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Bamboo Agroforestry As a Landuse Option for Household Energy Needs

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Bamboo Agroforestry As a Landuse Option for Household Energy Needs XIV WORLD FORESTRY CONGRESS, Durban, South Africa, 7-11 September 2015 Bamboo agroforestry as a land use option for household energy needs and food security in Ghana Samuel T. Partey1, Oliver B. Frith, Michael Y. Kwaku and Daniel A. Sarfo International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), International Forestry Research Center, Fumesua-Kumasi, Ashanti-Region, Ghana 1Corresponding author. Email: [email protected], Tel: +233 (0) 240 843 963 Abstract Available literature indicates that fuelwood consumption is a major cause of deforestation in Ghana. Similar to many parts of Africa, wood fuels currently provide 71% of Ghana’s total annual energy demand; hence with rising household energy demands, the rates of deforestation and the concomitant negative effects on beneficial ecosystem services are set to increase unless new systems of integrated land uses are developed. In Ghana, sustainable forest management has been made a priority, and government and scientists are now advocating the use of bamboo agroforestry to reduce pressure on major commercial timber species sometimes sourced for household energy needs. Although Ghana has more than 300,000 hectares of bamboo, it is currently underutilized. Bamboo’s characteristics of fast growth and high renewability make it an efficient and renewable substitute resource for charcoal and wood fuel production. In Asia, bamboo-based intercropping systems are confirmed as suitable land use approaches for increased productivity of food crops and non-food biomass. However, there is limited available data to verify the suitability of the technology in Africa and elucidate the ecological principles by which the system works. Therefore, we are currently conducting a 4-year pilot study in Ghana to: (1) assess local knowledge, governance and economics of bamboo agroforestry; (2) evaluate the ecological interactions within bamboo-based intercropping systems and accentuate implications on soil and crop productivity; and (3) perform a life-cycle analysis of bamboo charcoal using environmental and social indicators. This paper presents the study design, preliminary results and indicates how the premise of the study fits into Ghana’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy. Further, the paper draws on the study’s potential to influence policy and district level recommendations for household energy needs and food security. Keywords: bamboo, food security, renewable energy, agroforestry 1. Introduction, scope and main objectives According to a recent survey by FAO and JRC (2012), Africa loses about 1.6 million hectares of forest annually. Whilst this is a major improvement from previous estimates of 3.4 million hectares/year (FAO 2010), the current rate is still alarming considering the huge dependence of about 90% of the African populace on forest resources and non-timber forest products. In Ghana, the annual rate of deforestation is about 65,000 hectares (ITTO 2005), which means the country’s substantial forest cover could completely disappear in 25 years. The forest cover of Ghana that contained over 300 species capable of growing to timber size has reduced from 8.2 million hectares in 1984 to the current cover area of 1.3 million hectares. Most interventions and policies, such as introducing annual allowable cuts of 1 million m3 of round logs and bans on illegal chainsaw operation, have not reduced the pressure on forests. This is attributed to the fact that some of the poorest, rural people depend on the forest for their livelihoods. Available literature points to the fact that fuelwood consumption is one major cause of deforestation in Ghana. It is estimated 1 that 14 million m3 of wood are annually consumed for energy production in Ghana. Similar to many parts of Africa, wood fuels currently provide 71% of the total annual energy demand in Ghana (Energy Commission 2009) and the annual per capita consumption of charcoal for cooking and heating in Ghana is also estimated to be 180 kg (FAO 2001). With rising household energy demands, the rates of deforestation and the concomitant negative effects on beneficial ecosystem services are set to increase unless new systems of integrated land uses are developed. According to Thevathasan et al. (2011), agroforestry has emerged as one of the most promising approaches to reducing deforestation in the tropics while enhancing rural livelihoods. It is worth mentioning that the use of several woody perennials, such as Senna siamea, Tectona grandis, Leucaena leucocephala, and Acacia spp., has contributed to the development of woodlot agroforestry systems for fuelwood production in Africa. However, the relatively slow growth of these species, their smokiness when burnt, coupled to competing uses and the relative poor quality of the wood for charcoal production, tends to limit their acceptability and adoption potential among many households. In Ghana, sustainable forest management has been made a priority, and government and scientists are now advocating the use of bamboo agroforestry to reduce pressure on major commercial timber species sometimes sourced for household energy needs. Bamboo’s characteristics of fast growth and high renewability make it an efficient and renewable substitute resource for charcoal production. Although bamboo is underutilized for food production systems in Ghana, there are currently more than 300,000 ha of bamboo in Ghana (Obiri and Oteng-Amoako 2007). While experiences from Asia and other countries demonstrate that the integration of bamboo within agricultural systems is a suitable approach for increased productivity of food crops and non-food biomass (Mailly et al. 1997), there is limited available data to verify the suitability of the technology in Africa and elucidate the ecological principles by which the system works. In this pilot study, field trials and socioeconomic studies are currently being carried out to assess the agronomic potential of bamboo agroforestry and its socioeconomic functions in relation to household energy needs and food security. Four thematic areas have been earmarked for the execution of this study: Theme 1: Ethnobotany and socioeconomic aspects of bamboo agroforestry Specific objectives: Assess the local knowledge of bamboo; identify challenges/constraints associated with bamboo production; assess the adoption potential of bamboo for arable crop production; and evaluate the economics of bamboo agroforestry Theme 2: Ecological processes and component interaction within bamboo agroforestry Specific objectives:Determine the aboveground and belowground biomass and nutrient distribution in a growing bamboo; identify the complementary and competitive zones between bamboo and associated crops; quantify litterfall, decomposition and nutrient release patterns of bamboo fine roots and leaves; evaluate the aboveground carbon-fixing capacity, accumulation and soil organic carbon dynamics in a bamboo-based intercropping system; evaluate crop performance, soil nutrient dynamics and soil moisture conservation in a bamboo-based intercropping system; evaluate shading effect on soil properties and crop performance within a bamboo agroforestry; and evaluate the soil-plant-water interactions in a mixed bamboo-based Agroforestry system. Theme 3: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of bamboo charcoal Specific objectives: Characterize the quality of bamboo charcoal and compare likewise with charcoal produced from common biomass sources; compare a range of environmental impacts of producing bamboo charcoal using traditional charcoal production methods. Impacts will be assessed based on the recommendations of the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 2 energy consumption, ozone depletion potential, photochemical oxidation, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and water demand Theme 4: Suitability of bamboo leaves as fodder for livestock Specific objectives: Characterize the biochemistry and nutritive value of bamboo leaves; assess the suitability of bamboo leaves as whole feed or feed supplement for livestocks; determine the palatability and digestibility of bamboo leaves; and evaluate growth and development of livestock fed with bamboo leaves either as sole feed or feed supplement Only preliminary results of Themes 1 and 2 are presented in this paper. 2. Methodology/approach 2.1 Study site The study is being carried out at Jaduako in the Sekyere Central District of Ghana; located within Lat 060551 and 070301N and Long 050001 W (Fig. 1). The District covers a total land area of 1564 km2 and has 150 settlements with 70% being rural. The research area falls within the Dry Semi-Deciduous Forest Zone of Ghana. It is characterized by a bimodal rainfall pattern with an average annual rainfall of 1270 mm. The major rainy season starts in March with a major peak in May. There is a slight dip in July and a peak in August, tapering off in November. December to February is a very long season, which is warm and dusty (the driest period). The area has a mean annual temperature of 27oC, with variations in mean monthly temperature ranging between 22oC and 30oC throughout the year. The soil type of the study site is sandy loam (Ejura – Denteso Association). Fig. 1: Map of Ghana showing the Sekyere Central District where study is currently being carried out. 3 2.2 Field experimentation 2.2.1 Bamboo nursery establishment and transplanting Two bamboo species were selected for the study: Lowland African Bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) and Beema bamboo (Bambusa balcooa). B. balcooa was sourced from India
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