Coordinating and Advocating for Conservation Agriculture Policies in Southern Africa
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COORDINATING AND ADVOCATING FOR CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE POLICIES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA Kizito Mazvimavi TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... iii 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 2. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 22 3. EVOLUTION OF CA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA ........................................................................ 22 3.1 Cases of CA Success ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 3.1.1 CA in Malawi ....................................................................................................................... 33 3.1.2 CA in Zambia ....................................................................................................................... 55 3.1.3 Promotion of CA through Humanitarian Relief Programs in Zimbabwe ............................ 66 4. CHALLENGES IN CA UPSCALING AND NEED FOR POLICY SUPPORT ......................... 77 4.1 The Role of National Extension Services ------------------------------------------------------------------ 88 4.2 Research and Development ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 88 4.3 Agricultural Input and Output Market ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 99 4.4 Agricultural Mechanization ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 99 4.5 Relief targeting and CA promotion ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1010 4.6 Respect for social and cultural issues ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1010 4.7 Harmonized Approached in CA Promotion ----------------------------------------------------------- 1010 5. REGIONAL PROGRAMS ADVOCATING CA PRACTICES ............................................... 1111 5.1 FAO Conservation Agriculture Working Group (CARWG) --------------------------------------- 1212 5.2 Program on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the ESA ----------------------------- 1313 5.3 Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) -------------------------- 1515 5.4 SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP) ----------------------------------------------------------- 1717 5.4.1 Priority number 1: Agricultural inputs usage ................................................................... 1717 5.4.2 Priority number 2: Agricultural technology use and adoption ......................................... 1717 5.4.3 Priority number 3: Water use and management ............................................................... 1717 6. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS INFLUENCING CA TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER 1818 6.1 Learning in coalitions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1818 6.2 Appropriate partnerships: respecting different interests/stakes ------------------------------------ 1818 6.3 Non-conventional - out of the box- partners ----------------------------------------------------------- 1919 6.4 Capacity development -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1919 6.5 An evaluation culture--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2020 7. REGIONAL POLICY STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE CA INITIATIVES ............................ 2020 8. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 2323 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 2525 i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Conservation Agriculture, as a concept for natural resource-saving, strives to achieve acceptable profits with high and sustained production levels while concurrently conserving the environment. In Southern Africa, the introduction of CA technology into the smallholder farming sector has been primarily been through relief programs aimed at improving the livelihoods and food security status of vulnerable households. This report is based on a detailed review of existing documents and aims to identify the key policies influencing CA in the region. In many countries CA national taskforces have been formed to spearhead the adoption of the technology by smallholder farmers. The key constraints affecting the up scaling of CA include poor access to markets, resource constrained extension systems and inadequate training on CA in the region. The Conservation Agriculture Regional Working Group (CARWG) has identified lack of awareness and information about CA amongst different stakeholders in the region (including donors, private sector, development agencies, and farmers’ organizations) as one of the factors identified in limiting CA uptake. FANRPAN has been involved in research studies to review regional policy support to CA with the aim of sensitizing high level policy personnel and lobbying for CA support through FAO, NEPAD, COMESA, and SADC and to respective ministries of agriculture in Eastern and Southern African countries. Although there is evidence of CA success stories in the region, policy stances to promote CA are weak and ineffective. Evidently there are no clear regional policies supporting CA up scaling. This report acknowledges the role of different stakeholders in driving policies that influencing CA up scaling. In the private sector, business organizations in the region are already involved in agricultural adaptation activities through the supply of equipment, technologies, inputs and marketing structures that enhance CA activities by small-scale farmers. A number of international organizations act as the main implementing agents for continental and regional CA programs. The international organizations offer a wide range of input specializations that range from farmer input support, biodiversity conservation and developing sustainable approaches to ecosystems services, that are all linked to the promotion and up scaling of CA technology. In order to move CA forward there is need for develop and foster new institutional arrangements and strategies at the regional level. Promoting sustainable technologies that include soil fertility and conservation technologies and promotion of high yielding varieties to increase food production and productivity. Improve agricultural extension in order to increasing availability of services to the farmers and this is a critical exit strategy when donor driven CA ends. Strengthening institutional capacity at regional level within partner institutions and across networks for the purpose of human capital development and training stakeholders on CA. New approaches are being recommended for CA, and there is need for constant promotion of science, technology and innovation for example herbicides, bio-safety and mechanization. As such this requires funding for CA research and development. Promoting commodity based value chains which involve the provision of critical inputs, value addition, marketing and trade to develop reliable input and output markets post relief era. Increased public and private sector financing of agriculture as well as developing new and long term financing mechanisms that are friendly to CA will need to be promoted. The regional research collaboration can generate significant technology spillovers as well as economies of scale in raising agricultural productivity through CA initiatives. ii 1. INTRODUCTION Agriculture plays a dominant role in the economic development of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite problems associated with productivity growth, agriculture is a key for spurring growth, getting large numbers of people out of poverty, and is a principal route to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (World Bank, 2009). Agriculture is to be considered more than simply an economic activity – it is a key for food security and thus for survival, a means of livelihood and culture, and a provider of environmental services but also a major source of environmental degradation if unsustainable practices are used. Agriculture currently accounts for about 30 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) gross domestic product (GDP), at least 40 percent of export value, and approximately 70-80 percent of employment (FAO, 2006; IMF 2006; World Bank, 2006; World Bank, 2007b). More than 75 percent of the total population in Southern Africa live in rural areas and the majority of them are smallholder households involved in agricultural activities (FAO, 2006; ILO, 2007). Their employment in the agricultural sector gives them an opportunity to earn their livelihood mostly by a combination of subsistence and market production. In a number of resource-poor countries such as Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar, agriculture plays an even more dominant role, representing 80 percent or more of export earnings (World Bank, 2007b). There are, however, also some African countries, for example Angola, Namibia and South Africa, where the role of agriculture has greatly declined and its importance is camouflaged by the dominance of mineral based industries. Probably the biggest and most basic challenge for Africa is how to feed its growing population. While it is generally acknowledged that food security is more