Conservation Agriculture 'brushed up'

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Resilience in Chad and Sudan. Objective: ... Chad and Sudan [April 2015 – December 2017]. Lead: Concern .... But, majority of pupils are women (72%).
Conservation Agriculture ‘brushed up’ Contextualising innovation for resilience building in Chad and Sudan Tuesday 26 September, 12-13 h BST

Suggested citation: Degrande Ann and Colette Benoudji (2017). L’Agriculture de Conservation Repensée: Contextualiser l’Innovation pour la Résilience au Tchad et au Soudan. BRACED Innovation for Resilience Case Studies.

Research interest: innovation and scaling, co-design and performance evaluation of innovative extension mechanisms Focal point for ICRAF’s contribution to BRICS

Authors: Ann Degrande, Senior Scientist, World Agroforestry Centre, Yaounde, Cameroon [email protected] Colette Benoudji, Coordinator Association Lead Tchad, N’Djamena, Tchad [email protected] The Innovation for Resilience Case Studies is produced as part of the BRACED innovation component led by Natasha Grist, ODI 2

Contributors: David Traynor, Concern-Tchad Zoé Tabary, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Outline SECTION 1 • Introduction to BRICS and the Case Study • The Innovation : Conservation Agriculture • Implementation strategy : Farmer-to-Farmer Extension • Involvement of vulnerable people and gender aspects

SECTION 2 • Contribution of Conservation Agriculture to resilience building

• Implications for dissemination and scaling-up of CA • Recommendations for adaptation and future developments

SECTION 1 Conservation Agriculture: innovation in BRICS ?

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Introduction to BRICS – Building Resilience in Chad and Sudan Objective: Improving community resilience through climate smart agriculture, health, and early warning systems for 280,000 people in Chad and Sudan [April 2015 – December 2017] Lead: Concern Worldwide Partners: ICRAF, Feinstein International Centre of Tufts University, Al Massar (Sudan) Food insecurity

Poverty

Low agricultural and livestock productivity Decreasing soil fertility

Climate Change

soil erosion

Cereal monocropping

Degradation of NR Increasing population density

« Climate-smart agriculture » package

Conservation Agriculture Farmer-managed natural regeneration

Fruit tree cultivation Crop protection Seed systems Market gardening

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« Since I’ve been practicing conservation agriculture, I have noticed a difference: my crop yields have increased and there is more green around »

Innovation for Resilience Building : Conservation Agriculture DEFINITION (FAO, n.d.) an approach to managing agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment – 3 pillars (reduce tillage, permanent soil cover, crop diversification) Reduce tillage

2013

Permanent soil cover Crop diversification (association or rotation) – planting in lines/crop protection

2015

Classical CA (3 pillars)

Soil and Water conservation practices (zai pits, half moons, … Integrated Soil Fertility Management : improved varieties of millet, sorghum, micro-dosing of fertilisers, composting, … Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration

2016

2017

Promotion of CA by CWW in Dar Sila (Chad) *

Promotion of ‘rebrushed’ CA by CWW + ICRAF in Dar Sila (Chad)

Farmer-to-Farmer Extension 70 pilot farmers; 2100 pupils Farmer-to-Farmer Extension + 2 demo plot + 60 new pilot farmers; + 900 more pupils

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*CRAM=Community Resilience to Acute Malnutrition

How innovative is Conservation Agriculture in BRICS? Newness

- Technique : introduction of CA practices from other contexts to project area where they are less known - Socio-institutional : more participatory diffusion model (F2FE). Adaptation - Techniques introduced are evaluated and adapted of the to biophysical and economic context of project innovation area. - Process of experimentation and validation of techniques in demonstration plots and fields of pilot farmers Interactions - New diffusion model based on more interactions between different actors, researhers, extension agents, local authorities, farmers, pastoralists, etc. Knowledge - Inventory of traditional practices and local content knowledge. - Integration of local and scientific knowledge Learning, - Diffusion model is more participatory and based scaling up on co-design and experimentation of new and diffusion practices, and the use of local trainers, allowing for better learning and more beneficiaries reached. 8

Adapted from Roger (2003) and Cozzens and Sutz (2012)

Adoption of Conservation Agriculture practices

Number of pilot farmers and pupils production de foins

900 800

120

700

100

600

80

500

60

400 300

40

200

20 0

100

Nombre de paysans élèves (PE)

Nombre de paysans pilotes (PP)

140

0 2013

PP homme

2014

PP femme

2015

2016

PE homme

2017

PE femme

Number of pilot farmers (PP) and pupils (PE) per gender between 2013 and 2017 (source : M&E data CWW-Goz Beida, Chad) 9

Techniques d'agriculture de conservation

conservation des sols et des eaux haies vives

paillage avec branches agroforesterie RNA pesticides chimiques lutte biologique fumier micro-dosage d'engrais paillage pendant la saison de pluie plantes de couverture association ou rotation de cultures résidus de récolte 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% des ménages Ménages dirigés par une femme Ménages dirigés par un homme

70

80

Major constraints to adoption and diffusion of Conservation Agriculture in BRICS Technical Aspects Scarcity of family labour to practice CA on large areas (need to work elsewhere in periods of food shortage) - Though not demanding in terms of external inputs, adoption of some practices needs upfront investment (improved seeds, specialised tools) - Mulching is difficult to apply because of competition for crop residues - Respect of planting distances is often too technical for low literacy

Aspects related to F2FE approach

-

farmers 10

- Instability of pilot farmers in village - pilot farmers lack time to followup pupils in their farms (voluntary basis) - Irregularity of technical backstopping for pilot farmers due to inaccessibility of sites and unavailability of project staff - Lack of performance evaluation of pilot farmers

How effective is the involvement of vulnerable groups and women?

Involvement of vulnerable people

Involvement of women and youths:

Pupil farmers are chosen by community using ‘vulnerability’ criteria proposed by project staff:

Few women among pilot farmers (16/130) because of: - Low education level - Cultural norms about traveling and speaking in public

-

Widow(er), orphan Household with at least 3 children younger than 5 years’ old - Bad state of habitat - Having received food aid from WFP in 2016 - Adopted negative coping strategies to climate change

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But, majority of pupils are women (72%) Few youths among pupils because of instability in the village to search for income generating activities (e.g. gold mining)

BREAK FOR QUESTIONS

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SECTION 2 Can Conservation Agriculture: build resilience ?

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Resilience: 3 A’s and 1 T A. CAPACITY TO ANTICIPATE CLIMATE CHANGE: Proactive action before a foreseen event to avoid upheaval, either by avoiding or reducing exposure, or by minimising vulnerability, to specific hazards. Examples include preparedness, planning and risk information. A. CAPACITY TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE: The ability of social systems to adapt to multiple, long-term and future climate change risks, as well as to learn from and adjust to a disaster. Examples include increasing incomes and livelihoods. C. CAPACITY TO ABSORB CLIMATE CHANGE: The ability of people, communities and social systems to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or disasters. Examples include generating and improving savings/safety nets and increasing substitutable assets. C. TRANSFORMATION: Policy shifts and changes in practice that fundamentally change people’s livelihoods and build resilience to climate change in a structural way. These include strategic thinking and policy, leadership, empowerment and innovation. Image Title

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Zai pits

Contribution of CA to building adaptation capacity = ability to adapt to changes and adjust

Improved Resilience

Integrated soil fertility management Soil and water conservation techniques improved varieties of millet, sorghum, cowpea, etc. (drought resistant, short cycle) Better soil coverage Farmer-managed natural regeneration 15

Increased crop yields Improved food security

More soil humidity, even during drought period Tree products Carbon sequestration

Increased and more diverse income Climate change mitigation

Contribution of CA to building absorption capacity = ability to face and manage changes

Improved Resilience

Improved food security

More trees in the landscape

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More alternative tree products

Increased and more diverse income

Transformation: changes in strategic thinking and policy, leadership, empowerment and innovation Too early to see real transformation … -

-

-

Number of pilot farmers a project can support is determined by its human and financial resources Approach is voluntary, limiting time a pilot farmer can spend on training fellow farmers Effect of conservation agriculture on yields takes several years (up to 7) and is not easily observable

farmers to remove all trees from their crop fields. But now, we integrate FMNR in our messages …”

(Djimde)

… but some early indication of transformation -

-

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“In ONDR, we used to ask

Office National de Développement Rural (ONDR) has integrated tree conservation and planting in food crop fields in their extension messages Some NGOs in project area were associated to trainings, and have started promoting conservation agriculture and agroforestry as part of their aid and development programmes

Areas of Change Changes in knowledge and attitude Following the training sessions, farmers have basic knowledge of conservation agriculture practices

Changes in decision-making processes no particular changes here

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Silva Villaneuva et al (2016)

Poor people in developing countries have improved their levels of resilience to climate related shocks and stresses

Changes in capacities and skills Some practices (rotation, double weeding, manure) are easily adopted because close to traditional practices. Others are more difficult (plant distance, mulching)

Changes in quality partnerships Build on existing partnerships (ONDR, base phytosanitaire) and establishing new partnerships (ICRAF) to enrich the concept of CA and hence increase adoption potential

Implications for diffusion and scaling up of conservation agriculture

• CA through enhanced food security improves adaptation and absorption capacities and hence contributes to building CC resilience • CA was adapted to the local context in Chad and Sudan to improve its adoption potential. For example replace mulching by other techniques, such as FMNR, composting, and anti-erosion strips • F2FE approach is efficient for promoting CA, provided the training is practical and accompanied by a regular follow-up of pilot farmers by expert-trainers. • Refresher courses, exchange visits and demonstration plots should support the approach 19

Please join us for further Innovation for Resilience Case study webinars coming up: Date

Project

Topic

Tues 10th Oct

SUR1M

Thurs 12th Oct Thurs 16th Nov

PRESENCES RIC4REC

Tues 12th Nov

ODI KM

TBC

Zaman Lebidi

Savings schemes to build resilience (VSLA) Participatory Scenario Planning Climate and Weather data using mobile phones Innovations for resilience building (synthesis) Community Radio for resilience

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Thank you !

This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies