Rural Dwellers must adapt to Climate Change, says workshop

ABIDJAN -  Researchers in Côte d'Ivoire have called for villagers across the region to be made aware of the negative effects of climate change and encouraged to pursue adaptation measures. 

 

The calls came at a workshop held at the Regional Unit of Higher Education of Korhogo, in the north of the country earlier this year (18 May), at which researchers presented recent work on the impacts of climate change in the region. 

"Data from 1970–2000 show that rainfall during the period decreased by about 12 per cent in northern Côte d'Ivoire," Bama Koné, coordinator of the research, told SciDev.Net. He added that annual temperatures increased by almost one degree Celsius during the same timeframe.

Koné said that the rainy season has shortened, while the dry season has become longer. 

"Conditions in the region have become harsher and longer, vegetation has been damaged, many species are endangered, and many rivers and streams have dried up," he said. 

More than two thirds of farmers have experienced a decline in crop productivity — particularly of highly prized crops such as sorghum, yam and millet — while 60 per cent have had their farms flooded during the rainy season. 

Traditional practices have also been affected. For example, traditional doctors have been affected by the paucity of medicinal plants. 

According to the deputy mayor of Korhogo, Salimou Coulibaly, villagers sow crops such as cotton, maize and rice, according to the lunar month. When the rains do not come, they worship fetishes and pray in mosques, all the while ignoring the negative effects of climate change, Coulibaly said. 

Sidiki Cissé, director general of the National Agency for Rural Development (ANADER), is clearly concerned. "The despair of farmers is evident. Many farmers feel clueless about the [growing] uncertainty of the seasons." 

Marc Kouame, a farmer — from northern Cote D'Ivoire — who cultivates okra, peanuts and cassava, said: "Because of the changing seasons, last year I lost half my peanuts. I had not planted them at the right time". 

Coulibaly said that he hoped the results of the study would be disseminated to villagers to encourage them to change any negative habits and adapt to climate change. 

Changes in practice recommended by the researchers include the reduction and regulation of charcoal production, sensitising people about the need to protect forests, encouraging reforestation, and digging clean water wells, in conformity with draining and hygiene standards.

Saudi Investment in African Farmland

Saudi Arabia is investing in agricultural land in Africa as the state’s local crop production diminish.

Saudi Arabia has a major problem with water scarcity and only 1% of its land is suitable for agriculture.

“Saudi investors have reportedly planned or concluded investments covering 800,000 hectares of land in Africa (accounting for almost 70% of all large deals struck by Saudi firms globally),” says Standard Bank in a recent report.

But why Africa, and what are the opportunities and problems Saudi investment in Africa might catalyse?

The Saudi agriculture problem

Saudi Arabia is approaching a food production crisis that is a major problem for its growing population that is consuming more food. “Local poultry production in 2012 is likely to be almost 800,000 tonnes lower than consumption, while wheat production will be deficient by around 1,800,000 tonnes and maize by 1,880,000 tonnes,” notes Standard Bank’s report. Saudi Arabia’s water scarcity is also problematic, with water consumption having more than doubled since 2006.

This has led to the Saudi government deciding to phase out local wheat production. By 2016 it will no longer purchase locally-grown wheat. The country is already estimated to import around 2.5 million tonnes of wheat between 2012/2013, and this is expected to increase to 3.3 million tonnes annually in the coming years.

However, relying on food imports is not ideal, with the country becoming vulnerable to unstable global supply and costs.

The solution: invest in foreign agricultural production as a “means to ensure a long-term, reliable supply of stable commodities,” says the report. It is because of this that the “Saudi government established the King Abdullah Initiative for Saudi Agriculture Investment Abroad under which large Saudi agribusiness firms are provided with credit, as well as strategic and logistical support to invest abroad”.

The Africa solution

With 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land being in Africa, it’s no wonder that Saudi Arabia has an eye on the continent, with almost 70% of all concluded and planned investments in offshore agriculture being in Africa.

“Factors considered in identifying suitable host countries for agricultural investments include the availability of resources and infrastructure, political and socio-economic stability, and favourable relations with the Saudi government,” notes the report. “Under this initiative, bilateral government-to-government deals can be struck which allow more fluid access for Saudi firms in target markets.”

An example of a Saudi investment in agricultural land in Africa is the Ethiopian government leasing 10,000 hectares to the Saudi Star Agricultural Development in 2008. The company has plans to acquire another 290,000 hectares of land.

“A guiding principle of the initiative is that the investor must have the right to export at least 50% of the farmed produce to Saudi Arabia,” says the report. “The primary products targeted are wheat, barley and maize.”

Weighing up the pros and cons for Africa

Africa needs investment for the improvement of infrastructure and to boost employment opportunities and skills development. Agricultural investment by Saudi firms could help with all these things and more.

However, Standard Bank points out that attention needs to be given to the possible negative ramifications. “Under-selling of agricultural assets (both land and, perhaps more critically, water) remains a profound threat. Meanwhile, as large tracts of land are sold or leased off to foreign investors, the social strains brought about by the relocation of local inhabitants has the potential to be deeply destabilising.”

An ideal investment in Africa’s agricultural land would include directing investment into agricultural infrastructure (such as storage and transport); providing employment and training for local communities; and ensuring that a generous portion of the crops go to local markets. The report also argues that “transparency in the manner in which land deals are struck, and adequate consultation with affected local communities, must be compulsory”.

Source: How We Made in Africa

Trees 'boost African crop yields and food security'

Planting trees that improve soil quality can help boost crop yields for African farmers, an assessment shows. 

Fertiliser tree systems (FTS) also help boost food security and play a role in "climate proofing" the region's arable land, the paper adds.

 

Researchers from the World Agroforestry Centre say poor soil fertility is one of the main obstacles to improving food production in Africa. 

The results appear in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability.

"In Africa, it is generally agreed that poor soil management - along with poor water management - is most greatly affecting yields," explained co-author Frank Place, head of the centre's Impact Assessment team.

He said that despite chemical fertilisers having been on the market for more than half a century, farmers appeared reluctant or unable to buy them.

"Therefore, there have been a lot of attempts to bring in other types of nutrients from other systems - such as livestock and plants" he told BBC News.

"We have been working quite a lot on what is broadly referred to as 'fertiliser tree systems'."

Although it has been known for centuries that certain plants, such as legumes, "fix" nitrogen in the soil and boost food crop yields, Dr Place said that the centre's researchers had been looking to develop a more active management approach such as FTS.

"Some farms, for example in Zambia, where the farms are larger, it is possible to rest arable land and allow it to lie fallow," he observed.

"But in place such as much of Malawi, where population densities are higher, they cannot afford to fallow their land; so we came up with alternative management systems where they could intercrop the trees with the (maize)."

While the technique is not new, Dr Place said that some of the nitrogen-fixing species used by farmers were probably not the most effective.

For example, farmers in East Africa had been using Cajanus cajan (also known as pigeon pea).

"A lot of the nitrogen was being stored in the trees' seeds; so there was an effort to use other trees that put a greater volume in the soil, such as Gliricidia sepium (one of its common name is mother of cocoa)," he said.

"A really nice thing about G. sepium is that we have been coppicing some of those trees for 20 years and they still continue to grow back vigorously." 

However, he acknowledged that there were a number of challenges that had to be addressed in order to maximise yields.

For example, some systems suggested planting rows of trees between rows of crops with mixed results.

"We realised that there were a few management problems with that sort of system - what tended to happen was that there was too much competition between the crops and the trees," Dr Place explained.

"We developed a new management system where the trees were cut very low to the ground at the time you are planting the crop so then there was no light competition. 

"The trees go into a dormant state when you cut them like this, so the root system is not competing straight away for the nutrients, so the maize is free to become established.

"The trees only really start to come out out of the dormant phase when the maize is already tall."

Another challenge was to provide enough seeds in order to have mass-scale planting. He said that balancing the provision of high-quality seeds with large local engagement was another hurdle that had to be overcome.

But the rewards in improved yields were noticeable, he added.

"Some of the studies have shown that in TFS across Africa as a whole, yields are doubling or more in two-thirds of cases."

Where the systems were not delivering such good results, Dr Place said that scientists were looking to refine current practices and modify them to suit the local conditions.

'Climate proofing'

As well as helping to boost yields, the use of trees in agriculture has other benefits - such as helping to "climate proof" agriculture land.

One example, Dr Place said, was the use of Faidherbia albida (common names include winter thorn and apple-ring acacia) in West African arable landscapes.

"It has a deep penetrating tap root, and it can secure a good water supply even in dry years," he explained.

"Generally speaking, tree roots do go much deeper than crop roots, so it is recycling nutrients and water from deeper reaches. 

"There are also studies showing that these roots act as conduits and bring up water to surface root systems (such as those belonging to crops)."

The editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, Professor Jules Pretty from Essex University in , said the study illustrated that there was a growing movement of agricultural innovations across Africa that were increasing yields and at the same time improving the environment. 

"Trees and shrubs in agricultural systems seem to break some of the rules of agriculture - in this case, farmers are using shrubs to create a diverse rotation pattern rather than year-on-year maize," he told BBC News. 

"The trees fix nitrogen and improve the soil; the leaves can be fed to livestock; the crops then benefit greatly in subsequent years."

Source: BBC

How to Make your Own Compost

Composting is nature's way of breaking down materials, be it on the forest floor or in your bin. Anything natural such as leaves, fruit, vegetables, wool or paper will slowly rot and decompose over time thanks to the help of myriad organisms, bacteria, fungi, and insects. It might sound gruesome but what remains is a rich, nutrient packed substance, which looks similar to soil, that your garden will love. While composting isn’t particularly hard to do, experts agree that it isn’t an exact science either as there are numerous variables that can lead to either a slimy pile of goo or a heap of dry chippings that aren’t breaking down – neither of which you want. Here’s our foolproof guide to getting it right.

There are plenty of good reasons to compost. Estimates have shown that around 30 per cent of household waste is compostable, although most of it ends up in the bin. By collecting your food scraps, you dramatically reduce the size of your rubbish bag each week and help to reduce the amount of household waste ending up landfill. Composting also gives you a constant supply of chemical-free fertiliser, which your plants will thank you for. Better still, eschewing commercial compost of the type found in your local garden centre means you’re not buying peat. Thanks to the national appetite for compost, 94 per cent of Britain’s ancient peat bogs have been destroyed or damaged, and as a result, some of our most important eco-systems have been lost forever. While nothing can ever really compensate for that, by creating your own compost, you’re both helping to protect boggy eco-systems and making a new one, as many species will be attracted to the food and warmth available in your heap. Even city dwellers can get involved in composting. The ‘dalek’ style bins are ideal for smaller spaces and can be moved around easily and work just as well on concrete they do on grass. These are also the kind of bins that councils provide so you can get them cheap. Even if you only have a balcony, you can still compost and give away the fruits of your labour to friends with gardens or who are trying their hand at container planting and growing their own.

The easiest way to start is by ‘cool composting’. For this, you’ll firstly need to buy a compost bin or set up a suitable spot in your garden. There are different kinds of compost bins on the market, ranging from ultra basic such as the plastic ‘dalek’ style, to more technologically advanced galvanised steel with a lockable lid. If you have an allotment or a large garden, you could invest in, or build, a New Zealand box (an open air wooden tub with slatted sides). Choose a nice sunny spot with plenty of heat and light, and place your heap or bin on a patch of soil or concrete. Once your compost site is sorted, all you have to do is regularly top it up with the right sort of waste and watch the natural decomposition process take place, giving it a gentle helping hand when necessary. You can be as lazy or as active as you like. The more you manage your compost, however, the faster it’ll be ready for the garden.


Source: The Ecologist

Improving Soil Quality for Farming

A good quality of soil is very much essential in a successful plot allotment. If the soil that you will use is not fertile and packed with nutrients, chances are your effort to sew, weed and tend your garden will just go down the drain. Remember that it is the soil that will give your plants the water, air and food that they need to achieve healthy development and growing, which makes it a must to spend time in improving your soil’s total quality.

Kinds of Soil as Medium for Growing

One tip on how to improve soil quality will be to know the kind of soil that you are planting on. The five kinds of soil include:

• Sandy soil
• Loam
• Silty soil
• Clay
• Chalky soil

Each of these soil types has its unique characteristics which are also open for improvements in various ways. The sandy kind of soil cannot really sustain the nutrients very well, the reason why there is a need to supply it constantly with some organic matter.

Best Soil Types

Both loam and silty soils are regarded to be good for plant growing and they also require much lesser maintenance. However, you will encounter more problems with clay soil since its lacks aeration and you will also need to have a better structure for you to grow your plants. The best solution here will be to add more organic matters that are well rotted especially when autumn comes.

Worst Soil Type

Of all soil types, the chalky one will give you the worst cultivation since it is high in alkaline by nature and mineral deficiencies always happen. Good rectification for this will be to add more organic matter so that the nutrient content as well as water retention in the soil will be possible.

Soil and the pH Level

Majority of the plants will be nice to grow in neutral soil, but there are still some which prefer to grow in slightly alkaline or acidic conditions. Before you even start planting in your garden, determine first the pH level of the soil where you will plant. You can find a lot of testing kits in many garden centers. If the need calls for it, you can also adjust the soil’s pH level slightly in accordance to the kind of vegetables and fruits that you will want to grow.

To make your soil more alkaline, you only have to add some ground lime to the soil. If you want to have a more acidic type of soil, sulphur or aluminium sulphate can be added to it. Always bear in mind that the pH levels of the soil cannot be altered permanently for these measures are only temporary. The best solution will be to work with your soil type you are using, as much as possible.