From the Roots Up. How Agroecology Can Feed Africa
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From the roots up How agroecology can feed Africa February 2015 Carving up a Continent How the UK Government is facilitating the corporate takeover of African food systems I 1 By Dr Ian Fitzpatrick Thanks to: Mariann Bassey Orovwuje (Environmental Rights Action / Friends of the Earth Nigeria), Rachel Bezner-Kerr (Cornell University; Soils, Food and Healthy Communities project), Jean Blaylock (UK Food Group), Michael Farrelly (Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement), Janet Maro (Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania), Patrick Mulvany, Nikhil Bhoopal, Heidi Chow, Nick Dearden, Christine Haigh, Dan Iles, Polly Jones, Chris Walker. February 2015 About Global Justice Now Global Justice Now campaigns for a world where resources are controlled by the many, not the few. We champion social movements and propose democratic alternatives to corporate power. Our activists and groups in towns and cities around the UK work in solidarity with those at the sharp end of poverty and injustice. To help support the production of future reports like this one, you can make a donation online at www.globaljustice.org.uk/donate or by calling 020 7820 4900. Global Justice Now 66 Offley Road, London SW9 0LS +44 20 7820 4900 | [email protected] @globaljusticeuk | www.globaljustice.org.uk Registered Charity No 1055675 This report is printed on 100% recycled, post-consumer waste, chlorine-free paper using vegetable-based inks. Layout: www.revangeldesigns.co.uk Cover image: Philipina Ndamane holding up some of the vegetables she has grown in the Abalama Bezehkaya garden in Guguletu, Cape Town, South Africa. Credit: dfataustralianaid 2 I From the roots up: How agroecology can feed Africa Contents Executive Summary 4 1. Foreword 8 2. Introduction 10 3. Agroecology and food sovereignty 14 3.1. What is agroecology? 14 3.2. What is food sovereignty? 15 3.3. Food sovereignty vs. food security 17 3.4. Food sovereignty, the framework for agroecology 17 3.5. The many sustainable farming terms 17 3.6. The International Symposium on Agroecology 18 3.7. The Green Revolution 19 3.8. Positive solutions 19 4. Agroecology in action 20 4.1. Better use of resources 21 4.2. Better ways of growing food 29 4.3. Better ways of learning 37 5. Benefits of agroecology 40 5.1. Increasing yields 40 5.2. Reducing the gender gap 41 5.3. Increasing employment and income 44 5.4. Increasing agricultural biodiversity 45 5.5. Improving health and nutrition 46 5.6. Addressing climate change 48 6. Overcoming the barriers 50 6.1. Change the political bias 50 6.2. Change trade rules and policies 50 6.3. Increase investment 52 6.4. Increase research 53 6.5. Focus on small-scale solutions 54 6.6. Reform land ownership and improve land tenure arrangements 54 7. Policy proposals 56 References 58 From the roots up: How agroecology can feed Africa I 3 Executive summary From the roots up: How agroecology can feed Africa Multinational corporations, aided by governments, Agroecology and food sovereignty are vying to increase their control of land, seeds, markets and labour in Africa. Donors, development Agroecology encompasses the science of agencies and multilateral financial initiatives ecological principles as applied to food systems, continue to push a one-size-fits-all industrial model the practices and techniques of sustainable of agriculture. Agribusiness investment is increasingly farming, and a movement that addresses the being seen as the only way to address hunger and social, economic and political aspects of food 1 poverty. One such initiative is the New Alliance systems. Agroecological methods improve the for Food Security and Nutrition which, backed by opportunities for local control, emphasise the use over £600m of UK aid, is leveraging policy changes of local resources, local knowledge, and take into to help corporations increase their control of account how food is produced. agricultural markets and resources in Africa. Around the world, peasant organisations, This one-size-fits-all industrial model of agriculture pastoralists, fisher folk, indigenous peoples, women is being pursued at the expense of small-scale and civil society groups are forming a movement farmers who produce 70% of Africa’s food by using, for food sovereignty which allows communities in many cases, sustainable agriculture methods, control over the way food is produced, traded and 2 also known as agroecology. Studies show that consumed. Food sovereignty, therefore, provides agroecology leads to increases in food productivity the framework within which agroecological systems and yield which are comparable to, or better than, and techniques should be developed. corporate-controlled agriculture. Agroecology also World Agroforestry Centre leads to better opportunities for women, increased income, employment, agricultural biodiversity, health and nutrition, as well as helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The UK government must commit to promoting the principles of agroecology and food sovereignty in order to help farmers across Africa truly transform their food system. Gliricidia intercropped with maize. 4 I From the roots up: How agroecology can feed Africa Agroecology in action Community Eye Health What marks out agroecology is the huge variety of techniques that are all based on a low-input sustainable approach to farming. Despite the lack of resources and funding for research into agroecology, the evidence that is available shows unequivocally that agroecology must be taken seriously. This evidence shows that agroecology leads to: • Better use of resources: Agroecological techniques, ranging from community seed banks, water harvesting and applying compost, are helping small-scale farmers across Africa manage resources sustainably and reduce the need for expensive and unsustainable Women selling orange-fleshed sweet potatoes in Nigera. inputs. For more examples, see page 21. • Better ways of growing food: Benefits of agroecology The adoption of sustainable crop-growing The evidence shows that agroecology and systems, ranging from agroforestry, conservation small-scale sustainable farming can produce as agriculture, homegardens and the ‘system of much food, and often more, as industrial farming and crop intensification’, are helping farmers increase better uphold agriculture’s social and environmental their yields and reduce their impact on the functions. But the benefits of agroecology go environment. For more examples, see page 29. beyond productivity and yield and include: • Better ways of learning: • Reducing the gender gap: Through participatory learning, research Agroecology helps to put women in a stronger programmes, and approaches such as economic and social position through, for participatory plant breeding and farmer field example, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration,3 schools, agroecology values and develops the and community seed banks help to focus local knowledge and skills of small-scale farmers. food systems on women’s needs as food For more examples, see page 37. producers.4 For more case studies, see page 41. From the roots up: How agroecology can feed Africa I 5 • Addressing climate change: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that agroecological practices can help with the impacts of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.7 For more case studies, see page 48. Bioversity International Wachira / Y. Overcoming the barriers There is now extremely good evidence that small-scale sustainable farming, which is controlled by and for communities, can play a central role in feeding communities sustainably, as well as Africa finger millet improve livelihoods and gender relations. So why are governments, development agencies, policy makers • Increasing employment and income: and funders so focused on large-scale, high-input Many case studies show that agroecology solutions which marginalise small-scale farmers? provides decent jobs and a way out of poverty. For example, farmers in Kenya using push-pull This report outlines the economic and political technology were able to earn three times more barriers preventing agroecology from being more income than farmers using chemical pesticides.5 widely adopted and shows that these barriers can For more case studies, see page 44. be overcome by: • Increasing agricultural biodiversity: • Changing the political bias: Organic farming systems can have up to 30% A change in the ideological support for industrial more species on them than conventional farms,6 agriculture towards agroecology and sustainable and crop diversity can help farmers adapt to small-scale agriculture will require the political changes in heat, drought, pests and low soil establishment and development agencies to fertility. For more case studies, see page 45. formulate policies based on scientific evidence and • Improving health and nutrition: the long-term viability of our global food system. Diversity is intrinsically linked to people’s health • Changing trade rules and policies: and nutrition and small-scale farms practising Policies should be designed to uphold the agroecology tend to be more diverse than autonomy and sovereignty of governments conventional farms. For example, the Soils, Food receiving aid, so that they are able to regulate and Healthy Communities Project, a participatory their economy and support agroecology. agriculture and nutrition program in northern • Increasing investment: Malawi, was able to improve child health, crop Small-scale farmers should be protected diversity and food security by using sustainable and supported