A2: Learning from Successful Agroecological Models:
In our pursuit of sustainable agriculture in Africa, there’s a world of wisdom to gain from developed countries’ successful agroecological models. These time-tested practices, like the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and permaculture principles from regions like Latin America and Asia, hold promise for African contexts. Additionally, lessons from community-led conservation initiatives, such as community-managed forest reserves in Southeast Asia, offer inspiration for sustainable resource management in African communities. Let’s explore how these approaches can benefit our continent.
About 65% of Nepal’s population is engaged in agriculture, most of whom are women, as many men migrate for work for large parts of the year. Nepal imports almost 70% of its vegetables from India. Concerned about declining soil fertility and the high levels of pesticide residues on imported and local produce the Nepal government has set targets to double soil organic matter and has introduced guidelines for Good Agriculture Practice to deliver “safe food” in the country. Practical Action has been supporting the government to develop market and farming based strategies to meet both these goals.
We are currently working with 6000 farmers to commercialise their vegetable production through climate resilient regenerative techniques and improved links to markets.
Regions like Latin America and Asia have demonstrated the transformative potential of agroecology. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI), for instance, has revolutionized rice farming. By optimizing plant spacing, water management, and organic inputs, SRI substantially boosts yields while reducing environmental impact.
Adapting to Africa:
In Africa, especially in rice-producing nations, implementing SRI practices can lead to substantial gains in productivity and resource efficiency. By customizing these techniques to local ecosystems and varieties, farmers can enhance their resilience to climate variability.
@jp.solis What other organizations or institutions are connecting connecting commercial partners to small producers? Do you have examples of successful and equitable partnerships that you could share?
Tea is one of the main export crops in Rwanda, which produces some of the highest quality tea in the world but tea farmers incomes are below a living income, soil erosion is a problem and changing climate is causing further challenges by making droughts more frequent and severe.
We are working with smallholder farmers and international buyer, YogiTea on diversification and regenerative practices that will improve soil health, improve incomes and build in greater resilience. This includes supporting farmers to increase intercropping, integration of livestock & effective use of manure, agro-forestry and the introduction of botanical crops which tea companies wish to source that also combat soil erosion.
Excessive heat, longer than usual dry spells have been challenging, leading to higher plant mortality. 70% of the farmers say reduced rainfall is leading to reductions in agricultural production. So adapting practices is key. Good compost and integration of livestock has been particularly effective. The quality of the additional botanical crops is high.
In Southeast Asia, community-managed forest reserves have emerged as a beacon of sustainable resource management. These initiatives empower local communities to safeguard critical ecosystems, ensuring long-term ecological health while providing livelihood opportunities.
Adapting to Africa:
African communities, too, can draw inspiration from these conservation models. Establishing community-led reserves can protect vital habitats, foster biodiversity, and create sustainable livelihoods. By preserving natural resources, these initiatives contribute to both food security and environmental stability.
Agree. And approaches such as agroforestry. Coffee is the main source of income for more than 30% of people living in the Peruvian Amazon. Small producers constitute 85% of this group. Good quality coffee requires cool temperatures and climate change is reducing productivity and leading to cultivation at higher altitudes, driving further deforestation. Practical Action.
Practical Action has been working with coffee farmers on multi-strata agroforestry, providing the environment that coffee needs, as well as diversifying incomes, improving the livelihoods of 200,000 people
Amongst technological options, climate information services (CIS) as an adaptation option can offset climate change impacts and build resilient and sustainable farming systems in farming communities. At the moment, however, existing services lack location-specific, timely, understandable and skilful information and follow a top-down approach that prevents them from being optimally useful. For example, communication channels such as local media (television, radio) offer generalised information and on top of that in many cases information does not reach them. NGOs and local Govt. can participatory services through a bottom-up approach enabled effective communication and ensured that the services are designed and tailored to the needs of the end-users.
A2.
Fairtrade have analysed the most recurrents Human Righst and Environmental risks associated ino our catalog of products (Information can be found here: https://riskmap.fairtrade.net/). At the same time, we have documented best cases when commercial partners and producer organizations partnered together to achieve climate resilience goals (Environment -)
A2: From a development perspective, there are a couple of schools of thought worth considering. Firstly, you can take the view that we need to design programmes that provide a perfect package of support to farmers: training and advice, inputs, finance, seeds, equipment… you name it. There are organisations doing this, or often it’s Ministry of Agriculture led. Alternatively, you could try to focus more single-mindedly on traditional practices and indigenous knowledge. Farmers and local communities are best placed to address the issues they see, know, and experience first hand. So why don’t we invest in them directly, give them access to the finances they need, and see how they invest their time and resources? That’d be more like the Give Directly approach. Both are interesting. Both probably serve a purpose. But it’s important to duly respect the expertise, agency and self-determination of local people.
A2.
What we have learn is that, in trade, the strongest the partnership between producers and buyers, the greater the outcomes in terms of livelihoods and distribution of wealth. But there are big elephants in the room, especially with regards market price mechanisms, and the way they are blind of social and environmental related costs (True Value of Food)
Need for enhancement of technologies within food sector and particularly for food testing and access is vital. There are lot of advanced research happening worldwide on food technology, which our experts need to be involved with so that they could imbibe it to suit our country needs. Advances in technology in the food sector have helped many countries, including India to improve food safety. Creating a resource hub or a technical group with experts from the agri sector in convergence with policy makers, there needs to be sharing of best practices. Examples of subsidies/ tax exemptions provided to the farmers, especially by the governments, increases the chances of quick ROI’s which helps rebuild the farmers resources. In India, we are certifying farmers and small scale industries under the skill development initiative, which prepares them for continued employment while upskilling the farmers.
In the spirit of adaptation and resilience, and the amazing local work that many here are involved in, for example in the Lake Basin area of Kenya-I’m curious how projects are thinking about doing this work on regenerative ag in a context where warming is now steadily marching past 1.5 degrees Celsius, and the predictions for extreme weather events (including dangerous precipitation intensity and disruption to local fishing and farming in the Lake Basin specifically) are likely to deeply impact that work on an annual basis? How does one advance these critical regenerative agriculture and market development projects with this set of scenarios in mind and manage the risks?
100% agree. The first step MUST be knowing what producers want and their own preferences. Then from there, it’s important to leverage the connections we all have and the institutional influence to bring together diverse actors to create the systems and make the changes needed. While always keeping the producers’ voices central and inviting feedback – and letting them produce and continue their livelihoods without giving them more work!
It is also very important to understand the different realities that women and men face. Disaggregated data by gender is important and different approaches may be need to take account of the following:
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Women smallholders generally have access to smaller parcels of less fertile (more marginal) land. Their tenure is often insecure, so when they start making a success of their farming there is a ever-present risk of it being taken away.
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Women have lower levels of access to services (incl govt extension services, as well as private sector players such as input dealers and output off-takers).
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Incomes, access to capital and access to finance services are generally lower for women, so they have less money to invest in their agriculture.
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In many countries (but not all) social norms restrict women’s movements more than men – making it difficult for them to access larger markets and to shop around for buyers and inputs.
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Unpaid care work is a massive burden for women in terms of time and energy – and remains overlooked. This overlaps with issues around access to capital and/or services that could reduce drudgery – but there’s also that very fundamental issue of the gendered distribution of domestic and care work.
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1/3 of women face gender based violence
In our work on Resilient Agriculture for Young People in Kenya we are working with a range of partners including some such as the Kenya Female Advisory Organization (KEFEADO) who are to addressing the underlying barriers faced by young women working in or aiming to work in farming or agri-business. This includes working with both male and female gender champions at the programme level and at the level of the county government.
Let’s also be honest with ourselves: investment in adaptation is still lacking, and much more needs to be done. There’s a lack of finance, a lack of attention, and a lack of capacity for adaptation. We need to treat this as uncharted territory: let’s start building adaptation and resilience into every project and programme, realising that the long term viability of a business venture, sustainability of a project, or success of a development programme is contingent on its ability to carry on in the face of shocks and stresses.