Subject : Discussion on Farming for Food

Subject : discussion on Farming for Food Date : 2009-05-18 APF code : Ethiopia country focus Status : draft notes From : Wim Goris To : Edith v Walsum, ILEIA Kasper Kervel, ProFound Andre Vording, ICCO Karlijn van Arkel, Cordaid Entrepreneurship Gijs Aarts, Cordaid RR - Relief and Rehabilitation CC : Agriterra, SNV, ning once final

Monday 18 may, ILEIA, ICCO, Cordaid and ProFound continued the discussion on ‘farming for food’ following an introduction by ILEIA on March 25. Agriterra and SNV were not present yet interested. Others will be informed thru www.apf-ethiopia.ning.com (see under forum). These notes follow the agenda discussed.

1. Introduction and summary of earlier discussions. Inspired by discussions on DDE-track5, ILEIA proposed an action research on Ethiopian cases to find the hot issues and conditions inhibiting farmer entrepreneurship for resource-poor farmers. It was generally agreed that ‘farming for food’ is located at the junction of food security issues and the economic approach to food production. And that further discussion within APF is opportune.

2. The story behind the matrix. Cordaid RR (Gijs) has an historic portfolio in support of pastoralist communities in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. This region is prone to droughts and conflicts over scarce natural resources with other clans and agricultural schemes (jatropha, Saudis). Pastoralist productivity is underestimated and in need of recognition. A cluster of 8 local partners work to “reinforce resilience of pastoralist communities thru improvement of animal health, livestock marketing, income diversification and savings & credit groups.” The RR approach to sustainable livelihoods starts with an assessment of vulnerability plus endogenous coping mechanisms, followed by emergency planning plus development planning. Cordaid RR has an office in Addis (Ton Haverkort cs) For Cordaid RR, sustainable livelihoods are central, and market access is seen as a possible contribution. Improving livestock marketing is a direct request that links to an economic approach, eg the economic depts. of Cordaid and ICCO. ICCO (André) has a portfolio of six partner organisations relating to food security. This group has a history in working with grain banks and now form food security consortium. Their baseline study comprises 8.000 farmers (out of 11.000, 12% ♀) with data on food production, income levels, food security issues. Strategies of these farmers and their aim at local market access. The assumption is that market access is not harming food security at household level. The survey is to provide data on this assumption, but if market access is benefitting some farmer households, then food security problems may affect resource-poor farmers and their households in the same area. A related point here is the gender dimension, both in local market access as well as in equitable access to household food.

Agriterra and ProFound do not have food security portfolios at this point.

In short, Cordaid RR interventions are further away from asphalt and markets than ICCO FED (or Cordaid entrepreneurship) portfolios. ILEIA sees an advantage in working with contrasting cases, as together they will better reveal the range of issues involved in farming for food. What is needed for joint learning is that different cases coordinate methodology, have an open attitude to discuss results and dilemmas and a light framework to organise the learning. This would reduce the original plan to a one-off

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3. Organizing a joint effort. Planning a workshop? Both Cordaid and ICCO have ongoing activities on learning and capacity building with staff on the ground and their networks of partners. So we first discussed whether learning should be a joint effort, considering time and resources needed. The goal of a joint effort in learning is that all benefit from exchange rather than everyone inventing their own wheels. Learning then becomes more effective.

One condition is that such an effort is not felt as an add-on, it should rather enhance and connect activities already planned. Cordaid RR felt that representatives in Ethiopia need to be consulted on this learning trajectory.

A related problem is that DDE funding for Farming for Food proposal seems unavailable. If we decide to focus the Farming for food proposal on 2 or 3 specific cases, coordination is limited to the timeline and methodology. In stead of a planning workshop, one would have an event at the exchange and dissemination stage.

4. Action points:

- APF to bring this discussion to the ning. And to check with Agriterra and SNV on their interest in bringing a case. - ICCO and ILEIA to meet on the consortium case with the baseline survey. - Cordaid RR to consult their staff and partners in Ethiopia on their interest in bringing the livestock marketing case for learning purposes. - ILEIA/APF to check with DGIS/RNE Addis on their interest in bringing in a case on productive safety nets & challenges of graduation. - APF/Cordaid RR to discuss scope for joint support on pastoralism/livestock.

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