Sustainable tree-crop-livestock intensification as a
pillar for the Ethiopian climate resilient green
economy initiative
Aster Gebrekirstos, et al.
World Agroforestry Center, Nairobi
Sep 17-18
Addis Ababa
outline
• Introduction
• Project objectives (what and where)
• Important findings/ activities
• Lessons learnt /
• Summary
•
Major development challenges in Ethiopia?
• Land degradation
• low and erratic rainfall
• Deforestation
• Scarcity of fuel wood compels farm
households to burn manure and crop
residues for household energy,
decreasing yields and limiting the supply
of animal feed
• Limited access to external inputs
(fertilizer, seed, pesticides, specialized
machinery and appropriate technologies)
Introduction
Overcoming the challenges
Can agroforestry contribute to overcome some of the
challenges of Ethiopian development? YES!
•Sustainable intensification of mixed tree-crop-
livestock systems on farms and within farming
landscapes can reverse land degradation, and
improve crop productivity, livestock feed availability
and food security (Garrity et al., 2010).
Overcoming the challenges (Cont’d)
Ethiopian government initative
• The Ethiopian Government has launched
innovative approaches that include a “Climate
Resilient Green Economy” (CRGE 2012).
• Faidherbia Program (to establish 100 million
Faidherbia albida trees on cereal cropland
during the next four years).
• Reforestation of 15 million hectares of land (on
farm & communal land)
Role of ICRAF
• ICRAF to be deeply engaged in supporting the CRGE
(underpinning the government’s programs on watershed
management and agroforestry).
• customising species and management options to sites
and farmer circumstances
• This requires making effective use of a combination of
local ecological knowledge, farmer preferences and
science-based understanding of component interactions.
Major objectives of the project
• To document local knowledge about integrating trees in fields, farms and landscapes
• Best bet tree species and management options identified
• Needs for development of the tree seed and seedling supply sector assessed
• Effective partnerships for promoting tree-crop-livestock integration to underpin the climate resilient green economy initiative established
A basis for the Africa Rising and other ongoing projects
Factors considered in site
selection • Degree of intensification:
Wolaita
Tigray
Arsi
• Ecology and climate
• Successful and unsucessful sites
• Farming practices
Study sites
Study sites
Abreha Wa Atsbeha in northern Tigray :
very successful
Adigudom in southern Tigray:
not successful
Why these sites??????
Tigray: Intermediate intensification
Livestock based
Mixed cereal-livestock based
Cereal crop based
Study sites Arsi (Bekoji: low intensification, highland
1-Local knowledge about integrating trees in fields, farms
and landscapes
• The AKT5 software- a knowledge based systems
approach was employed in this research (Sinclair and
Walker, 1998)
• A framework for designing a knowledge elicitation
strategy (Dixon et al., 2001)
Methodology
Data collection
• Stakeholder analysis
• Scoping (8 farmers, Development Agents Extension
officers and village leaders)
• Definition(redefining research questions)
• Stratified random sampling to select informants from
DA’s farmer lists.
• Compilation phase involved repeated interaction with key
informants,
• Build trust
The training team discussing with local
administrators and extension workers of
Abreha We Atsibha village (12th of June,
2012)
• Training for two weeks (class, field ,
interview and feedback) AKT5 local
knowledge acusition
• Capacity building of seven local experts
• One MSc student defended her thesis
Local knowledge training using the AKT5 software and
methodology at Mekelle University Results
What do farmers know and explain well?
Farmers can explain complex process
Major causes for loss of tree cover
Drivers and challenges of tree planting
Positioning of trees on farms, their livelihood uses and
impacts on the environment
processes of change (what works well)
etc
Results
ABREHA WA ATSBEHA
BASELINE LOW LEVELS OF ADOPTION OF TREES ON
FARM
Loss of vegetation
cover
SOIL EROSION REDUCED
WATER
INFILTRATION
SCARCITY OF
WOOD PRODUCTS
LOSS OF SOIL
FERTILITY
REDUCED
WATER TABLE
LACK of
CONSTRUCTI
ON TIMBER
LACK OF
FUELWOOD
REDUCTION IN AGRICULTURE
PRODUCTIVITY
FOOD INSECURITY
POVERTY
FARMERS
INNOVATIONS
Free grazing
Over
harvesting
Results
Results
Figure : Farmers’ perception of factors constraining integration of trees in farming systems (Arsi)
Impact of free grazing
Results
The process to change FARMERS INNOVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION CHECK
DAMS, WATER PONDS
ZERO GRAZING
COLLECTION OF TREE SEED FOR
INDEGENOUSE SPECIES FOR
PLANTING IN THE NURSERY
WATER
HARVESTING
TREE PLANTING
IN GULLIES AND ONFARM
TREE SEEDLING AVAILABILITY
WATER AVAILABILITY FOR
IRRIGATION
NATURAL TREE
REGENERATION
INCREASED NUMBERS OF TREES
ADOPTED ONFARM CURRENT SCENARIO
EROSION
CONTROL
Results
Tree species good and bad for intercropping
ABREHA WA ATSBEHA ADIGUDOM
Species good for intercropping with cereals
Faidherbia albida (Momona)
Sesbania sesban (Sesbania)
Leucaena leucocephala (Lucinia)
Acacia saligna (Akacha)
Acacia spp
Species which are not good for intercropping
Acacia seyal (Chea)
Olea europea var.africana (Awlie)
Acacia etbaica(p/n)Seraw
Carissa edulis (Egam)
Psidium gaujava (Guava)
Eucalyptus spp
Species good for intercropping with cereals
Sesbania sesban (mono)
Leucaena leucocephala (mono)
Acacia etbaica(p/n)
Acacia senegal(Qenteb)
Acacia saligna (Akacha)*
Faidherbia albida (Momona)*
Species which are not good for intercropping
Parkinsonia aculeate (Shawit hagai)
Eucalyptus spp
Results
What does the current system look like?
Arsi (Bekoji)
Native tree cover (both in forest
and as AF) has been continuously
declining
Loss of soil is apparent in many
locations within the landscapes
Rain starts late and ends early
Eucalyptus is the dominant tree
species in the system, boundary
planting of few native species
Tigray (Abrha Wa
Astbaha)
Improved vegetation cover
decrease sediment deposition
increase water infiltration
improve land stabilization
improve fertility of the soil
production of grasses for
fodder/livestock
species diversity both on
farm and home stead
improved (fruit, fodder, )
Enclosures (communal lands)
Strong and determined
community leader mobilizes
the community
Results
Common Drivers
Drivers to planting trees on farm
• Income generation
• Ownership
• Government policy
• Direct benefits
Drivers to planting trees in the landscape
• Government Policy
• Soil and water conservation
• Land reclamation
• Aesthetics or beauty
Results
Challenges
• Lack of knowledge on tree management
• Renting of land for farming
• Lack of access to seedlings of appropriate tree species
• Long bureaucratic chains to utilize native species of trees
(tenure)
Farmer to farmers visit (to create awareness)
Results
•Community initially resisted until model practices were done with volunteers
and demonstrated to the rest of the farmers
• Need for incentives initially but awareness creation work continued and later
on people realized that the long term benefit is for all
Farmers attending a feedback
session
• Characterize variation across scaling domain
– acquire local knowledge
– identify strengths and weaknesses (knowledge gaps)
• Design scaling so that promising options are tested across
sufficient range to refine our understanding of what works where
and for whom
– measure performance of options
• Establish participatory approach with farmers in which uncertainty
and risk are understood, acknowledged and progressively reduced
– leave to farmers what they do best but
– learn collectively and systematically from experience
Recomendations
The approach
2: Seed and seedling supply system assessment
2- Tree seed and seedling system
Wolaita • Highly populated area
• Predominantly food insecure
• Traditional agroforestry is dominant (high potential perennial crop
zone)
• Fruit trees and agroforestry species promoted
• Several (over 20) licensed tree seed vendors available
• Shortage of seed not a major problem
• Predominantly good quality seedlings
Arsi
• Less populated area
• predominantly food secure
• Primarily cereal based agriculture (high potential cereal zone)
• Recently promotion of fodder species given priority
• No licensed tree seed suppliers
• Shortage of seed a major problem
• Less quality seedlings in many cases
Results
Figures: Partial view of Simon's seed shop and seed store in Sodo
Results
Quality is the problem: Increase the technical capacity of seed suppliers
in Sodo town and devise mechanisms for ensuring fair trade, and
evaluate changes
General Recommendations
• Creating enabling environment for tree seed supply sector
• Improving seedling quality and seedling survival
• Ensuring genetic quality in seeds under distribution
• Developing proper forestry and agroforestry information system
•
• Areka Nursery
Recomendations
Specific recommendations
• Boost fruit trees production in the highlands, and evaluate their adoption
• Increase the technical capacity of seed suppliers in Sodo town and devise mechanisms for ensuring fair trade, and evaluate changes
• Bekoji Nursery
Recomendations
3- National dialogue on sustainable agricultural intensification and its role on the climate resilient green economy initiative in Ethiopia
23-24 July 2012, ILRI campus, Ethiopia
Number of participants - 68 Number of institutions - 42
Ethiopian platform on land and water management acts as sounding
board of tree-crop-livestock intensification ‘early win’ project : http//
Topics discussed during the workshop
Key note Presentations:
A national platform for institutional learning and policy action on NRM in Ethiopia Sustainable tree-crop-livestock intensification as a pillar for the Ethiopian climate resilient green economy initiative The status of forestry development in Ethiopia: Challenges and opportunities Importance of biodiversity for agricultural intensification and climate change adaptation in Ethiopia Contribution of traditional agroforestry (TAF) to climate change adaptation and mitigation in Ethiopia Forest policy, strategies and laws of Ethiopia: Opportunities and challenges to developing the sector Genesis of climate resilient highlands transformation Information needs for adaptation to and mitigation of climate variability and change Sustainable agricultural intensification in the Ethiopian highlands
• Group work:
• Current status, gaps and suggestions for improvement on -
Seedling system
Incentives for integrating trees into crop and livestock systems
Interventions/post-plantation management/niches
Open grazing and collective action/ by-laws
Panel discussion: Sustainable agricultural transformation in Ethiopia: What should be done in the coming 5 years?”
The issues of lack of quality data and data sources
Absence of strong forestry institution that coordinate forestry research and
development in Ethiopia
Lack of systematic documentation of indigenous knowledge
Lack of proper valuation of forests/biological resources ecosystem services Weak cross-sectoral integration/collaboration among various institutions
Poor community participation in the decision making
The need for out/up-scaling of best NRM practices
The need for strengthening capacity building at all levels
Lack of tree related germplasm both in quality and quantity Challenges of livestock free grazing system for integrating high value tree
species in the outfields
The need for making available technological options, and devise policies
that help smallholders adapt climate variability/change and improve their
livelihoods
Joint policy brief will be prepared
Some of the cross-cutting issues that came out from the workshop presentations, group and panel discussions are:
4- Best bet tree species and management options
identified
technical note preparation
• Review of exsisting literatures on Agroforestry
• Synthesis lessons from the early win activities
MSC thesis on local knowledge in Tigray
Report on local knowlgedge in Arsi and Areka
Report on seed and seedling supply system
Journal article
• Visit for reports and news
http://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/21198
Summary
• Embed research within development
• Action required now but knowledge is imperfect
• Fit options to sites and farmer circumstances
• Build on what we (scientists and farmers) already know
• Use an iterative, structured learning, approach to refine
matching and reduce risk
• Deliver results as methods, tools and a community of
practice that makes a difference on the ground
• Awareness creation and community mobilization
Contributors
Dr Aster Gebrekirstos (ICRAF)
Dr. Kiros Hadgu (MU)
Dr. Abayneh Derero (FRC)
Ato Tesfaye Sida (Ambo univ)
Dr Ermias Aynekulu (ICRAF)
Dr Fergus Sinclair (ICRAF)
Ms Emelda Hachoofwe
Dr Dennis Garrity (ICRAF)
Dr Tilahun Amede (ILRI)
Dr Yitebitu Mogus (FRC)
Our thanks to USAID for funding
&
ILRI & our national partners for
their
collaboration
Thank you for your attention!!!
Amesegenaleu!