sustainable intensification is the best way to turn this around

• Executed by CIMMYT with financial Grant from ACIAR• Phase 1-2010-2013SIMLESA2 2014-2018

PARTNERS-NARS• EIAR, KARI, DRD,DARS , IIAM,

spill over NARO,RAB, DAR• Regional/International• QAAFI, ARC, ASARECA,

ILRI ,CIAT• - CCARDESA(phase2),

En

SIMLESA Enhancing Integration, Innovation and Impact

Vision of Success• To increase maize and legume yields by

30% while sustaining the environment through:

• Conservation agriculture practices• Improved maize and legume varieties • Development of markets and value chains,

from input supplies to output markets. • To reduce downside yield risks by 30% • To benefit 650,000 farm households

within 10 years.

Approaches3+3- Is

INTEGRATION (SYSTEMS)INNOVATION PLATFORMSIMPACT ORIENTATIONInformationInputsInstitutions/policy

Complimentary projects: DTMA, TL-IIACIAR/AIFSC- AP, ZIMCLF, FACASI, TF-ICRAF

System integration: Diversification through Cereal (Maize)-Legume Integration

Legumes• Increase soil

fertility• Improved nutrition • Supply cash

Cereal (Maize)• Increased productivity

– Ensured food security– Income security

-Increase productivity -Increase profitability-Reduce down side risk

Forage• Alternative of

cattle feeding (residue management)

• Improved animal nutrition

The SIMLESA journey

2009 – SIMLESA I formulation workshop, Lilongwe

2010 – teams, field sites, capacity building

2011 – ARPM, Nairobi

2012 – ARPM, Arusha

2013 – ARPM, Chimoio

2014 – ARPM, Addis Ababa Start of SIMLESA II

2015 – ARPM Harare

SIMLESA I (2010 – 2013)

Made considerable progress in each of the target countries

Ethiopia, Kenya Tanzania, Malawi Mozambique

‘Steady flight path’

SIMLESA I (2010 – 2013)

• Characterization of maize-legume production and value chain systems;

• Testing of promising smallholder maize-legume cropping systems;

• Increasing the range of maize and legume varieties available for smallholders;

• Developing regional and local innovations systems;

• Substantial capacity building of agricultural research partners

1. Strengths of SIMLESA-1• considered as a model for Effective partnerships

-NARS and other major donors’ testimonies• Multi-stakeholder • NARS empowered and enabled to make good amount of operational decisions on program activities and thrust• NARS receive a relatively higher funds compared to other projects • Joint data ownership with NARS• Developed good collaboration and partnership arrangements between CIMMYT and NARS based on trust and respect between players• NARS empowered and enabled to make decisions on program activities and thrust• Joint presentations and development of publications between CIMMYT and NARS

• NARS participation at high Profile conferences and congresses- paper and poster presentations-

• Journal articles published • 5th World Congress on CA -Brisbane, Australia -2011• 6th World Congress on CA Winnipeg ,Canada June 2014• International Agronomy Conference-India 2012• International Agricultural Economics Conference, August

2012 Brazil• Other country and regional meetings( IACAC, AGRF, FARA..)

2. Science outputs

3. SIMLESA: BEING INSTITUIONALIZED AS NARS STARATEGY / FRAMEWORK

• Systems and integrated approach• Value Chain Analysis• Innovation Platforms• Mainstreaming Gender• Institutionalizing and capacity building in M&E

TRENDS OF SIPS ADOPTION SPREAD (% HHLDS): KENYA

75

88

72 69

20

2

76

89

72

48

26

4

2011 (N=613) 2013 (N=535)

ADOPTION OF MAIN SAIPS BY GENDER OF HHEAD (% HHLDS): KENYA

020406080 79 71 71

4759

8259 53

Male (N=447) Female (N=88) N=535

Country Research communities Targeted and reach

Country Target Reached Target Achieved Male Female Total

Ethiopia 54 54 10,454 8,781 1,673 10,454

Kenya 38 30 8,913 5,364 8,236 13,600

Tanzania 38 40 8,913 6,715 3,128 9,843

Malawi 36 36 8,022 2,177 2,263 4,440

Mozambique 36 36 8,022 6,222 2,419 8,641

Total 202 196 44,323 29,259 17,719 46,978

Adoption monitoring of technologies/ practices

97% of targeted communities have been reached

So far the project has reached 106% of the targeted households

Adoption monitoring of technologies/ practices

Country Target and actual adoption

Country Targeted adopters Farmer who have Tried Male Female Total

Ethiopia 3,800 3,192 608 3,800 Kenya 3,240 1,401 2,066 3,467 Tanzania 3,240 2,088 1,199 3,287

Malawi 2,916 1,137 1,089 2,226

Mozambique 2,916 3,763 2,026 5,789

Total 16,112 11,581 6,988 18,569

Maximum impact through adoption of suites of technologies

Input into Agronomist and breeders work

Key lessons

• Link farm production with better domestic value chains, often the first step in international trade opportunities

• Focus on competitiveness, driven by increased productivity as well as efficient value chains

• Engage agribusiness from the start in order to understand market forces, risk and research priorities

Key lessons • Integrate value chains activities with

technologies, capacity building and local policy analysis, in innovation platforms

• Consult women during project design and implementation

• Understand the incentives of all chain members and value chain dynamics within the broader market and trade context

Take home messages

Four critical aspects of SI which require particular attention: • systems research and development – beyond disciplinary

components; • innovation systems bridging research and scaling out;• policies, institutions and business partnerships; and • monitoring and evaluation of sustainable intensification

systems.

SI: The Building Blocks

Come join the SIMLESA Family- with a passion for Impact-They are the future GAME CHANGERS in Agricultural Research and Development

•

Sustainable intensification through CA in Africa is not only necessary but urgent

AcknowledgmentSIMLESA Partners including Farmers

ACIAR and CIMMYT Colleagues