LEISA's Farm

Yes, they could if...

posted by Mireille

Can Africa feed the world? That was the question at a debate on food and agriculture last Tuesday in De Rode Hoed in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Olivier de Schutter, UN special reporter on the Right to Food and emiritus professor Niels Roling from Wageningen University responded with 'Yes they can'! Or was it 'Yes, they could if...' ?

De Schutter started by making the picture clear: there are 1 billion people going hungry, not because of the quantity of food but because of social inequalities and poverty. The cause is not technical but political. De Schutter was therefore highly surprised to see the outcomes of the expert meeting on food security in Rome last month: increase agricultural production by 70 percent and produce 470 million tons of meat instead of 250 million now and the problem is solved. But production for and by whom? Eighty percent of the hungry people are food producers, yet they are still hungry!

Of course, the reinvestment in agriculture in recent years is remarkable and promising. It could help agricultural development in Africa, but the dark side is also visible: the gold rush for arable lands (needed for food security elsewhere, agro-fuels, carbon credits and ordinary speculation) has started already. And again, de Schutter questions this focus on production: why do we think the world population can only be fed in future by boosting yields? There is an alternative: the 2.5 billion small-scale farmers who are extremely productive on their small plots of land. They should be taken more seriously.

So here entered the 'yes, if...' part of the answer to the question of whether Africa can feed the world. Niels Roling was very clear: if instutional development takes place in Africa (property rights) and if Africa gets a chance to overcome the comparative advantage that Europe and America have enjoyed for decades, only then... For how can a market system in which some parties are excluded because of unfair rules be called a free market system? No discussion needed, the two speakers and the audience agreed on the fact that states have an important role to play in the production and trade of food. Still it was an interesting dicussion...The next question should perhaps be 'What must we do, if we want small-scale farmers to feed the world?'

ILEIA Jubilee Conference Announcement

Regular readers of the LEISA Magazine should already be aware that this year, ILEIA celebrates its Jubilee - it is 25 years since our first publication appeared. You can see how times have changed!

It is in this spirit of looking back, but more importantly looking forward, that the main event planned to celebrate the 25 yearJubilee is a one-day conference entitled "The Future of Family Farming".  During the day we will explore issues related to family farming, and how it can address global problems like climate change and food security. International experts will share their experiences and ideas regarding what they believe family farmers have to offer the world. The conference will take place in The Hague, on 15 December 2009.

The conference is aimed at professionals from the NGO world, from science and research, government, business and farmer's organisations. We are hoping that this mix of people will provoke an interesting and challenging debate. We are not charging a registration fee, but are asking delegates from the Netherlands to make a voluntary contribution towards the travel expenses of expected visitors from developing countries. To register, and for more information, click here to go to the conference website, or contact Mireille Vermeulen : tel:+31 33 467 3870 or mail: m.vermeulen (at) ileia.nl

 

New books available online

posted by Karen

More and more books are being made available online, which for those of you with good access to fast downloading facilities and printers, is good news.

Here are two new books we think are worth highlighting:

Firstly, we have "Inclusive Improvement: Standards and Smallholders" written by Coen van Beuningen and Peter Knorringa, published by HIVOS. The word "standards" in the title refers to quality management standards such as those used in ISO (International Organization for Standardization), or in the fair trade and organic certification arena. With that made clear, the book argues that "combining sustainable development and poverty reduction is feasible." This book draws on 20 years of experience, and its central theme is management - how through improved management, smallholder families involved in commodity chains can increase their income. The book addresses all actors in commodity chains, most importantly stressing the difference between smallholder groups managing their own processes ("inclusive improvement") and how greater co-operation is needed amongst supporting actors such as certification bodies, trainers, buyers or funding organisations. A total of 149 pages, the book is very accessible and also contains a useful glossary. It is especially interesting as it draws heavily on examples and experiences, and is self-critical in a spirit of further learning and sharing. It proposes various tools to guide the way forward. Click here to access the page where you can read more and download it at no cost.

Next, is the "Right to Food Methodological Toolbox" published by the FAO. The Toolbox is split into six small volumes, covering topics including methods for monitoring the human right to food, a guide for conducting a right to food assessment, and budgets for advancing the right to food. Working on the premise of food security as a basic human right, the Toolbox is a collection of highly practical methods and guidelines for achieving this right. It fills a gap in the literature and will be of use for practitioners as well as policy-makers involved in strengthening in-country capacities to secure this basic right. Click here to access the page where you can download the various sections at no cost.    

 

'One US citizen is 107 Bangladeshi'

by Petra Rooijakkers from Delhi, India

With the global conference on climate change in Copenhagen less than two months away, South Asia is gearing up for the negotiations. Climate change seems to be much more part of the public debate than in developed countries, with newspapers reporting on the issue almost every day. This is not surprising, as the effects of climate change are felt much more strongly here than in developing countries. Only last week, floods in Karnataka and Andra Pradesh in the south of India have left many homeless, and crops destroyed. With rainfall up to 600 percent higher than normal, this extreme weather could easily be attributed to climate change.

 

Does this mean countries in South Asia need to pull their weight and, like the developed countries, accept targets that lead to reduced emissions? After all, these countries are to a large extent agriculture societies, and agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. In 2005, the agriculture sector was responsible for 16 percent of the world's emissions, according to the World Resources Institute. But when we look at emissions per nation, a different picture emerges: the United States is responsible for 20.9 percent of the global share of CO² emissions, and India for 4.6 percent. One citizen in the US is responsible for emissions as large as the emissions of 107 Bangladeshi. Knowing this, how fair is it to ask the developing countries to also reduce their emissions? A representative from the Indian government, present at a conference on climate change in South Asia, in Delhi, India, last week, was very clear on the issue: it is not, and India will not allow it.

 

J.M. Mauskar, additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, could not have made his point more strongly: "India cannot and will not take on emission targets. Poverty reduction and social and economic development are the first and over riding priorities."

Member of the Bangladeshi parliament, A.S.M. Feroz, also present t the conference, spoke along the same lines. As the industrialized countries are largely responsible for the changes in the climate, they need to compensate those countries where the effects of climate change are felt most: "We don't want assistance, we want compensation. Agreements should be made on the basis of the 'Polluter Pays Principle'."

According to Mr. Mauskar, adaptation is the goal for developing countries, not mitigation. It must be supported by sufficient financial resources and transfer of technology: "Developed countries must take ambitious targets post-2012 and deliver on them," he said, "but the developed countries are not putting any meaningful figures on the table. Developed countries, please decide what you want to do."

The online edition of The New Nation, a Bangladeshi newspaper, has posted a news item on the recommendations made at the end of the conference ‘The Climate Crisis ­– People’s Potential and Needs for Adaptation and Mitigation.

J.M. Mauskar (left) and A.S.M. Feroz (middle) were both very outspoken on whether developing countries should accept reduced emission targets: "We cannot and we will not," they said.

Rural women in your heart

posted by Mireille

Today, October 16th, is World Food Day - which is one day after the International Day of Rural Women is celebrated. Yesterday, the role of rural women in particular, in food production and food security was highlighted. Worldwide, 428 million women work in the agricultural sector. In Africa and South Asia, that means respectively 68 and 61 percent of the working women.

That's a lot - it's one quarter of the world's population, says Karen Serres, president of the IFAP committee of women farmers in a press release issued on October 12. All these women farmers have an enormous amount of experience in farming and in adapting techniques to climatic, political, socio-cultural and financial changes. So, women have solutions!

But are they able to show their knowledge, experience and solutions? Probably not, otherwise the theme of this year's World Rural Women's Day would not have to be 'rural women at the heart of innovation'. Women do show their overwhelming participation in agriculture in facts and figures. But despite all their knowledge and experience, women usually do not speak out at community meetings on agricultural development and they are not consulted by their husbands, donors and institutions on technological matters. So, women do not share their solutions!

Who is to blame? No one personally, naturally. We all want to hear them, we always make sure that they are present at meetings, we want to learn from them, but we simply forget to consider their solutions.  Fortunately, life is as simple as you make it: just always think of women first! Think about your mother, your sister, your neighbour, your teacher from school, the woman farmer you always pass just outside town: what would they think? Just have them in mind and you will learn. For women do have solutions!

photo: Bed. P. Khatiwada

"For many people, climate change is already dangerous"

posted by Petra Rooijakkers, from New Delhi

The above words are from a brochure announcing a conference held on climate change in Delhi, India, this week. Exactly how true they are, is illustrated by this Wednesday's heading in the Hindustan times: “India's worst floods; is this climate change?” The newspapers mentions rainfall up to 600 per cent higher than normal, in Karnataka and Andra Pradesh, in the south of India. It has already caused the death of 280 people, and damaged a quarter of a million hom es. These numbers are likely still to rise.

Fifty of the poorest countries of the world are producing less than 1 percent of worldwide carbon emissions. It is the developed nations that have played by far the larger role in in effecting climate change. It is then only fair that they should help developing countries deal with the consequences, and consider their people's needs and potential when it comes to making future agreements – as will be done in Copenhagen this December.

Asking these countries to reduce their footprints is hardly the ethical thing to do, considering most people in developing countries have a footprint so tiny you need hawk's eyes to spot them. At this week's conference in Delhi, some fifty particpants from South Asian NGOs are formulating recommendations that will help address the needs and potential of people when it comes to adapting to and mitigating climate change. They address issues such as how to involve local communities in policy discussions and in developing adaptation strategies, and analyse what kind of innovative instruments are necessary or useful. Can micro insurance be an answer to losses due to climate change, or is this just another new business? Exactly how effective, sustainable and fair are projects that fall under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), allowing industrialised countries that have committed themselves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries?

The conference is to lead to recommendations for the Copenhagen climate top in December. The conference "The Climate Crisis – People's Potential and Needs for Adaptation and Mitigation" is organised by Misereor, Welthungerhilfe, IGSSS and several other NGOS working in South Asia. For more information, visit de website of Misereor. A booklet will be produced containing recommendations for fair climate change policies. This booklet will also be available in a digital format. Interested? You can put yourself on a mailing list by sending an email to Anja Mertineit. You will then be notified once the booklet is available.

See how shea improves womens' lives

posted by Mireille

In the latest LEISA Magazine 25.3 on women and food sovereignty, the shea tree in Northern Ghana is praised for its charachteristics: children like to eat the fruits and the nuts are cracked for oil to make shea butter. This butter is a miracle product for the skin and is used worldwide for the fabrication of beauty products. Click here to see a film on the fabrication of shea butter.

Shea has much potential for Ghana, but up till now little has been done to support the sector. So sheabutter has remained something for poor rural women and not interesting for business. But Oxfam UK and SNV Ghana have taken some first steps now to organise the sector sustainably, according to a small article in Ghana Business News.

 

Family farmers feed Brazil

The results of the last agricultural census in Brazil are out - with some very interesting figures. Although rather late (the census took place in 2006), the figures just released show that small scale farmers are effectively feeding the country. They produce most of what Brazilians eat: 87% of all cassava consumed in the country, 70% of all beans, 58% of the milk... All of this in only 24% of the country's farm land. Family farming involves more than 12 million people, or three quarters of all those working in agriculture. Equally interesting is to compare the figures released to those shown in 1996: the number of family farms has grown, as well as their overall contribution to the country's economy. Saude, Brasil!
Read more (in Portuguese) here.

Farewell, Bertie!

Today we say goodbye to Bertie van der Meij. After what seems now a very short time, our blogger maximus is leaving us in order to continue working as an independent consultant. She was responsible for starting this blog, and at the same time getting ILEIA acquainted with the virtual world. We owe her our introduction to Twitter and to other electronic tools. We will certainly miss her, and hope she'll stay in touch! Good luck Bertie.

Now out: LEISA Magazine - Women and food sovereignty. Sept. 2009

posted by Bertie

Volume 25:3 of LEISA Magazine is out.
Theme of this issue: Women and food sovereignty.

Women and food are inseparably linked. We cannot write about food sovereignty without addressing women’s role in food production. In many situations women take the main responsibility for food production, processing, storage and cooking. Often they play a key role in its marketing as well. But modernisation of agriculture has taken several crucial food-related responsibilities out of their hands. For instance, women are often experts in seed selection – knowing best which seed produces a crop that does not only yield well but also has the best taste, stores better or produces good fodder. With the increasing commercialisation of seed, women lose control over food production. Despite facts demonstrating the important contribution of women to agricultural production, the perception persists that what women do is marginal; real agriculture is about modern technologies, economies of scale, specialisation and mechanisation. So where do women fit into this type of agriculture? What useful knowledge will be lost when the so-called backward “traditional” agriculture has disappeared? Who will control the food, and the resources needed to produce it? In this light, it is no surprise that women are deeply involved in the food sovereignty movement.

Read the magazine online? Click here.
Subscribe? Click here.

LEISA Magazine is published by ILEIA, the centre for learning on sustainable agriculture and the secretariat of the global LEISA Network.

New approach to agricultural innovation

posted by Bertie (thanks Karen Hampson, for sending the link)

Agriculture needs better innovation, not technology
By Andy Hall and Susanna Thorp, SciDev.net, Sept. 16, 2009:

"We live in an era of unprecedented technological advancement. So why does technical change in agriculture continue to be slow and patchy?

One possible explanation is that the importance of farmers' capacity to access and use information for innovation has been overshadowed by the conventional view that change is driven primarily by new technology and farmer-led technical improvements.
Similarly, insufficient attention may have been given to the fact that the capacity for innovation in agriculture is influenced not only by farmers' skills and resources, but also by the wider network of links and relationships in which farmers are embedded, which help ideas to diffuse and find new uses.

These hypotheses are currently being tested by a research project in India and Nigeria on the long-standing problem of fodder scarcity, using what is widely referred to as an 'innovation systems' perspective. [...]"

Click here to read the whole article.

Farm wives or women farmers?

Posted by Mireille

Language can be very subtile and obvious at the same time. Did you ever notice that women in conventional farming call themselves farm wives, whereas women in organic or sustainable farming call themselves women farmers? The work they do is more or less the same and often implies the labour-intensive and un-mechanised jobs on the farm, and both normally have a husband working on the farm too. So this attribution of names and identities must be a typical expression of rural masculinity: conventional farming has a strong male identity.

Cathy Farnworth and Jessica Hutching researched these gendered identities in different parts in the world. In their recently published book organic agriculture and women’s empowerment, they conclude that not only conventional farming is male dominated. In the organic and sustainable farming movement in the North too, it is difficult for women to influence mainstream discussions and policy making. Women may be more present in sustainable farming, but not more visible. 

Yet, conventional farming and the sustainable farming movement in western countries could gain from their views as well as from the knowledge of indigenous communities in developing countries. Women in organic and sustainable farming in the North tend to prefer working for local markets, running small farms and working with family labour. Small-scale farmers in developing countries have enormous knowledge of local agro-ecologal techniques and practices. Combine the two and we will see farms in the North develop towards sustainable family farms after the example of the small farms we use to portrait in LEISA Magazine: what an appealing idea!

 

Indigenous vegetables and fruits - listen to BBC Radio

posted by Bertie (thanks Karen for the tip)

BBC iPlayer - Food Programme: Indigenous veg (Click to listen)

Africa has hundreds of indigenous vegetables, which have been grown, gathered and eaten for centuries. But in the past half century 'exotic' imports have started to displace them; the likes of cabbage, kale and carrots were associated with being more developed, and cosmopolitan, while the traditional foods became food for the poor.

So does it matter? Aren't all vegetables healthy? Sheila Dillon looks at a project run by Bioversity International in Kenya to increase the availability and consumption of Africa's indigenous green leafy vegetables. She finds out what role many people believe they can play in solving some of the continent's most pressing problems, including malnutrition and crop failures due to global warming.

Click on the picture or on the link above to listen to this very interesting radio program.

For further reading on this topic go to the online edition of LEISA Magazine: Diverse Farming issue (2009, nr. 1).

Biochar gives new meaning to charcoal

posted by Mundie

An  old agricultural tradition is taking on new significance in an interesting initiative that is gaining momentum around the world: biochar. Producing biochar follows the same idea as charcoal - the heating of biomass (such as wood, crop residues or manure) in a closed container with little or no available air. But what you do with this concentrated carbon is different - instead of burning it, the biochar is then buried in the soil. This has many benefits, of which two stand out: storing carbon as biochar helps to offset greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere; and working biochar into the soil improves soil fertility. Sounds great, but what is still not completely clear is: can small-scale farmers also benefit from biochar? Below a summary of different issues around biochar.

                                                                                                   

Since it is still a fairly new development, we welcome you to tell us about any experiences you have had with biochar and small farming!

                                                                                                  

Biochar's potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Burying biochar interrupts the natural carbon cycle, in which plants absorb CO₂ as they grow, then die and decompose, releasing the CO₂ back into the atmosphere. By subjecting the residues to pyrolysis (controlled burning in a low-oxygen atmosphere) carbon-rich charcoal results. Charcoal decays very slowly, and therefore if it is buried in the soil, the carbon will stay in the ground for a long time.. even centuries, based on the example of old charcoal-rich soils in the Amazon rainforest known as Terra Preta (Dark Soil).

But not only does biochar limit carbon emissions, studies also indicate that soil containing biochar releases less methane and nitrous oxide (which are other important greenhouse gases) than soils without it.

All of these reductions in emissions can help combat global warming.

Improving soil

Not only do the charcoal-rich Terra Preta soils of the Amazon show that carbon can be stored for a long time in the soil, but they also happen to be unusually fertile when compared to other soils. This indicates another potential benefit from biochar. Different studies also indicate that soils with biochar are more stable and are able to hold nutrients more effectively and efficiently than other soil amendments. In this way there is less leaching of nutrients.

But is biochar good for small-scale farmers?

The Terra Preta soils have sustained a high fertility for hundreds to thousands of years after they were abandoned by the populations that created them. Because of the rediscovery of different benefits of the Terra Preta soils, scientists wonder whether the ancient Amerindian populations used particularly wise soil management practices on purpose, to create these soils. Also, what these practices exactly were are not known. For more information on the Terra Preta soils, see book from 2009: Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek's Vision.

While we do not know what the traditional practices were, scientists are seeking ways to work with biochar to get the same beneficial effects around the world. Many proposals look at large-scale plantation-type programmes, which has created some scepticism as to whether small farmers will benefit from it or suffer more losses.

George Monbiot, environmental journalist for the Guardian newspaper in the UK wrote a sceptical column about what he considers to be overblown benefits of Biochar - and he particularly worries about whether small farmers and the environment would benefit. Three noted environmentalists responded to his column, defending the virtues of biochar. James Lovelock (known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis) responded that every farmer could turn their waste into carbon by creating biochar. Not only will farmers benefit in terms of good soils, there is a by-product of biofuel that the farmer can sell. [See bottom of Monbiot's article to read more responses to his column]

According to a recent article on biochar in The Economist, reporting on an international biochar conference that took place in the USA in early August, small-scale farmers in developing countries could benefit from biochar. Farmers could sell offsets through the Clean Development Mechanism, a United Nations’ programme, to rich-world emitters. Another advantage for them is that very little soot comes from pyrolytic stoves, unlike burning wood, waste and dung indoors for heating and cooking. Worldstove, a firm based in Italy, seeks to provide small and simple pyrolising stoves to poor countries.

Want to find out more about scientific developments and publications on biochar: go to the website of Biochar International.