another kind of green revolution in drylands

Chris Reij

ESTABLISHED 1982

ANOTHER KIND OF GREEN REVOLUTION IN

DRYLANDS

THE CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURAL

MODERNISATION PARADIGM IN

ACTION: NOT SUSTAINABLE, NO

RESILIENCE,NO EQUITY

AGROFORESTRY IS THE PILLAR OF AGRICULTURE

IN DRYLANDS AND SUBHUMID REGIONS

RE-GREENING = INCREASING THE NUMBER OF

ON-FARM TREES PRODUCES MULTIPLE IMPACTS

☺ SOIL ORGANIC MATTER/SOIL FERTILITY

☺ FODDER FOR LIVESTOCK

☺ FOOD SECURITY

☺ HOUSEHOLD ENERGY

☺ COMPLEX FARMING SYSTEMS

☺ VALUE CHAINS

☺ NUTRITION

☺ ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

☺ CARBON SEQUESTRATION

☺ BIODIVERSITY

NIGER: 5 MILLION HA OF NEW

AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND

SENEGAL: ? MILLION HA OF PARKLAND

IN THE PEANUT BASIN

MALI: 6 MILLION HA OF PARKLAND IN SOUTHERN MALI

NEW AGROFORESTS ON MALI’S

SENO PLAINS (450,000 ha)

GRAIN SURPLUS IN 2011: about 50,000 tons

BURKINA IS GRADUALLY TRANSFORMED INTO

AN AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND

FOOD DEFICIT IN NIGER IN 2011 -2012:

600,000 TONS

Grain surplus Kantché District (Zinder/Niger).

350,000 inhabitants; high on-farm tree densities

• 2007 + 21,230 ton

• 2008 + 36,838 ton

• 2009 + 28,122 ton

• 2010 + 64,208 ton

• 2011 + 13,818 ton

Source: National Committee for the Prevention and Management of

Food Crises and FEWS

Quoted by: Yamba and sambo (2012)

VEGETATION TURNS DOWN THE HEAT

Village Degree of vulnerability

Kouka Samou

Doukoum Doukoum

Kirou Haussa

Zedrawa

Daré

Least vulnerable

200

40

140

125

135

Medium Vulnerable

110

37

120

70

63

Very vulnerable

80

83

26

40

100

Extremely Vulnerable

104

50

116

80

45

AVERAGE ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME

FROM NEW AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND (US $)

Source: Yamba and Sambo (2012)

1990

AGROFORESTRY AS CO-BENEFIT OF WATER HARVESTING

2004

Demi lunes

Combretum glutinosum

Zaï

Simple techniques

Piliostigma reticulatum

Big impacts

Rainfall, WH techniques and cereal yields in Niger

(1991 – 1996)

Rainfall

Badagui

chiri

Illéla

1991

726 mm

581 mm

1992

423 mm

440 mm

1993

369 mm

233 mm

1994

613 mm

581 mm

1995

415 mm

404 mm

1996

439 mm

440 mm

Average

1991 –

1996

Zaï

T0

T1

T2

----

520

764

0

297

494

0

393

659

0

969

1486

0

347

534

0

553

653

0

513

765

Half moons

T0

T1

T2

0

655

1183

0

293

538

0

416

641

0

912

1531

0

424

615

0

511

632

0

535

857

Average

Illéla

district

386

241

270

362

267

282

301

T0 = before situation; T1 WH technique + manure

T2 WH technique + manure + urea

Group of

Villages

SWC technique Grain yield

(kg/ha)

Dry

matter

(kg/ha)

Ziga

Average region

434

2472

Zaï 772

3471

Stone bunds 574

2843

Zaï+ stone bunds 956

3798

Ranawa

Average region 376

2375

Zaï 804

3822

Stone bunds 531

2964

Zaï+ stone bunds 922

3968

Source: Sawadogo, H. (2008)

IMPACT OF WH TECHNIQUES ON CEREAL YIELDS

IN 2007 (NORTHERN CENTRAL PLATEAU, BURKINA FASO)

Water harvesting Agroforestry Micro-dosing

+ +

Agroforestry Niger 500 kg/ha

Agroforestry + micro-dosing 900 – 1000 kg/ha

Without water harvesting 0 kg/ha

Water harvesting 500 kg/ha

Water harvesting + microdosing 800 – 1000 kg/ha

SOME DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR

SMALLHOLDER INTENSIFICATION AND

RESILIENCE BUILDING IN DRYLANDS

INCREASE ON-FARM TREE DENSITIES IN

EXISTING PARKLANDS

MICRO DOSING + IMPROVED VARIETIES

IN EXISTING PARKLANDS (MILLIONS OF HA)

DIVERSIFY TREE SPECIES

REJUVENATE OLD PARKLAND

BUILD NEW AGROFORESTS