s5 edwards
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ROLE OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN PREVENTING AND REVERSING LAND
DEGRADATION
By Sue EdwardsInstitute for Sustainable Development,
Ethiopia Also representing IFOAM
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Land degradation
Soil erosion and desertification are thephysical expressions of land degradation,while the social and economic impacts aredegraded lifestyles and pernicious poverty.
An understanding of how to maintainhealthy soil is essential to reverse andprevent land degradation. Healthy soilcarries a good plant cover and enablesrain water to infiltrate and recharge bothsoil water and underlying aquifers.
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What is IFOAM?
IFOAM, the (International Federation Of Organic Agriculture Movements) has its head office inBonn, Germany
Its mission is leading, uniting and assisting theorganic movement in its full diversity
The goal is the worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially and economically soundsystems that are based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture
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What is organic agriculture? Organic agriculture is a whole system approach
based upon a set of processes resulting insustainable ecosystems, safe food, goodnutrition, animal welfare and social justice. It ismore than just a system of production thatincludes or excludes certain inputs, particularlyagro-chemicals, because it builds on andenhances the ecological management skills of the farmer, the fisher folk and the pastoralist.Practicing organic or agro-ecological agriculturerequires ecological knowledge, planning andcommitment to work with natural systems, rather than trying to change them.
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Organic agriculture and mitigating
climate change In 2004, IFOAM commissioned a scopingstudy on The Role of Organic Agriculture
in Mitigating Climate Change. It looked at the possibilities of reducinggreenhouse gases (GHG)
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Organic agriculture is a systematicstrategy, which may reduce GHGemissions and enhance sequestration of carbon
The strategy includes basic principles tobe followed, compulsory standards to be
respected, suitable productiontechnologies, and a system of inspectionand certification to guarantee adherenceto the process
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Basic principles
To encourage and enhance biologicalcycles within the farming system
To maintain and increase long-term fertilityin soils To use, as far as possible, renewable
resources in locally organized productionsystems
To minimize all forms of pollution
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Emission Reductions
Carbon dioxide through: Avoidance of shifting cultivation Reduction of fossil fuel consumption
Methane Soil management to increased oxidation of methane,
also grasslands and forests Compost and biogas Animal husbandry, particularly locally produced and
appropriate feeds, and controlling grazing Paddy cultivation with aeration periods
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Nitrous oxide produced by all forms of nitrogen
No synthetic N fertilizer is used Nitrogen comes from within the system thusavoiding overdoses and high losses
Animal stocking rates are limited
Diets for dairy cows lower in protein andhigher in fibre, and use of crops (sunflower seeds) that reduce NO2 emissions
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Biomass as a substitute for fossil fuel Directly as a crop Processing slurry in biogas
Agroforestry Shade trees in plantation crops Fuel wood plantation
Trees in cropland Living fences etc
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Can organic agriculture combatpoverty? An example from northern Ethiopia Despite the fact that Ethiopia is also
known as the water tower of the Horn of Africa, it is better known for the images of
emaciated children and the high rate of soil erosion
Can this be reversed?
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MAP OF ETHIOPIAWITH REGIONALBOUNDARIES
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The popular image is a desert dry, withvery little vegetation, and very largenumbers of free-ranging livestock
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W hy the degradation ? Efforts at State building destroyed local organization in
most of the country starting from in 2 nd half of the 19 thcentury
Development efforts started only in the 1960s andlargely ignored smallholder (peasant) farmers despitethe fact that 90% or more of the food comes from them
The 1974 revolution and its impact on land resourceuse
The land was mined, and there were no inputs intechnologies or ideas to help the farmers improve their productivity
The Sasakawa-Global 2000 approach uses high externalinputs, out of reach for most smallholder farmers botheconomically and ecologically
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The existing strengths
Farmers control their own seeds and there is stilla wealth of agro-biodiversity and farmerstraditional knowledge
Traditional methods for managing and usingland resources, e.g. grazing land, farms are stillin place in many communitiesLocal community members work together, andthis is being strengthened through the presentpolicy of decentralization
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The components of theproject, or basket of choices
Making and using compost (ISD initiative) Trench bunds for catching both soil and water
(BoA initiative) Planting small multipurpose trees particularly
Sesbania and local grasses (ISD and BoAinitiative improved by farmers)
Halting gullies (at farmers demand) Making communal ponds (farmers initiative) Making and using bylaws to control access and
use of local biological resources and controlgrazing (ISD initiative)
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A di Nefas in1997 and 2003
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Zeban Sasgrazing area in1996 startingthe rehabilitationwork
Zeban Sas grazing
area in October2003
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Pond
Adi Nefas All the components being used in October 2003
Rehabilitatedgully
Sesbaniatrees and long
grassesComposted fields of tef, wheat and barley
FabaBea
n
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Training on CompostTraining on Compost
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Impact of compost on
yieldsSampling technique (F A O method formonitoring food security)
Samples were taken with the farmers.Fields were selected and 3 one-metresquare plots were cut and threshed,and the straw and grain weighed withthe farmers.
10 Birr is equivalent to 1 Euro, or 8.5 Birr equals 1 USD.
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Table 1: Grain yields (in kg/ha), expenses andreturns (in Birr) for Adi Nefas in 2003 (7 years)
Crop Input Yield
Gross
income
Fertilizer
cost Net incomeFaba Bean Compost 4391 13173 0 13173
Check 2287 6861 0 6861
Finger Millet Compost 2650 4505 0 4505Check 833 1416 0 1416
Maize Compost 5480 8768 0 8768Check 708 1133 0 1133
Teff Compost 1384 3875 0 3875
Fertilizer 1033 2892 377 2515C
heck 739 2069 0 2069W heat Compost 2250 5625 0 5625
Fertilizer 1480 3700 377 3323Check 842 2105 0 2105
Barley Compost 1633 3266 0 3266
Check 859 1718 0 1718
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Crop Input Yield
Gross
income
Fertilizer
cost Net incomeFaba Bean Compost 2900 8700 0 8700
Fertilizer 1100 3300 377 2923
Check 766 2298 0 2298Finger Millet Compost 2000 3400 0 3400
Fertilizer 1433 2436 377 2059
Check 500 850 0 850
Maize Compost 2000 3200 0 3200
Fertilizer 1133 1813 377 1436
Check 680 1088 0 1088
Table 2: Grain yields (in kg/ha), expenses and returns (in Birr) for AdiGua edad in 2003 (1 st year)
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Crop Input YieldGrossincome
Fertilizercost Net income
Barley Compost 2193 4386 0 4386
Fertilizer 1283 2566 377 2189
Check 900 1800 0 1800W heat Compost 1020 2550 0 2550
Fertilizer 1617 4043 377 3666
Check 590 1475 0 1475
Teff Compost 1650 4620 0 4620
Fertilizer 1150 3220 377 2843
Check 390 1092 0 1092
Table 2: continued
10 Birr is equivalent to 1 Euro, or 8.5 Birr equals 1 USD.
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Crops not usually given chemicalfertilizer
Finger Millet Faba BeanField Pea
These are usually not given much attention, but withcompost, high yield increases have been obtained.It is interesting to see that the checks for faba bean
and field pea in A dibo Mossa in 2002 were nearlythe same as the compost treatment.
They were growing on previously composted fieldsand were benefiting from the residual effect of thecompost
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Faba Bean with and withoutcompost
Yields have risen fromless than 500 kg/ha onnon-compost treated fieldsto around 2,500 kg/hawhen compost is applied.
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0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
Finger Millet/ Adi Nefas/02
Finger Millet/ Guroro/02
Faba Bean / Adi Abo Mossa/98
Faba Bean / Adi Abo Mossa/02
Field Pea / Adi Abo Mossa/98
Field Pea / Adi Abo Mossa/02
Yield (kg/ha)
Compost
Check
Yields (kg/ha ) for faba bean , field pea and finger millet in 3 sites - 1998
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Indicators of Sustainability
Maintaining or increasing agricultural biodiversity:for example, Ziban Sas was growing only wheatand barley mixed together and a little teff, but nowother crops e.g. maize and faba bean, are alsogrown.
Reduced weeds: weed seeds, pathogens andinsect pests are killed by the high temperature inthe compost pits, but earthworms and other usefulsoil organisms establish well.
Increased moisture retention capacity of the soil: if rain stops early, crops grown on composted soilresist wilting for about two weeks longer than thosegrown on soil treated with chemical fertilizer.
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Disease and pest resistance: as seen through theproblem of shoot fly on teff and root borer on fababean in Tahitai Maichew and Laelai Maichewrespectively, crops are more disease and pestresistant.
Residual effect: farmers who have used compostfor one or two years can obtain high yields fromtheir crops the next year without applying compostafresh.
Economic returns: farmers have been able to stopbuying chemical fertilizer, but they still get evenhigher yields.
Flavour: food is said to taste better.
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E thiopia and Organic Production
In March 2006, the Ethiopian Governmentpassed a law setting out a framework for organic farming.
The results of the farmers in Tigray inproducing and using compost indicate thatthe aim for Ethiopia having a substantialnumber of farmers producing organicallycould be realized.
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Protection and promotion of
sustainable livelihoodsDeveloping bylaws has been an essential partof the community decision making andimplementation.
These statutes were developed by consensusto govern the activities of each member aswell as that of the whole community in order to manage the land under the usufruct rightof each member and the community so thatthe whole environment in which thecommunity lives and its productivity areimproved sustainably.
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Other examples from Africa
SEKEM in Egypt, led by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish
Organic cotton farmers in Benin NOGUM and EPOPA in Uganda andTanzania >2% of production is organic
Dried fruits and vegetables from over 600producers, mostly women, Burkino Fasso
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A farmer of the future