Reviewing the contribution of Send a Cow towards strengthening the resilience of farmers in the face of climate shocks and increasingly unreliable weather patterns February 2014 Prepared for Prepared by Richard Lamboll & Barry Pound Send a Cow The Natural Resources Institute The Old Estate Yard The University of Greenwich Newton St Loe Chatham Maritime Bath, BA2 9BR Kent, Me4 4TB Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 2 Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................. 2 Acronyms and abbreviations...................................................................................................... 8 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 9 Main findings and conclusions .................................................................................................. 9 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 15 1.1 Background and objectives ............................................................................................ 15 1.2 Scope, approach and methods ........................................................................................ 15 1.3 Structure of the report .................................................................................................... 17 2. Study findings .................................................................................................................. 18 2.1 Brief profile of the geo-climatic and socioeconomic situations in the focal areas of the four study countries.............................................................................................................. 18 a) Geo-climatic and faming systems context ................................................................... 18 b) Socioeconomic context ................................................................................................ 22 2.2 SAC’s approach in working with rural communities and other relevant actors ............ 24 2.3: Measures adopted by SAC farmers in the four study countries to improve their ability to manage climate risks/challenges ...................................................................................... 26 Agricultural and NRM technical measures ...................................................................... 26 Social and Economic measures ........................................................................................ 27 Most important SAC intervention to strengthen farmers’ climate resilience .................. 28 Applicability of measures across-geo-climatic zones ...................................................... 32 Farmers’ preferred measures for the future ..................................................................... 33 Case study materials from selected farmers ..................................................................... 33 2.4 Gender (and other socio-economic) differences in climate resilience measures and strategies and their implications ........................................................................................... 39 2.5 Factors influencing success of farmers’ measures for achieving climate resilience: why are some more successful and others less successful? ......................................................... 42 a) Relevance to and capacity of farmers .......................................................................... 42 b). Characteristics of the technology ............................................................................... 42 c). Support structures ....................................................................................................... 43 d). Social and financial instruments ................................................................................. 44 2.6 Current and potential strategies employed a) by SAC, and b) by smallholder farmers in building climate resilience ................................................................................................... 46 2.6.1 Farmer strategies ..................................................................................................... 46 2.6.2 SAC support to farmer strategies, including gaps .................................................. 48 6 2.7 “Mal-adaptation” practices, where the short-term adaptation reduces rather than increases climate resilience as a consequence of SAC’s work ............................................ 51 2.8 Changes in capacity at farmer, organizational and smallholder systems levels to strengthen climate resilience as a consequence of SAC’s work .......................................... 52 2.9 The importance of scale: Climate resilience strategies and measures at household, group, community, District and National levels .................................................................. 60 3. Conclusions, implications ................................................................................................ 64 References ................................................................................................................................ 71 Appendix 1 Terms of reference ............................................................................................... 74 Appendix 2 Climate change trends and projections for Uganda, Rwanda, Lesotho and Ethiopia .................................................................................................................................... 76 Appendix 3 National Agriculture and Climate Change Policy context ................................... 81 Appendix 4 SAC’s approach in four countries ........................................................................ 84 Appendix 5 SAC’s Cornerstones ............................................................................................. 85 Appendix 6 – Various socioeconomic data relating to farmers in SAC groups ...................... 86 Appendix 7 Agricultural & NRM Technical and Social and Economic Measures used by SAC farmers to strengthen their climate resilience ................................................................. 87 Appendix 8 Trees types and links with weather or climate ..................................................... 92 Appendix 9 How men and women FGD participants think their climate resilience could be further strengthened ................................................................................................................. 93 Appendix 10 Case study farmer graphs ................................................................................... 96 Appendix 11 Before and After Case studies ............................................................................ 97 Appendix 12 Most important intervention influencing farmers’ ability to address climate challenges: Percentage of respondents in each district and country ...................................... 104 Appendix 13 Factors favouring and constraining the success of SAC interventions relevant to climate resilience ................................................................................................................... 106 Appendix 14 List of Annexes (separate volumes) ................................................................. 110 Country Datasets for each country (transcriptions of Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Case Study Interviews) CONFIDENTIAL.................................... 110 Proceedings of country-level workshops ....................................................................... 110 7 Acronyms and abbreviations ACCRA Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance AKAM Alliance of Knowledge and Action for Sustainable Livelihood Management ASARECA Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa ATAAS Agricultural Technology and Agribusiness Advisory Services (Uganda) BHC British High Commission CAADP The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (established as part of NEPAD) CC Climate Change CCRDA Consortium for Christian Relief and Development Association CCU Climate Change Union CO2 Carbon Dioxide COTEGI Cooperative Twikuremubukene bukene Eza Girigisabo, Rwanda CRGE Climate Resilient Green Economy DEFAR Developing Smallholder Farmers towards Food and Income Security DFID UK Department for International Development DRR Disaster Risk Reduction ESAP Ethiopian society for Animal Production EU European Union EWIL Equine Welfare for Improved Livelihoods FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FGD Focus Group Discussion GHG Greenhouse Gas HiCoDep Highland Community Development Project HQ Head Quarters IAM Integrated Animal Management IPAR Institute of Policy Analysis and Research LG Local Government MAFS Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Lesotho MoA Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia MWLE Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment, Uganda NAADS The National Agricultural Advisory Services Organization, Uganda NAPA National Adaption Programme of Action NARO National Agricultural Research Organization (Uganda) NDP National Development Plan, Uganda NEPAD New Partnership for Africa's Development NGO None Government Organisation NRM Natural Resource Management PELUM Participatory Ecological Land Use Management PES Payment for ecosystem services RAB Rwanda Agricultural