The magazine for agricultural and rural development in ACP countries http://spore.cta.int URBAN AGRICULTURE City farmers N°157 february-march 2012 INTERvIEw Sindiso Ngwenya , Secretary-Gener al of COMESA ACP AGRICULTURAL TRADE Emerging countries. A new Eldorado? KoLA NUT More than just a symbol 4 | Cover story 6 | News 7 | Crops 8 | Fisheries and livestock 9 | Environment 10 | Research 11 | Business and trade 12 | Interview 13 | DOSSIER Urban agriculture: city farmers Source of food and revenue, urban agriculture is becoming increasingly popular. 17 | Viewpoint Job Ndebele: planning urban spaces Planning is crucial if conflicts are to be avoided. 18 | Field report Kenya: vertical gardens and mini greenhouses Sacks and mini greenhouses produce impressive results. 20 | Sector Kola nut: more than just a symbol 21 | Publications 25 | Get on board with CTA URBAN AGRICULTURE City farmers DOSSIER13 ACP AGRICULTURAL TRADE Emerging countries. A new Eldorado? COVER STORY4 SINDISo NGwENyA Strength in numbers INTERVIEw12 Co ve r ph ot o: © F AO /J K oe le n SPoRE N° 157 - fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 is the bi-monthly magazine of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). CTA operates under the Cotonou Agreement between the countries of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group and the European Union and is financed by the EU. • Postbus 380 • 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands • Tel: +31 317 467 100 • Fax: +31 317 460 067 • Email: cta@cta.int • Website: www.cta.int • publisher: Michael Hailu • editorial board: Thierry Doudet, Stéphane Gambier, Anne Legroscollard, Armelle Degrave, Isolina Boto, Vincent Fautrel, José Filipe Fonseca, Ibrahim Tiémogo • MarKetiNG : Thérèse Burke • editorial staff: Executive editor: Marie-Agnès Leplaideur • Editor of French version and coordinator: Anne Perrin • Syfia International, 20 rue du Carré-du-Roi, 34 000 Montpellier, France • Editor of English version: Clare Pedrick • Via dello Spagna 18, 06049 Spoleto (PG), Italy • Editor of Portuguese version: João de Azevedo, Sítio Alportel 20 A, 8150-014 S, Brás de Alportel, Portugal • CorrespoNdeNts: the following contributed to this issue: N Ackbarrally (Madagascar and Mauritius), B Bafana (Zimbabwe), I Esipisu (Kenya), G Kamadi (Kenya), A Labey (France), S Maâzou (Niger), I Maïga (Burkina Faso), W Mawire (Zimbabwe), D Mitchell (Jamaica), M Mumero (Kenya), A Nabwowe (Uganda), F Nangoli (Uganda), C Nforgang (Cameroon), C Njeru (Kenya), J Saizonou (Benin), M Seck (Senegal) and A Taitt (Barbados) • other CoNtributors: L Andahazy-Colo, J Bodichon, J Cessou, L de Araújo, Tradcatts, Trado Verso • layout aNd desiGN: Intactile DESIGN, France • priNter: Pure Impression, France • © CTA 2012 – ISSN 1011-0054 TABlE OF CONTENTS Editorial Adding value The term ‘value chain’ has become very much in vogue in the past decade among those working in agricultural development, with an increasing number of aid organisations using it to guide their development interventions, both for upgrading existing chains and promoting innovation and as a tool to identify market access opportunities for small farmers. CTA’s Strategic Plan for 2011-15 identifies value chain improvement as being essential for agricultural and rural development. As a first step, we commissioned a ‘Mapping Study’ to better understand how the value chain concept was being used in ACP countries and the potential role for CTA. This study stressed that CTA could best assist in areas such as improving capacities, promoting stakeholder networking and facilitating knowledge sharing. These are, of course, core areas of CTA’s expertise, which we can now apply to value chain development issues. We are also planning a major international conference in November, to bring together agricultural value chain practitioners from around the world and expose policymakers, the private sector, civil society and others to the major issues. Topics likely to be discussed include how value chains can be environmentally sustainable, how small- scale pilot interventions can be ‘scaled up’ to a commercial size, the role of governments in supporting value chain development, financing of value chains and capacity development, including making existing materials more relevant to ACP users. We hope that many of the speakers will come from the ACP’s private sector to talk about their innovative approaches to value chain development. We will also publish a special issue of Spore on agricultural value chains prior to the Conference. Michael Hailu Director - CTA fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 3 W ith a market of 900 million people in 2010, a figure that is expected to reach 2 billion in 2050, Africa is much sought after by the ‘emerging countries’ – developing coun- tries that are not part of the group of Least Developed Countries and which are often known by the acronym BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and its variants, BRICS, which includes South Africa and BRIICS which includes Indonesia. Characterised by their rapid integra- tion into the global economy in the trade and finance sec- tors, common features of the emerging countries include a booming population, strong economic growth and a burgeoning middle class. BRICS account for more than 40% of the world population and 18% of global GDP. Brazil and India are also seeking to become perma- nent members of the UN Security Council, and the 54 African states are important allies when it comes to votes or negotiations within international organisations. From the ACP perspective, a key priority is to strengthen the regional integration process, encouraging countries to form larger economic groupings and promote growth and investment. Current negotiations to launch a tripartite agreement between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are evidence of this trend (see interview with Sindiso Ngwenya, COMESA Secretary-General, page 12). This new scenario is leading to a rethinking of the North- South relations forged after Independence and offers new opportunities for emerging countries. Brazil, China and India are agricultural powerhouses that carry considerable weight within the WTO. Their agricultural policies or imports and exports have strong repercussions on world trade and especially on food security in Africa, as shown by the 2007-2008 crises. All these countries have taken a growing interest in Africa’s oil and mining natural resources, and in its ara- ble land. The growth of some African countries is also proving strong and, if macro-economic indicators are to be believed, the trend is standing up well to the global economic crisis. Trade between Africa and BRICS rose 20-fold between 1990 and 2008, reaching US$166 bil- lion (€127.34 billion), according to a study by Standard Bank. Coveted raw materials However, while the partners may be ‘new’, the trade they are engaged in is all too familiar: African countries are exporting raw materials and the emerging countries are exporting processed goods. In the case of the Caribbean, the situation is slightly different, with several countries developing exports of products with high added value. The Jamaican government is placing more emphasis on the role of private companies in identifying and develop- ing new markets, especially in China. The bulk of Africa’s trade is with Brazil, China and India, all of which view agriculture as a priority sector. For China, the stakes are both economic and diplomatic and pragmatism is the order of the day. One-tenth of African ACP AGRICULTURAL TRADE Emerging countries. A new Eldorado? The ‘emerging’ countries are carving out a role as new players in ACP agricultural trade. Their traditional partner, the EU, no longer has exclusive rights. Is this just a passing phase or does it signal an irreversible shift? BRICS Cooperation Forum, Sanya, Hainan Province, China, 2011 COVER STORY 4 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 exports now go to China, which has extended the list of duty-free African products from 190 to 4,000. China has a pressing need for raw materials, especially agricultural ones such as cotton, timber and cocoa. As far as Chinese agricultural exports to Africa are concerned, rice and tea continue to dominate, with West Africa accounting for nearly 40% of Chinese exports in 2008. The dynamism of Brazilian President Lula, who visited 20 African countries in two mandates, has paid dividends. For this country, a key commodity is cotton and the signing of the ‘Cotton 4’ agreement (with Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) has made the expertise of Brazil’s cotton sector available to West African producers, with a budget of US$700,000 (€535,299). The rice sector is also noteworthy: although barely self-sufficient until 2 or 3 years ago, Brazil now exports to Southern and Eastern Africa (Benin, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa) and the Caribbean (Cuba, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago), competing with the Asian countries and also the USA. Complementary partner Is the EU likely to suffer from these new trade relations? Faced with a serious debt crisis, it too must contend with shrinking markets. The development of relations between emerging countries and the Caribbean has brought about a sweeping change in the trade relations between that region and the EU, according to a report published by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM). The paper observes that although the EU will remain a stable and strategic partner in the Caribbean, the current negotiation of a Joint Caribbean–EU Strategy is “in part informed by the recognition of the EU that its position and influ- ence in the region is being challenged.” The USA shares similar fears, especially regarding the growing and strate- gic positioning of Chinese interests. Nevertheless, trade with Africa continues to account for more than 40% of EU commerce, for a total value of US$256 bil- lion (€200.7 billion), three times the level of trade with China. The volume of African-EU trade is only declining in relative terms, due to the very rapid growth of trade with the emerging countries. In actual fact, the new and old partners are com- plementary, with BRICS more active in industry and agriculture. Moderately priced Chinese and Indian agricultural equipment, such as rotovators, have put them within reach of many small-scale producers who previously could not afford them. New risks and opportunities New trade flows, new investments – the arrival of the emerging countries in ACP countries clearly signals a new era. These new partners are potential sources of technol- ogy transfer, and the relocation of manufacturing units to Africa cannot be ruled out. The emerging countries are also investing in research. A case in point is China, which recently opened an agricultural research station in Benin to carry out trials on high potential sectors such as palm oil, for which Benin is expecting an investment of more than US$9 billion (€7.05 billion). But most investments carried out by the emerging coun- tries appear to be made without much concern for the environment or sustainable development. For this reason, increased production of palm oil, which contributes to deforestation, is highly controversial. It is also important that these new relationships do not hamper the already complex process of regional integra- tion. These partnerships do not always take regional eco- nomic communities into account. There is also a risk that ACP countries will confine themselves to being exporters of agricultural raw materials. And fallout from a possible slowdown in Brazilian, Chinese and Indian growth is a danger that must be kept in mind. However, the fact remains that the entry of emerging countries into ACP agricultural markets, and the comple- mentary role they must play at a time of global crisis, is a window of opportunity that cannot be ignored. CTA Brussels Development Briefings on ‘New drivers, new players in ACP rural development’ http://tinyurl.com/yho62tj Agritrade http://agritrade.cta.int/en/ ECDPM www.ecdpm.org Gafsp The Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme www.gafspfund.org/gafsp/ international poverty reduction Center in China (iprC) China Africa in Agriculture. A background paper on trade, investment and aid in agriculture IPRC Beijing. N°06. 2010. Working Paper Series http://tinyurl.com/73balzu oeCd/uNdp/uNeCa African Economic Outlook 2011: Africa and its Emerging Partners http://tinyurl.com/78vmcum How can African Countries Harness Emerging Partners to Foster Regional and Sub-Regional Integration? OECD Development Centre, Paris. 2011 To find out mor e © X in hu a/ ZU M A/ RE A COVER STORY fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 5 NEwS CommUNICATIoN Effective extension ■ Extension programmes should choose farmer trainers on the basis of their skills to pass information to fellow farmers, rather than for their farming expertise, a study reveals. Conducted by the World Agroforestry Centre, the inquiry showed that up to 40% of expert farmers were not effective disseminators. “This finding has great implications on how extension is practised. It means that choosing a farmer to dem- onstrate and teach other farm- ers will only be as effective as their skills in passing on the 3N Ending hunger ■ Niger wants to put an end to its on-going food crises. The 3N initiative ‘Nigeriens Nourish Nigeriens’ is a new programme launched by the government to reach this goal. “In the 50 years since its independ- ence, Niger has been in a food deficit for half of them. Six out of 10 households can only cover their food needs for 3 months. We must put an end to this situation,” said Mr Amadou Allahoury Diallo, High Commissioner for the 3N initiative. The 3N programme aims to increase the country’s agri-sylvo-pastoral and fish- eries output. To do so, FCFA900 billion (€1.37 billion) will be injected into the agri- culture sector over the next 5 years. The funding will target household farms and aims to increase yields of food crops – mil- let, sorghum, cowpeas and rice – with gross cereal output rising from 3 to 5 million t. In addition to addressing rainfed crops, the 3N programme will focus on the devel- opment of irrigated crops and rainwater harvesting, livestock and fisheries, natural resource management and market supplies of agricul- tural products and inputs. foRESTS Prize-winning policies Gambia and Rwanda have won top awards for their forestry policies. Rwanda’s National Forest Policy won gold and Gambia’s Community Forestry Policy won silver in the 2011 Future Policy Awards, both of which recognise policies that contribute to the sustainable development of forests. In Rwanda, forest cover has increased by 37% since 1990 due to massive reforestation. Gambia has implemented the first legislation in Africa to provide local populations with secure forest ownership rights. Transferring tenure from state to community management thus enabled a reduction in illegal logging, slow desertification and benefit from forest products. CLImATE Prepared for the worst African villages are to receive detailed data on how climate change is expected to affect them. The experiment, CoRDEX, run by the world meteorological organization and the world Climate Research Programme, is providing localised projections about impacts in a bid to help communities adapt to changing weather patterns and tailor their disaster risk reduction plans. Farmer trainer Mary Gichuki shows off her forage shrubs. Women visit a sorghum field in Niger. SEEDS Mini sachet, maxi use In the province of Sanmatenga in the central northern region of Burkina Faso, the farmers’ association Minim Song Panga (AMSP) is trying to spread the use of improved sorghum and millet seeds by offering small samples in ‘mini sachets’ of 100 g and 500 g, which sell for 100 and FCFA500 (€0.15 and €0.76), respectively. “Farmers never use new seeds without first trying them out and evaluating them”, said AMSP Chairman Roger Kaboré. Within the context of climate change, the use of improved sorghum and millet seeds is now more than ever seen as necessary for increasing the output of these cereals, staple foods for many households in Burkina Faso. © I M aï ga PoULTRy REARING Soaring maize prices Shortages of maize, mainly caused by poor harvests as a result of a delay in rains, are causing serious problems for poultry rearers in Cameroon. The price of this cereal, which accounts for up to 70% of poultry feed, rose from fCfA160 to 250/kg (€0.24 to €0.38) in April 2011. The poultry keepers’ commodity association has asked the government for permission to import 5,000 t of maize. In the meantime, local industry is in serious decline and consumers are paying higher prices. information,” said lead researcher Steve Franzel. The study was conducted among small- scale farmers who grow leguminous fodder shrubs to feed dairy cows, a practice with a high impact on milk production. “Fellow small-scale farmers have increased milk production from 5kg to 50kg per day since incorporating fodder shrubs into animal feed,” said Mary Gichuki, a farmer trainer in Kiambu County, Kenya. According to Franzel, changing the way farmers are selected to impart skills to other farmers remains key to transferring knowledge. © S M aâ zo u © F AO /G N ap ol it an o © G K am ad i 6 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 CROPS PIGEoN PEA Genome sequence to boost yields The sequencing of the pigeon pea genome should cut the time it takes to develop higher-yielding varieties from 6–10 years to just 3 years, say researchers, who identified more than 48,000 genes in the legume. Pigeon pea is rich in protein and has a high tolerance to drought. The genome sequence will enable researchers to develop new high-yielding and disease and stress-tolerant varieties, say scientists. “Currently the realised yield is only one-third of the potential yield,“ said Rajeev Varshney at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. PESTS Greedy bats ■ Fruit growers in Mauritius are tired of bats (Pteropus niger). Each year, especially in summer, tens of thousands of these animals devour tropical fruits, especially mangoes, lychees and guavas, destroying more than one-quarter of the annual output. The island- ers would like to get rid of these pests, but bats, who play an important role in dispers- ing seeds and pollinating native plants, are a protected species. In the past few years, attacks by bats have increased, partly as a result of shrinking natural habitats where they had fed on fruits and non-edible plants, but also due to less frequent occurrences of major cyclones, once a natural method for keeping down numbers of these mammals. Various techniques have been tried to ward off bats, including setting up lights, multi-coloured flags, bamboo stalks and foul- smelling carcasses near fruit trees, but none seem to have an effect anymore. Agricultural officials are urging producers to install pro- tective nylon nets, at least 75% of which is reimbursed by the government. EXPoRTS A revival for cocoa ■ Uganda is reviving its cocoa sector after years of neglect due to political turmoil. Disease-resistant, high-yielding varie- ties are being distributed to farmers and aban- doned plantations are being restored as part of a programme run by the National Agricultural Research Organisation and Investment in Developing Export Agriculture. A cocoa fer- mentation project in Mukono is training farm- ers in post-harvest handling and the Cocoa Development Organisation has launched a drive to plant 35 million seedlings over the next 5 years. SoRGhUm Supply and demand A partnership between the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and East African Breweries Limited has led to increased incomes for farmers. Producers had been planting maize, which is susceptible to drought, while breweries lacked sorghum to make beer. KARI began distributing drought-resistant sorghum seeds to farmers and the price of sorghum rose threefold. Irene Namusis tastes the fruits of her labour. A bat prepares to taste some mangoes. CLImATE Predicting the future ‘Climate Analogues’ is the name given to a new open-access tool developed by scientists at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The idea is to simulate what the impact of climate change is likely to be on crops in 20 years’ time, by locating sites where today’s climate is similar, with a view to developing an adaptation strategy to cope with the future climate changes. http://tinyurl.com/7j7sttd ADvISoRy SUPPoRT local skills How can a producers’ organisation provide constant advisory services to its members at a lower price? The solution of ANPHV, the national haricot bean producers’ association in Burkina Faso, has been to set up a network of community facilitators. Launched in 2003, the group has 49 facilitators, chosen from the existing 49 producers’ organisations. “In order to cut costs, we decided it would be better to strengthen the skills of those already in the field,” said Soumaïla Kindo of ANPHV. By monitoring production and traceability, local facilitators support the collection and marketing of haricot beans in Burkina Faso, more than 70% of which is exported to Europe. © I M aï ga © N A ck ba rr al ly © F N an go li © F AO /G N ap ol it an o The campaign, which began in 2001, is already producing results with cocoa export earnings rising from US$7 million (€5.2 mil- lion) in 2004 to US$41.1 million (€30.5 mil- lion) in 2004. One farmer, Semei Mumbere, of Kikyo in Bundibugyo made SH6.3 million (€1,917) from his 2.4 ha plot last season, sell- ing 3 tonnes of cocoa. However, Augustine Chaiga, an export manager with leading cocoa exporter Esco Uganda, says lack of processing facilities is forcing farmers to export raw beans to Asia, Europe and USA. And there is still scope for greater output. fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 7 FISHERIES AND lIVESTOCK vACCINATIoN Protecting poultry ■ Teresia Muisyo knows some of the chal- lenges of rearing indigenous chickens. She used to keep 78 birds in Matungulu vil- lage, Eastern Kenya, but lost all of them to Newcastle Disease. Teresa has now been trained as an exten- sion officer, vaccinating chick- ens and using a bicycle to reach farmers in remote areas. The scheme, part of the Kenya Arid and Semi Arid Land (KASAL) project, funded by the EU, has enabled nearly 700 farmers to launch small businesses rear- ing indigenous chickens. Teresa has gone back to farming too, vaccinating her own birds against the killer disease. She recently sold 120 chickens, for a revenue of SH47,000 (€391). “KASAL has trained 64 extension ser- vice providers in Eastern Kenya alone, and poultry losses have fallen dramatically,” said KASAL poultry expert Dr Anne Wachira. Meanwhile, a new vaccine has been developed to protect poultry against Newcastle Disease. The live thermostable avirulent 1-2 ND is said to protect up to 62% of indigenous chickens (more than 80% of Kenya’s poultry). SILAGE Simple fodder storage Kenyan farmers are turning to a simple, cost effective technology to store fodder for their livestock in preparation for lengthy dry spells caused by climate change. Tube silos, developed by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, can store silage for up to 2 years. Made of polythene, and measuring about 1 m in height and 0.5 m in width, the silo can hold 900 kg of fodder. Plans are under way to introduce them to Maasais and other nomadic tribes who have been badly hit by recent droughts. Tube silos occupy less space than other methods and are much cheaper, making them well suited to small-scale farmers with fewer than 10 animals. CATTLE ThEfT Digital branding A new cattle branding technology has been introduced in East Africa to curb rustling and banditry. Placed in the animal’s rumen, the digitally sensitive tablet, which carries identification details, helps monitor movement. A digital reader can be used to obtain identification details at any time. A pilot project is branding 10,000 animals. A drop can save the life of a young chick. REGULATIoNS Sustainable fisheries ■ Measures to protect fisheries resources appear to be producing results. Even initially sceptical fishers are beginning to recognise their value. Restricting catches, imposing a minimum size for fishnets and halting fish- ing for a certain period each year are all strategies that enable species to regener- ate. Everyone benefits – the fishers, because there are more fish, and consumers, because greater supplies leads to a drop in prices. Fishers at Lake Albert, on the border of DR Congo and Uganda, have thus witnessed first-hand the benefits of a 10-month fish- ing ban imposed between March 2010 and January 2011. Some species that had all but disappeared have reappeared and market prices have fallen by some 40%. In northern Senegal, the creation of a marine protected area near Saint-Louis has resulted in the reappearance of octopus, which had become rare due to overfishing. In this marine area of 49,600 ha, where fishing is regulated and monitored, the authorities have installed more than 200 artificial reefs to attract and protect species. Fishing regulations are leading to the replenishment of stocks (seen here near Lake Albert, DRC). BIRD fLU New risks The h5N1 virus that causes avian influenza, or bird flu, could re-emerge in several countries towards the close of 2011, says fAo. It warns: “A mutant strain of the deadly bird flu virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks for human health.” ShRImP White Spot alert Although White Spot virus presents no risk to humans, it is fatal and highly contagious for most shellfish. It appeared during the 1990s in Asia and while it is now found in most parts of the world it had never previously reached Africa. However, the disease was recently detected on a shrimp farm in Mozambique. FAO, working together with the World Organisation for Animal Health, authorities in Mozambique and local fish farmers, has moved swiftly to contain the outbreak. White Spot poses a serious threat to both biodiversity and the economy. In Mozambique, shellfish earned US$51.8 million (€40.27 million) in 2010. © D R © I Es ip is u © S yfi a In te rn at io na l © G K am ad i 8 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 ENVIRONMENT REfoRESTATIoN Great green wall ■ Since being approved by the African Union in June 2005, the Great Green Wall (GGW) project has made steady progress. In Senegal, thousands of young people from different backgrounds meet up in the sylvopastoral area of northern Senegal. Their goal is to plant trees along the route of the GGW which should, in the next 50 years, create a forest barrier 7,000 km long and 15 km wide to halt encroach- ing desertification and help combat climate change. Creating the Great Green Wall, which will link Dakar to Djibouti, will involve refor- esting 15 million ha. The project, which started in Senegal, involves 10 other African countries. Since 2008, more than 2,500 ha have been planted in Senegal by youth organisa- tions as part of what is known as ‘citizen’ holidays arranged by the Ministry for Youth. Local communities also contribute, allocat- ing land for reforestation and helping in the work to plant trees. According to Senegal’s GMV director Colonel Matar Cissé, who also heads the Ministry of Water and Forests, the government spends nearly FCFA2 billion/ year (about €3 million) on the initiative. yoUTh Charcoal from bio-waste ■ A youth group in Uganda’s Mukono district is combat- ing deforestation and earn- ing income by making char- coal from agricultural waste. Members of the Vision Youth Development Group Kyetume produce charcoal briquettes from grass, maize, rice and sugarcane waste. “We want to fight deforestation and also eradicate poverty among the youth,” said group coordinator Charles Bbale. The group produces an aver- age monthly output of 4,000 kg, earning a total of €1,008 to share among 15 members, who also earn other revenue from farming activities. Making the briquettes involves burning dry waste in a kiln. The char powder is cooled with water and mixed with starch paste before being placed in a manual extruder. The extruder machine costs €151 and the kiln €88. With escalating prices for charcoal, the group is unable to keep up with demand for their less expensive product. Nevertheless, the business is not without challenges. “When it rains we do not work because the waste has to be dry,” said Judith Nampeera. fUEL Powered by cattle biogas A community project that turns cow dung into biogas has helped reduce high electricity fees for villagers in Limpopo, South Africa. The Mpfuneko (Solution) project in Gawula village, near Giyani, collects cow dung from local cattle owners and processes it into usable gas, which is sold to villagers for a low price. The scheme involves installing a biogas digester which heats the cow dung to a point where it produces gas. The energy is fed to households via a pipeline. Uses include cooking over a biogas stove instead of firewood, saving time and natural resources. The project also provides employment for local villagers. A number of young people are helping to build the Great Green Wall. DEfoRESTATIoN In praise of bamboo The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) is backing an initiative to promote the use of bamboo charcoal to halt deforestation. The project, presented at CoP17 in Durban, seeks to transfer the technology for making bamboo charcoal from China to sub-Saharan Africa, a region where 80% of the rural population still relies on forests for cooking fuel. Making bio charcoal with a manual extruder fERTILISER Doubts over subsidies The Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC), an African consortium for soil fertility made up of a group of scientific and agricultural experts and managed by the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International (CABI), has sounded the alarm. It claims that fertiliser subsidy programmes set up by a number of African governments are doomed to failure unless they are accompanied by initiatives to foster integrated soil fertility management and good farming practices. George Oduor, deputy regional director (Kenya) at CABI, is calling for the use of small quantities of fertiliser, mixed with organic inputs. © S yfi a In te rn at io na l LAND An alliance for soil A Global Soil Partnership (GSP) has been launched to save quality soil for future generations. The GSP, hosted by fAo, aims to motivate action by decision- makers on the importance of soils for food security and climate change adaptation and mitigation and provide technical solutions for soil protection and management. http://tinyurl.com/6q9uefc © M S ec k © A N ab w ow e © F N an go li fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 9 RESEARCH BANANA TREES healthy scalded plants ■ Banana farmers no longer need to invest in insecticides, fungicides and other chemi- cal products to obtain good yields. A method successfully tested by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) ena- bles producers to treat plants before sowing, thus ensuring better plant health and higher yields. All it takes is water, wood, a drum, a stick, a knife and a bas- ket. The farmer cleans the plant of earth down to its roots and uses a knife to remove any places where weevils could be hiding. The plants are then immersed in boiling water for 30 seconds. The water is discarded and the plants immediately placed in the soil to avoid recontamination. The process, which is carried out close to the plot, produces an 80% success rate in each hectare of a given banana plantation. “A diseased plant will not produce anything. Treated corms pro- duce healthy banana plants and give good yields. What is more, the banana plants are able to withstand the gusts of wind that uproot plants in the rainy season,” said IITA researcher Bertrand Bengono. oRGANIC fARmING bio-fertiliser cuts farming costs A new bio-fertiliser is boosting yields for farmers in Kenya. Called Biofix, the organic fertiliser was developed by Prof. Lucy Irungu at the University of Nairobi. It is already being used by 3,000 farmers, producing bigger harvests and cutting use of pesticides, since the fertiliser makes plants more resistant. The product costs half the price of other bio-fertilisers, retailing at €20 per 50 kg. A key ingredient is pulped leaves from the Sesbania tree (Phylum magnoliaphyta), a powerful nutrient. “The fertiliser is ideal for several crops, as compared to other fertilisers currently on the Kenyan market,” said Prof. Irungu. GhG EmISSIoNS Conflicting agendas Efforts to increase food production are clashing with attempts to cut agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs), says a group of international scientists. Intensification of food output must be accompanied by action to reduce GhGs from agriculture to avoid accelerating climate change, claims the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. Banana plantation in Cameroon LoCUSTS Revealing colour Results of a recent CIRAD study on the red locust (Nomadacris septemfasciata) in Madagascar should make it possible to estimate the level of danger posed by a swarm of locusts by assessing the colour of the insects. Researchers have managed to quantify the link between the density of locusts and their colour. The results mean that changes in colour can now be used as an early warning for swarming. On its own, the locust is harmless, but in a group it can devastate crops. Understanding the mechanism behind changes in the various phases that locusts undergo would enable scientists to identify the stages that trigger the phenomenon and launch timely and targeted control strategies. GENDER winning women scientists The African women in Agricultural Research and Development (AwARD) programme, launched by CGIAR and aimed at African women scientists in the field of agricultural research, has benefited 250 scientists since 2008. Encouraged by this success, the organisers say they hope to double the number of beneficiaries over the next 5 years. © C IR AD /M L ec oq © C N je ru DISEASE Stronger cassava ■ A strategy of combining traditional breed- ing and genetic engineering holds the prom- ise of producing improved cassava varieties that are resistant to multiple viral diseases, say scientists. The cassava research team of the ETH Zurich Plant Biotechnology Lab has been awarded the Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research prize for its transfer of tropical crop technologies. In some parts of the cassava-producing world, there are high risks of outbreaks of some of cassava’s most formidable enemies: whitefly, green mite, cassava mosaic disease and cassava brown streak disease, warn scientists at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Using a model- ling technique, they found that the condi- tions are ripe for combined outbreaks of all four pests and diseases in areas that include Africa’s Rift Valley region. “The research shows that there are perfect niches for some highly damaging pests and diseases in areas currently considered safe havens,” said CIAT cassava expert Dr Tony Bellotti. “An outbreak of one of these could be very severe, but all four at once would wreak havoc.” A diseased cassava leaf © C N fo rg an g © F AO /G N ap ol it an o 10 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 These 6 pages were produced with contributions from: N ackbarrally (mauritius), G Kamadi (Kenya), a Labey (france), S maâzou (Niger), I maïga (Burkina faso), m mumero (Kenya), f Nangoli (Uganda), c Nforgang (Cameroon), J Saizonou (Benin), m Seck (Senegal) and a Taitt (Barbados). BUSINESS AND TRADE PRoCESSING Adding value to coconuts ■ Members of the Pomeroon Women’s Agro- Processors Association (PWAPA) in Guyana have turned to producing virgin coconut oil to counter falling prices for raw coconuts. Such has been the demand for the new prod- uct that the 14 women, who also produce and package preserved carambola, pepper sauce, cherry, spicy mango chutney, green mango achar and malacca wine, soon realised they could not satisfy both local and export mar- kets. They have since expanded production, creating more jobs for local women and pro- viding additional income for workers in their small factory. The production method, which involves drying the coconut flesh in a solar drying room and grating and squeezing it to extract oil, ensures the nutritional content is retained. PWAPA, which now plans to start producing plantain flour, won first prize of US$5000 (€3,726) in a contest for rural innovative projects run by the Caribbean Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (CARUTA). REGIoNAL PRoDUCTS Adding local value ■ In recent times, the Label Bénin store, a mini-market that sells only products pro- cessed locally, has been inundated with customers, and for good reason. With the economic crisis, consumers in Benin have developed a new passion for their grand- mothers’ recipes. Fermented maize flour is dried in the oven and packaged to make an instant porridge that replaces coffee for breakfast. With this process and many others, a number of old recipes have re- emerged. Since opening 2 years ago, the Label Bénin store has become the lynchpin of an important network which sees sup- pliers as partners. Groups of processors are offered technical assistance for quality and marketing, to ensure good presenta- tion and design. The use of predominantly home-made processing techniques, coupled with reasonable prices, conserves product authenticity, attracting a clientele from a wide range of backgrounds. The combina- tion of local recipes and inventive skills adds up to a winning formula in the agrifood, cosmetic and medicinal sectors. mENToRS skills for agripreneurs A programme run by Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) is teaching South African farmers to become entrepreneurs. The Farmer Eco Enterprise Development (FEED) Africa initiative develops four hectares of land for 20 emerging organic farmers before scaling up the model with support in management, training, mentorship and marketing. In the Bronkhorstspruit area, FEED is helping subsistence farmers to form a cooperative offering a range of products. A commercial sponsor is providing the funding needed to develop infrastructure, irrigation, farming and greenhouse facilities, so that the cooperative can produce high quality items on a commercially viable scale. CASSAvA A US market for dalo fiji has identified a market in the USA for its cassava, known as dalo (Colocasia esculenta). fiji Agro marketing Company Limited chairman Colonel mosese Tikoitoga says a deal has been signed with a US company to buy imports of the Pacific country’s root crop. Dalo is one of fiji’s main agricultural export products. PoULTRy Concerns in Jamaica Jamaican poultry producers are opposing a government proposal to lower poultry import duties by 20%. They fear that this move will open the doors to imports of cheap meat from the USA at the expense of the local sector. In the Label Bénin store, local products are popular with consumers. GREEN fUNDING Guiding decision-makers A new guide offers advice to decision-makers on how to access green funding. ‘Catalysing Climate Finance’, published by the UN Development Programme, gives step-by-step guidance on identifying and implementing public policies and funding tools in the sustainable sector. In 2010, investments in the green energy sector reached US$243 billion (€178 billion). However, 90% of investments went to G20 countries due to lack of knowledge in other regions of how to access complex green funding. © G re t/ rH Yv ie re © J Sa iz on ou © F EE D © D R fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 11 What are the key advantages of regional integration in Africa? The elimination of trade barriers and non- tariff barriers to trade and the creation of a single market to bring about economies of scale for production and consumption. Also, the elimination of multiple border crossings will reduce transaction costs and hence con- tribute to the competitiveness of the African economy. Both cross-border and foreign direct investors would benefit from the single mar- ket as transaction costs would be minimised and a large consumer market created. And the ethnic fault lines that currently bedevil some countries would be minimised as political and economic governance would be based on meritocracy as opposed to patrimony. What are the priorities for COMESA’s regional integration agenda? The COMESA market integration strategy is based on trade and investment. Currently, COMESA has a fully functioning free trade area that was launched in 2000 and has seen intra-COMESA trade increase from US$3.1 bil- lion (€2.4 bn) to US$17.2 billion (€13.3 bn) in 2009. Current priorities for COMESA include launching the COMESA Custom Union in 2012 and making the COMESA Common Investment Area operational – to stimulate employment creation, economic diversifica- tion and sustainable and equitable develop- ment. Then there are the ongoing prepara- tions for the envisaged Africa Free Trade Area and implementation of infrastructure projects that enhance interconnectivity between and among COMESA member states. What benefits can be seen so far? The free trade area has produced benefits for exporters and consumers. Intra-COMESA trade minimised the effects of the 2008 global financial crisis. Over the years, the COMESA region has seen national compa- nies invest in other COMESA countries to the extent that cross-border investment has become a critical dynamic for regional value chains. The COMESA regional infrastruc- ture master plan has also contributed to the implementation of regional infrastructure networks. COMESA has, through its peace and security programme, contributed to the African Union programme of conflict preven- tion and resolution and to creating a regional consciousness. Can you elaborate on the role played by agricultural trade as a vehicle for regional economic integration? Given that COMESA economies are essen- tially agrarian, the liberalisation of trade has seen trade in agriculture products account for about 60% of intra-COMESA trade. To boost further trade in agricul- tural commodities COMESA has a robust programme to address sanitary and phy- tosanitary issues, which entails agreeing on regional standards. What other sectors would benefit from policy integration in Africa? Other sectors that are part of the integration agenda include infrastructure development, industrial development, free movement of persons, creation of a single currency, agri- cultural development and harnessing sci- ence and technology for development. How can public policy institutions influence public policy to the benefit of Africa, and why should this role be strengthened? There is no doubt that research institutions, universities and think tanks play a critical role in contributing to the process of regional integration by serving either as resource cen- tres for national governments and regional organisations or providing critiques and objective perspectives of what should be done differently and knowledge sharing. However, for this to happen, governments have to provide funding to these institutions as their reliance on foreign funding makes them at times focus on issues that are not rel- evant to African development and regional integration. What are the prospects for a successful Tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA)? The prospects for the COMESA, East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tripartite FTA are good on the basis of the road map agreed upon. Negotiations for what will be Africa’s largest FTA commence this year and will be concluding in the next 24 months. Other pillars of the Tripartite programme, namely infrastructure development and industrialisation, are being pursued simulta- neously. The Tripartite FTA has a combined population of 565 million and a US$1 trillion (€773 bn) economy. What a mouth watering prospect for business! SINDISo NGwENyA Strength in numbers Regional integration is proving to be a powerful strategy for helping Africa to overcome some of the barriers faced by individual states. As well as providing a major market place of more than 389 million consumers, COMESA is also working to promote peace and security. Zimbabwean Sindiso Ngwenya is Secretary-General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). He was instrumental in the launch of the COMESA Free Trade Area in 2000. More recently, he played a key role in the design of the COMESA Customs Union and Common Investment Area. “What a mouth watering prospect for business!” INTERVIEw © C OM ES A 12 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 DOSSIER URBAN AGRICULTURE City farmers Urban agriculture helps improve nutrition and incomes for city dwellers, providing food grown locally, eliminating transportation from rural areas and creating job opportunities. But it is crucial to improve health-related practices so that food is safe to eat. 17 | VIEwPOINT Job Ndebele: Planning urban spaces 18 | FIELD REPORT FROM KENYA Vertical gardens and mini greenhouses © F AO /C A ho un ou 13fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | DOSSIER T yres and old plastic pots planted with vegetables and sacks rigged up to make vertical gardens. These are just some of the techniques being used by a new generation of urban farmers, who are developing inventive ways to make the most of limited space to produce food. Jennifer Daley lives on the out- skirts of the densely populated town of Mandeville in Jamaica. With no access to agricultural land, she uses wheelbarrows and just about anything that can contain soil to grow her crops. Sheila Hope-Harewood farms in a suburban area of the parish of St Michael in what is becoming the newest urban centre in Barbados. She has a drip irrigation system and grows guava, lemon, pome- granate, ackee, sugar apple, mango and banana, as well as a variety of vegetables that she sells at a stall in the local market. Other ACP farmers are producing livestock in urban settings. Husband and wife John and Betty Msowoya have set up several small fishponds on the out- skirts of Mzuzu in Malawi. They also keep a few pigs and use the manure to fertilise their ponds and promote the growth of the fish that they supply to city markets. In Nairobi, Kenya, a number of people who lost their jobs as a result of layoffs have turned to urban chicken farming, making an average of €6 per bird and earning additional income from eggs. For decades, poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition were viewed as rural problems. But with the populations of many ACP countries becoming more urban, poverty and poor nutrition are emerging as growing challenges for city dwellers. More than half the world’s population now lives in urban areas, and 3 billion more city dwellers are expected by 2050. A recent World Bank and IMF report showed that the growth in urban poverty is now rapidly outstripping that of rural poverty, with the urban poor par- ticularly vulnerable to food price rises since food accounts for 60-70% of their income. Urban agriculture (UA) offers some solutions, ensuring supplies of fresh vegetables and other nutritious food to urban dwellers where poor roads and weak supply chains make it difficult to transport highly perishable produce from rural areas. It has been estimated that some 200 mil- lion people are engaged in urban agriculture and related enterprises. For the poorest urban dwellers, the share of income derived from UA often exceeds 50%. UA, which includes peri-urban farming on areas close to cities, may take place on homesteads or at plots some distance away, in parks, along roads, streams and railways and in the grounds of schools and hospitals. It can involve the cul- tivation of food crops, rearing animals including poultry, goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, guinea pigs, grasscutters and fish and producing non-food products such as medicinal plants. It can also encompass a range of other services such as processing, packaging, compost and animal benefits all round An urban horticulture programme in the five main cities of DR Congo has helped cut chronic malnutrition levels and generated fruit and vegetables with a market value of more than US$400 million (€296 million). The FAO programme, launched as a response to mass urban migration following a 5-year conflict, helps urban growers to produce an annual 330,000 t of vegetables. Some 90% of produce is sold in urban markets and supermarkets. Production levels translate to 28.6 kg of vegetables a year per city dweller. As well as food, the programme has helped provide jobs and income for 16,000 small-scale market gardeners and 60,000 other people who form the links in the horticulture chain from field to table. As a result of the initiative, the annual average income of each farmer in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi rose from US$500 (€387) in 2004 to US$2,000 (€1,480) in 2010. © R S tr oh m 14 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 DOSSIER health services. FAO estimates that 130 million urban residents in Africa alone engage in agriculture, mainly horticulture, to provide food for their families or to earn income from sales. Advantages include low start-up costs, short pro- duction cycles and high yields per unit of time, land and water. UA can be an effective coping strategy when times are hard. In the slum area of Kamae, Kenya, families have been allocated small landholdings by the local adminis- tration and given training in growing crops and rearing small livestock. In Havana, the capital of Cuba, urban agriculture developed after imports and exports collapsed following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. With no access to oil, tractors, fertilisers, pesticides or other inputs, urban Cubans turned to organic farming to feed their fam- ilies. Today, more than 26,000 gardens cover 2,439 ha in Havana and produce 25,000 tonnes of food annually. In Mozambique and Sierra Leone, urban farming developed as a way of feeding the influx of refugees who flocked to the cities during civil wars. In both countries, it continues to be an important source of food, income and employ- ment and has spurred an entire value chain, including pro- cessing, packaging, transport and retailing. Micro-gardens There are many valuable ways of making the most of scarce space in densely populated urban areas. Systems may include roof gardens, sacks on balconies, keeping chickens and small livestock on waste plots, backyards in Caribbean and Pacific islands and simple hydroponic micro-gardens in slum areas. UA is often carried out by women, though they may have greater difficulties in accessing services such as credit, extension and train- ing. A micro-gardening project in Dakar has helped more than 4,000 people, mainly women, with improved nutri- tion and incomes. City farming improves access of the urban poor to fresh food by lowering costs for transport, cold storage and intermediaries in the value chain. The price differential between producer and consumer may be 1:10 in rural agriculture. But it falls to 1:2 or 1:3 in urban agriculture. UA can also complement rural produc- tion during the dry or rainy periods, helping to stabi- lise markets. And it can generate other income earning opportunities. For example, small livestock and poultry keeping produce valuable fertiliser, which can be sold for vegetable production, since good fertiliser is at a pre- mium when space is limited. Recent innovations in UA technologies promote space and waste management. Examples are gardens that make use of recycled sacks or biodegradable cement bags and rooftop gardens that harvest and treat household waste- water. In Senegal, nearly half of all fruit and vegetables consumed in cities are grown in and around urban areas and rooftop gardens are a common sight in Dakar. In 2008, urban agriculture generated revenue in Senegal of around US$400 million (€300 million). Increasing numbers of ACP urban farmers are grouping themselves into cooperatives. In Zimbabwe, a Bulawayo urban farm- er’s cooperative of 200 members known as the Poultry, Mushroom and Rabbit Group is giving its members new skills as entrepreneurs through training in business man- agement skills. In many urban and peri-urban African centres, such as Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Kampala and Lagos, pro- ducers are moving into aquaculture, supplying fish that include tilapia and African catfish. With increasing urban demand for fresh fish, the returns are good, with most producers selling their catches at the side of ponds or at urban markets. Aquaponics, which combines aquaculture with hydroponics, makes the most of small spaces and is starting to be used in various ACP urban and peri-urban settings, albeit with external support for technology and start-up costs. Municipal backing UA is now a recognised field of research that has seen rapid policy development in the past 15 years. But city In central Kigali (Rwanda), residents are cultivating land to improve food security. © F AO /G N ap ol it an o fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 15 DOSSIER planners must do more to make urban horticulture an integral part of their development and planning strategies, say experts. There are growing calls for municipal authori- ties to ensure that urban horticulturalists have access to land and water. In 2003, the Harare Declaration was signed by local government ministers from Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The Declaration officially endorses UA as a development strategy. But in many cases, UA policy is lacking and in some ACP coun- tries actively banned by law. Improving access to training, technology, credit and markets are other prerequisites laid down in FAO guidelines for UA, which stress that the sec- tor needs to be viewed as part of an entire value chain. Growing pressure on land for development means farmers are increasingly turned off their plots. Boundary disputes erupted in Harare, Zimbabwe, following the food crisis of 2008, though the city’s Municipal Development Programme (MDP) is now promoting sus- tainable urban agriculture programmes. The conflict highlights the need for urban agriculture to be properly legislated and for planning to ensure that UA and urban life co-exist, to share scarce resources such as water and ensure hygiene, especially where livestock production is concerned. Cities need to offer support for food markets, and encourage extension and training. In Namibia, a group of 75 urban allot- ment farmers has succeeded in landing a contract to supply a supermarket. With support from city authorities in Dakar, families have set up kiosks in their neighbourhoods to market their surplus produce. Market gardens in Kinshasa – forecast to become Africa’s most densely populated city by 2020 with 12.7 million people – now produce an estimated 75,000 to 85,000 tonnes of vegetables a year, or 65% of the city’s supply. waste and water UA can play a useful role in recycling organic urban waste from rising populations (see Box). Wastewater is widely used for irrigation in UA, but the health risks of untreated water are high. Accessing raw wastewater through breaking mains and other means is a common practice in Dakar, while in Nairobi, thousands of families use the polluted Nairobi River to water their allotments. A study shows that typical microbiological and pesti- cide contamination levels of vegetables in Ghanaian mar- kets pose a threat to human health. But though health risks pose a major obstacle, there are ways of containing them. The International Water Management Institute advo- cates tracking urban produce from ‘farm to fork’ and ensur- ing that at each stage simple barriers are put in place along the chain, such as hygiene, gloves, cleaning of foods and markets. It also advocates municipal action at market level, to ensure health stand- ards are respected. After an awareness campaign headed by the RUAF Foundation, an international network of resource centres on urban agriculture and food secu- rity, the city authorities in Managing waste Urban farming is helping to control city refuse in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. City farmers growing crops and rearing animals move door to door and around market areas collecting waste to make compost or feed their livestock. Manure from animals is recycled to use as fertiliser and many households use organic waste from markets as nutrients for their small courtyard gardens. Water is recycled for irrigation. “There is discipline in garbage management as it is seen as a resource. In the city, farmers have to collect any waste that can be fed to their animals and use waste to make compost,” said Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Councillor Paul Kagimu. KCCA holds training sessions for urban farmers on how to maximise yields on small plots and how to make compost out of household waste. Just outside HLM Fass, in northern downtown Dakar (Senegal), urban dwellers are keeping sheep to subsidise their incomes. © IR D/ P Ga zi n © IR IN /C A ke na 16 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 Viewpoint Job Ndebele is Director of Engineering Services in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He is also Chairman of the Bulawayo Multi-Stakeholder Forum, launched in 2005 to advocate on urban agriculture issues after clashes between the City Council and urban residents wanting to grow crops and rear small livestock. Planning urban spaces how important is planning in the practice of urban agriculture? Planning is key because it helps the city avoid random cultivation. We now have identified areas where urban agriculture can be practised. It also helps residents practise urban agriculture sustainably. Urban agriculture takes a big chunk of the land in the city and we have to ensure that this is done in an orderly way. What are you doing to harmonise city by-laws and policies on urban agriculture? We are trying to popularise urban agriculture among farmers. They may use those areas which were forbidden by by-laws before, provided they take care of environmental aspects. For example, efficient water use is a problem that needs to be tackled through promoting practices such as drip irrigation. Some urban farmers do not draw borehole water but use precious potable water, which is not sustainable. We have got farmers involved in an urban agriculture programme and they work together with our Department of Housing and Community Services to educate residents on the need to use land correctly, especially where the land is fragile. What has been the role of the forum in this programme? The Forum has made a big contribution in promoting urban agriculture. Methods of cultivation have improved. Farmers have been helped to create associations and strengthen existing ones so that farming is now done professionally, and there is better management among farmer groups. Would you say your programme is a model for other cities? Yes. Bulawayo has developed some best practices. Our pilot project at the Gumtree Plantation, where we have over 1,000 farmers, has improved the capacity of the participating farmers to produce food. We have 17 groups that have been trained in good agricultural methods and we are replicating this so that most of the farmers in Bulawayo can perform better. Do any challenges remain? No doubt. The land used for urban agriculture may not necessarily be council land and it can be private and therefore there are conflicts between the practitioners of urban agriculture and the owners of that land. Also, we still have environmental problems. The sub-committees of the Forum are working hard to try and correct those issues. DOSSIER Accra, Ghana are developing specific UA programmes and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has launched an award for the Best National Urban Farmer. Rising food prices in Fiji have prompted the Agriculture Ministry to launch a campaign encouraging people to start their own backyard gardens. Islander Dhurup Ram Sharma uses a small piece of land around his house to grow fruits, vegetables and root crops to feed his family. “People should grow food crops of their choice since a food garden is accessible and available to the family at all times, whether one has or does not have money,” he said. “We ensure that the food crops are free from chemi- cals used for pest and disease control whilst our spare time is spent in a productive way.” KEy fIGURES 800 million people worldwide have had their food security improved through UA. A micro-garden in Haiti This dossier was compiled with the help of Busani Bafana (Zimbabwe), Isaiah Esipisu (Kenya), Geoffrey Kamadi (Kenya), Wallace Mawire (Zimbabwe), Damion Mitchell (Jamaica), Angella Nabwowe (Uganda), Charles Njeru (Kenya) and Andy Taitt (Barbados). 60% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2030. 15-20 %  of the world’s food is produced by urban or peri-urban agriculture. 40% of total urban food requirements in Kampala, Uganda, are accounted for by UA. © F AO /T B el iz ai re © B B af an a fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 17 DOSSIER W ith a population of one million, Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, is one of the largest infor-mal settlements in Africa. It is also one of the unhealthiest, with open sewers spilling raw sewage into the narrow alleyways. Now urban farming is helping to improve diets through hygienic agricultural practices in limited spaces. The main technique used is ‘sack gardening’. Also known as vertical gardening, the simple system consists of a 90 kg sack filled with soil. Up to 50 plants can be grown in this small space, producing vegetables for sale and household consumption. Sack gardening has proved so successful in Kibera that Olympic High School is buying vegetables from its students, helping them offset fees for books and tuition. The children grow kale and spinach, with support from NGO Solidarités International, which provides farmyard manure and soil. Water for irrigating the vegetables is sourced from the school’s borehole. Healthy profits “Those students who have difficulty in paying fees and catering for their lunch programme at the school are involved,” says school head Maurice Okumu. The stu- dents, each with his or her own sack garden, harvest veg- etables twice a week, some of which they sell back to the school, taking the rest home to their families. Keith Porter, head of mission at Solidarités International, says urban farming has led to a significant increase in the amount of vegetables consumed in the slums. “Sack gar- dening has increased food intake and diet diversification,” he says. Sack gardening has also been shown to “have Vertical gardens and mini greenhouses Two simple technologies are helping urban dwellers to grow fresh produce in very small spaces. The result is more varied diets for families and extra income from the sale of surplus output. fIELD REPoRT fRom KENyA Sack gardens in a Kenyan suburb Esther Kirimi in her Kadogo mini greenhouse School head Maurice Okumu shows off a sack garden. From left to right: © G K am ad i © G K am ad i 18 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 To find out mor e ETC-UA ETC – Urban Agriculture www.etc-urbanagriculture.org fao food for the Cities programme www.fao.org/fcit/en The Urban Producer’s Resource Book: A Practical Guide for Working with Low Income Urban and Peri-Urban Producers Organizations. FAO, 2007. Downloadable as a PDF file from: http://tinyurl.com/bpylrjo Globalhort Global Horticulture Initiative www.globalhort.org idrC International Development Research Centre Agriculture in Urban Planning: Generating Livelihoods and Food Security. Earthscan/IDRC, 2009. http://tinyurl.com/7wvaotf proliNNoVa www.prolinnova.net ruaf foundation www.ruaf.org Cities, Poverty and Food: Multi-Stakeholder Policy and Planning in Urban Agriculture Practical Action Publishing/RUAF, 2010 Women Feeding Cities – Mainstreaming Gender in Urban Agriculture and Food Security Practical Action Publishing/RUAF, 2009 UA Magazine no. 24 – From Seed to Table: Developing Urban Agriculture Value Chains Downloadable from: http://tinyurl.com/caropht sarNissa Sustainable Aquaculture Research Networks in Sub Saharan Africa. www.sarnissa.org uClG United Cities and Local Governments http://tinyurl.com/d7y6jxz uN-habitat www.unhabitat.org Who Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater. Volume 2: Wastewater Use in Agriculture, WHO, 2006. Downloadable as PDF file from: http://tinyurl.com/87454vt World bank Improving Wastewater Use in Agriculture: An Emerging Priority World Bank, 2010. Downloadable as PDF file from: http://tinyurl.com/blvtve DOSSIER an immediate potential for youth groups and [for] strengthening the social fabric, as well as having a green- ing effect on the slums,” he observes. A study carried out by Solidarités International shows that monthly household income generated from the sale of excess vegetables can range between KSh 600 (€5) and KSh 1,500 (€12.5). Up to 80% of slum dwellers are now using garden-in-a-sack vegetables for household consump- tion, making monthly savings on food bills of up to KSh 480 (€4). Aside from schoolchildren, some 22,000 house- holds are practising this type of farming. Small but productive Meanwhile, a mini greenhouse, developed by Kenyan agripreneur Oliver Ndegwa, is fast taking off as an innova- tive tool for urban agriculture. The Greenhouse ‘Kadogo’ – kadogo means small in Swahili – is specifically designed for urban dwellers. Unlike a standard greenhouse, which measures 8 by 30 metres and costs KSh 160,000 (€1,333), Greenhouse Kadogo measures 5 by 10 m and costs KSh 30,000 (€250). Esther Kirimi is a teacher and a mother of five. She has put up a Greenhouse Kadogo in her backyard on the Rimpa area of Kajiado County, growing cucumbers, toma- toes, courgettes and Chinese cabbage. “I wanted to sustain my household vegetable needs as well as help my children get hands-on practice in growing vegetables,” says Kirimi. “This type of greenhouse can accommodate 250 plants, and you can earn KSh 10 (€0.08) per plant, per day, which translates into a monthly income of KSh 75,000 (€625), for an average of 4 to 9 months,” explains inven- tor Ndegwa. Geoffrey Kamadi © G K am ad i fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 19 T he Cola genus includes about forty species in West Africa, and of these the most important are Cola acumi-nata (Abata kola) and Cola nitida (Gbanja kola). Some 90% of all kola nuts consumed worldwide come from the Cola nitida. Originating in tropical Africa, the kola nut is mainly produced in Nigeria (170,190 t) and Côte d’Ivoire (67,000 t), followed by Cameroon (38,000 t), Ghana (21,300 t) and Sierra Leone (5,300 t) (Source: FAO 2010). This leafy tree, which grows to a height of about 12 metres, pro- duces fruits – kola nuts – with a strong bitter taste. Native to forested areas, it needs a humid climate with a dry season of no more than 3 months. The tree is also grown, though on a much smaller scale, in the Caribbean – in Jamaica – and in Fiji. The kola nut contains two alkaloids which help combat fatigue and suppress hunger. Used in traditional medicine, it is also in demand with pharmaceutical companies and valued for its use in dyes. But the kola’s main use is cultural. In many West African countries, there is hardly a bap- tism, wedding or ritual ceremony where this nut does not feature. The kola nut is therefore an important commodity and a significant source of rev- enue for many households, both urban and rural, as well as for governments. Now also exported to the West (USA) and India, it provides good returns to producer coun- tries, especially Côte d’Ivoire, the global hub for kola production and trade, with annual exports of 100 billion FCFA (€152 million), according to a study by NGO INADES-Formation in Côte d’Ivoire. Obstacles to export In Côte d’Ivoire, the kola nut is harvested from 15 ha plantations. But in this country, as in Nigeria, orchards are ageing and farm- ers have difficulty finding selected seeds; tree seedlings from nurseries are prohibitively expensive. There is little in the way of processing in Africa and the kola nut is exported raw in a poorly organised supply chain. Fresh nuts are transported in containers that seek to main- tain a degree of humidity. In Jamaica, the nut is known as ‘bissy’ and is processed into pow- der before being consumed diluted in water with sugar or honey. The kola economy is highly specu- lative in the West African sub-region. Governments play no role in trading and there is no guaranteed price for the pro- ducer. Although not subject to specific taxes within WAEMU (in common with fruit and vegetables), the precious nut faces a num- ber of hurdles before it can cross borders, including customs and police checks, much to the frustration of traders. Producers are highly dependent on exporters, who set the prices. For the latter, the sector can be very profitable: a study carried out in the Grand Nord region of Cameroon shows that 89% of wholesale traders working with kola earn most if not all their revenue from this product. Better production, better sales There is good scope for improving and developing the sector at all levels. As far as production is concerned, priorities are access to better seeds and renewing Cola trees. Storage and conservation of the kola nut is another area requiring attention, in order to cut high levels of post-harvest loss and improve often erratic product quality. On the marketing side, there is a need for better organisation, though this does not necessarily mean increasing the number of people involved. In Côte d’Ivoire for example, there are a great many kola nut producers’ associations which often have difficulty reaching agree- ments with one another. A Côte d’Ivoire official from the Ministry of Agriculture’s department of professional agricultural organisations has been appointed to over- haul organisation of the sector, a sign that the government is aware both of the impor- tance of kola and of its present shortcomings. But the most pressing need is at sub- regional level. It is crucial to improve the flow of traffic between countries. This prod- uct, which is emblematic of the sub-region and knows no boundaries when it comes to consumption, should be able to travel freely without being taxed at the slightest move. The kola nut, widely prized in West Africa for its symbolic and cultural value and stimulative properties, is mainly produced in five West African countries. A significant source of revenue, it deserves more attention from the producer countries. KoLA NUT More than just a symbol Kola nuts are distributed during an engagement ceremony in Burkina Faso. © G N ab al ou m SECTOR 20 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 PUBlICATIONS Better beach seine fishing Responsible use of beach seines is essential for the sustainable livelihoods of fishers engaged in this practice. A guide offers advice on management measures, aimed at conserving the health of fishery resources and their habitats and safeguarding the livelihoods of fishers and their communities. fishing with beach Seines  By h Bage, R Lee, T mouth-Pulsen, S Siar & U Tietze fAo, 2011, 162 pp. ISBN 978-92-5-106806-9 US$40 • €30 Earthprint Ltd Po Box 119 Stevenage hertfordshire SG1 4TP UK fax: +44 1438 748 844 customerservices@earthprint.com www.earthprint.com. Improved water management The potential of agricultural water management has not been fully tapped in most ACP countries. CTA’s Annual Seminar 2010 aimed to find out the key information and knowledge needs underpinning efficient water resource use for agriculture in ACP countries, and this compilation brings together the key findings. closing the Knowledge Gap: Integrated Water management for Sustainable management, annual Seminar 2010 CTA, 2011; 36 pp. CTA n° 1659 2 credit points livestock disease management Once a pathogen enters domestic livestock, risks of exposure and infection extend through a chain of economic activities related to producing, buying and selling animals and products. In order to come up with effective measures to manage disease risks, the entire livestock value chain must be analysed. Methods described here give some guidance on how to set up value chain analysis for animal disease risk management. Value chain approach to animal Diseases risk management fAo, 2011; 144 pp. ISBN 978-9-2510-6-8618 US$30 • €23 for Earthprint’s address, see previous column. Getting smart farming’s climate-Smart future: Placing agriculture at the heart of climate change Policy By C Pye-Smith CTA/CCAfS, 2011; 36 pp. CTA number 1662 2 credit points Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/bl4tqc9 The impact of climate change on agriculture has repercussions way beyond the supply of food. Agriculture accounts for 29% of gross domestic product in developing countries and provides jobs for 65% of people, so the ripple effect of global warming threatens to be more of a tidal wave. But agriculture must also shoul- der its share of blame. Agricultural activities are directly responsible for 10–12% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The figure rises significantly if for- est clearance is included. Climate-smart agriculture is one response gaining increasing attention. Profiled in this, the first in a new CTA series, the approach seeks to help farmers increase food pro- duction while becoming more resilient to climate change and reducing GHGs. The review reports on how agriculture is devel- oping intelligent solutions, some of which are being used in various ACP regions. The successful spread of these good practices will however depend on the place accorded to agriculture during international nego- tiations and during the drafting of national policies. Propagating plantains Despite its ability to adapt to a vari- ety of ecosystems and offer good potential for food production, plantain cul- tivation remains a marginal activity. This guide explains macro-propagation using the plantlet from stem fragments (known as PIF) technique. PIF has met with great suc- cess among small-scale farmers because it is relatively easy to produce large numbers of plantlets in a short time. One sucker can pro- duce between 10 and 50 plantlets, depend- ing on the variety of plantain and the experi- ence of the farmer. The second section presents clear guidelines for growing plantain, though procedures described may vary according to the needs and means of individual farmers. Readers will also find valuable information on the uses and income-generating possibilities for this crop. Easy to use with an attractive lay- out, the guide is richly illustrated with draw- ings and diagrams showing how to carry out the process of PIF and how to cultivate plan- tains in general. Improved Plantain Production By E Lionelle Ngo-Samnick Pro-Agro CTA/ISf Cameroon, 2011, 24 pp. ISBN 978-92-9081-476-4 CTA n° 1655 5 credit points fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 21 PUBlICATIONS The global warming factor There is an urgent need to do more to integrate climate change into agricultural research for development. A report sets out why and underlines the importance of taking into account the synergies and trade-offs of adapting to and mitigating climate change while boosting food security. Integrating climate change into agricultural research for Development in africa By S Anderson & m Chambwera IIED, 2011; 4 pp. Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/bnoa5y6 Supreme sugar Two hundred years of history have fashioned the Mauritian sugar industry, though today sugar has lost its pro- eminence and its contribution to the island’s economy has dropped from one-third of GDP to 5.9%. This is an in-depth analysis of sugar production in the island. The Supremacy & Twilight of the mauritius Sugar Industry By R Lamusse osman Publishing, 2011; 300 pp. ISBN 978-99949-31-03-3 €40 Books & Business Ltd 11 volcy de la haye Street Beau-Bassin mauritius fax: +230 466 7689 www.booksnbusiness.com Scaling up market access ■ Agricultural scale-up can offer significant opportunities for the economic empower- ment of rural women who face challenges to market participation, due to inadequate asset security, lack of time and inequalities in access to resources and decision-making in the household. These challenges can be addressed by proactive strategies to pro- mote women’s leadership in agricultural markets. A book that explores experiences in Oxfam’s Global Agricultural Scale-Up Initiative, launched in 2005 with the aim of reducing poverty for smallholder farm- ers, highlights some of the ways that rural women, in particular, can be galvanised to play a more important role in accessing new and wider marketing opportunities. The results are inspiring. In Ethiopia, where many women are landless, beekeeping has proved an effective way for them to earn income. Growing numbers of female beekeep- ers have learned how to manage improved beehives, tools and equipment and to produce and market bee products. In Haiti, women’s associations have trained members in gender equality, and many have become involved in a successful network of dairy enterprises. Small farmers, big change Edited by C harvey, D wilson & K wilson Practical Action, 176 pp. ISBN 978-1-85339-7-12-7 US$14.95 • €12 Practical Action Publishing Bourton hall Bourton-on-Dunsmore, Rugby warwickshire Cv23 9QZ, UK fax: +44 1926 634502 publishingorders@ practicalaction.org.uk www.developmentbookshop.com Volatile prices This year’s leading FAO report, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2011 highlights the different impacts that the world food crisis of 2006–08 had on various countries. With predictions that price volatility is here to stay, it describes the effects on food security and presents policy options to reduce volatility in a cost-effective manner. The State food Insecurity in the World 2011: how Does International Price Volatility affect Domestic economies and food Security? fAo, 2011; 55 pp. Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/3nnsgm4 Changes from within ■ Community-based adaptation is starting to take an important place in climate change debates. This approach, which highlights the importance of supporting local commu- nities to develop responses to the challenges they face, is widely seen as crucial if changes in lifestyle and agricultural practices are to take hold. A new book explores how best to provide assistance to rural dwellers so that they can better secure their own adap- tation strategies. It asks how local commu- nities can access the assets and knowledge they need to cope with climate change and examines how their relationships – riddled with power and gender inequalities – may prevent them from controlling the resources needed for adaptation. A community in the Chivi district of Zimbabwe is used as a case study to explore how participatory technology development can lead to better climate change prepara- tion. A detailed analysis shows how villagers are using seed fairs to develop and distribute suitable crop varieties for the increasingly dry conditions. uncertain futures: adapting Development to a changing climate By J Ensor Practical Action, 2011; 128 pp. ISBN: 978-1-85339-720-2 US$14.95 • €12 for Practical Action’s address, see previous column. better storage, less waste Losses of 25% for grain crops and 40–50% for vegetables are not unu- sual in the tropics, mainly due to inadequate storage. Aside from the obvious waste, poor post-harvest management results in prod- ucts with less nutritional value and farmers missing out on effective planting material for the next crop. Poor storage can also affect income in other ways. If farmers cannot keep their products in top condition, they are forced to sell them soon after harvest when prices are at their lowest. A practical manual in the popular Agrodok series offers advice on how to help small-scale farmers improve their storage of grains, roots, tubers, fruit and vegetables. It explains how agricultural products begin to deteriorate soon after harvesting and why product quality swiftly declines. The guide offers step-by-step advice on how to stop or reduce these losses for specific products, how to prepare suitable storage space for each item and the best way of transporting it to and from the storage space. Storage of agricultural Products By f X Arulappan, R hoevers, G Pesch & P Scheepens CTA/Agromisa, 2011; 80 pp. ISBN 978-92-9081- 443-6 CTA number 1656 5 credit points 22 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 PUBlICATIONSlIC TI S User-friendly climate info Conventional approaches to climate adaptation rely on expert advice and science from authoritative sources such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But as this paper suggests, the information needs to be more site-specific, more user-friendly and more inclusive of traditional knowledge and existing coping practices. Improving Information for community-based adaptation By S huq IIED, 2011; 2 pp. Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/c9utws4 The balance of power A new report shows that elite sectors, along with domestic and foreign investors, are benefiting from land deals at the expense of the poor. It urges companies and governments to take urgent steps to improve land rights for the poor and outlines key recommendations for changing power relations between investors and local communities. Land and Power: The Growing Scandal Surrounding the New Wave of Investments in Land By B Zagema oxfam, 2011; 51 pp. Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/co9p74v Making the grade ■ Rapid changes in the agrifood markets of developing countries are affecting the abil- ity of agriculture to contribute to economic growth and sustainable development. In recognition of this challenge, research organisations from around the world set up Regoverning Markets, a three-year pro- gramme focusing on key ways to include small-scale farmers in dynamic national and regional agrifood markets. The aim was to identify best practices in connect- ing small-scale producers to new markets, and to bring these findings into the wider policy arena. This book highlights the key findings of the second phase of the programme. It documents cases in various parts of the developing world where smallholders have succeeded in making the grade. Among the examples highlighted is the case of small- scale farmers who are supplying rural supermarkets in South Africa and producer groups who have managed to tap new mar- kets in Togo. Perhaps just as important, the book asks why these producers were suc- cessful and looks at the potential for up- scaling and replication. reconnecting markets Edited by J Belt, J Berdegué, E Biénabe & L Peppelenbos Gower Publishing, 2011; 208 pp. ISBN 978-1-4094-3027-8 GBP65 • €76 Gower Publishing wey Court East, Union Road farnham, Surrey GU9 7PT United Kingdom fax: +44 (0)1252 736736 www.gowerpublishing.com Fair access to carbon rights Carbon rights, which can be bought and sold on markets, appear to offer interesting opportunities – so long as they do not sideline the poor. A briefing paper looks at how fairness can be built into this new commodity so that carbon trading schemes and REDD+ projects support the rural poor who rarely hold formal land ownership but are key players in putting sustainable forest management into practice. carbon righteousness: how to Lever Pro- Poor benefits from reDD+ By E y mohammed & C Schwarte IIED, 2011; 4 pp. Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/bv9hyj8 Rarely on tap ■ In spite of massive investment in the provision of rural water supply systems for developing countries, the reality is that few rural people have a reliable supply of this basic resource. Although progress is being made and rates of coverage are increasing, users often find that, once installed, water supply systems are poorly maintained and eventually break down, leaving them with an erratic supply. A study takes a critical look at the failure so far to provide a sustainable water service for rural people. It seeks to identify some of the most important factors that contribute to – or often hamper – the provision of this service. Drawing on case studies from 13 coun- tries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda, the book looks at a spectrum of approaches to rural water supply and examine which ones work and which ones do not. In doing so, it offers insights into ways countries and individual organisa- tions can move towards a service delivery approach. Supporting rural Water Supply: case Studies in a Service Delivery approach By h Lockwood & S Smits Practical Action, 2011; 200 pp. ISBN: 978-1-85339-729-5 US$29.95 • €23 for Practical Action’s address, see page 22. healthy and profitable ■ In a global economy, diversifying and expanding market opportunities are cru- cial prerequisites for agricultural growth. Vegetables have traditionally been excluded of the production portfolio for many coun- tries of the South, though they offer consid- erable scope for improving both incomes and food security. That trend appears to be changing, partly due to advances in produc- tion and transportation technology, but also due to changing consumer preferences. Developing countries have now become the main exporters of fresh and processed vegetables and though production in sub- Saharan Africa still lags behind, sales from the region have increased dramatically over the past two decades. Exploring the potential for vegetable production to alle- viate poverty, the authors also examine the impact of food production standards on various stakeholders and make an assess- ment of markets and marketing potential for various vegetables. There is a wealth of case studies from ACP countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia. Vegetable Production and marketing in africa: Socio-economic research Edited by D mithöfer & h waibel CABI, 2011; 288 pp. ISBN 978-1-84593-649-5 US$160 • €120 CABI Publishing Nosworthy way wallingford, oxfordshire oX10 8DE, UK fax: +44 (0) 1491 829198 www.cabi.org fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 23 To obTaIN PubLIcaTIoNS Titles marked with the logo can be obtained as follows: If you are a subscriber to cTa publications: Use one of these options. • If you have an account with http://publications.cta. int (launched 1 february), go on-line and select your books depending on the credit points you have, then click on ‘Add to shopping cart’ and ‘Proceed to checkout’. • If you do not have Internet access, you can continue using the order form supplied by CTA. If you are an acP organisation involved in agriculture but are not yet a subscriber to cTa publications, you can: Request a subscription: • On-line at http://publications. cta.int by clicking on ‘Apply for a free subscription’ • By post or email at pdsorders@cta.int If you are not an acP organisation involved in agriculture: you can buy the books from publishers or bookstores. Links to the publishers’ websites are available on http://publications.cta.int Some publications can also be downloaded free on http://publications.cta.int Titles marked with the symbol can be purchased from the publishers cited or from bookstores. PUBlICATIONS Seasonal stresses ■ In many ACP rural areas, a number of adverse factors come together at a partic- ular time of year, interlocking to produce what has become known as seasonality. The lowest point is generally seen during tropical rainy seasons, when the need for hard work coincides with vulnerability to sickness, lack of food, poverty of time and energy, shortage of money, isolation and lack of access to markets and services. The advent of climate change is compounding the problem, bringing more intense rainfall at wider intervals. Conditions and experiences of season- ality vary according to location, gender and resources. But as this book shows, the phenomenon is a severe constraint to sus- tainable rural livelihoods, and a driver of poverty and hunger. Many poor people in developing countries are ill equipped to cope with seasonal variations which can lead to drought or flood and consequences for agriculture, employment, food supply and the spread of disease. Embarking on a systematic study over 20 years, the book offers case study chapters exploring sea- sonal dimensions of livelihoods in Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi, amongst other tropical countries. Seasonality, rural Livelihoods and Development Edited By S Devereux, R Longhurst & R Sabates- wheeler Earthscan, 2011; 326 pp. ISBN 978-1-84971-325-2 GBP29.99 • €36 Earthscan Dunstan house 14a St Cross Street, London EC1N 8XA, UK fax: +44 (0)20 7242 1474 www.earthscan.co.uk Rewards for better land use Watershed degradation can be avoided by more sustainable land use, yet most landholders have little incentive to change practices. A report from Kenya describes how market research techniques have been used to find out which practices landholders prefer and how much of their land they can set aside in a payment for environmental services (PES) scheme. a conjoint analysis of Landholder Preferences for reward-based Land management contracts in Kapingazi Watershed, eastern mount Kenya B Balana, m mäkelä & T yatich Journal for Environmental management, 2011; 2 pp. Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/boaslwz The rush for biomass A briefing discusses the potential social impacts of biomass plantations in developing countries and calls for greater public scrutiny and debate on the issue. Rapid expansion of biomass energy in the global North is fuelling demand for wood and increasing interest in tree plantations in the South. biomass energy: another Driver of Land acquisitions? By L Cotula, L finnegan & D macqueen IIED, 2011; 4 pp. Downloadable as PDf file from: http://tinyurl.com/6dgxaf3 Value chains for development ■ Value chain development is fast emerg- ing as an essential tool for economic pro- gress in developing countries. The approach seeks to identify and address sector-specific bottlenecks that hinder the development of an industry and, in the case of agriculture, boost value for producers by strengthening all the links in the chain and helping them to work in synergy. This book charts the rise of value chain analysis from the sub-sector approach, and offers guidance on how to assess value chains, measure potential com- petitiveness and facilitate market-based interventions. Selected from among the best papers on this subject in the Enterprise Development and Microfinance journal, it contains 14 papers addressing issues that include micro enterprise support and devel- opment, franchises, facilitating small pro- ducers’ access to high-value markets and value chain financing in agriculture. The rise of business development services and business associations is also examined, as well as their impact. Value chains in Development: emerging Theory and Practice Edited by L Jones Practical Action, 2011; 192 pp. ISBN: 978-1-85339- 678-6 US$59.95 • €45 for Practical Action’s address, see page 22 24 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 GET ON BOARD www.cta.int Our dear colleague and friend Aboubacar Koda Traoré passed away suddenly on 1 January 2012. He was 47 years old. He is survived by his wife, Nana, and his two children, Malik and Ismael. Our deepest thoughts are with them at this time. (see page 26) 5 questioNs to aNdreW shepherd Senior Technical Advisor for Market-led Development Andrew Shepherd joined CTA in September 2011, taking up the post of Senior Technical Advisor for Market-Led Development. With over 25 years’ experience as a Marketing Economist with FAO, he brings substantial expertise to CTA as he helps to plan the value chains work programme. Key dates 1978 Left the Economist Intelligence Unit to start a career in agricultural marketing in Papua New Guinea. 1982 first consultancy for fAo – an integrated rural development project in Tanzania. 1985 Joined fAo’s Agricultural marketing Group in Rome. 1991 met my Brazilian wife on my only visit to Latin America for fAo. 2011 Retired from fAo and joined CTA. IN mEmoRy Sorrow at CTA 1 In its new Strategic Plan, CTA promotes the development of priority agriculture value chains. What are agriculture value chains? A value chain runs from the farmer to the consumer or end user. The concept embraces the marketing channels involved and all activities required to make the product and get it to the consumer. The value chain approach is helpful when analysing or developing chains that link farmers to the specific demands of buyers, such as agro-processors, supermarkets or exporters. ‘Demand-led’ production requires greater commitment from everyone in the chain than the more traditional ‘supply-led’ approach, where farmers produce something and then try to sell it. 2 To better understand the value chain landscape, CTA conducted a mapping study. What did this reveal? While much work had been done on applying the value chain concept to agriculture in ACP countries, most people in this region still feel uncomfortable using the approach. Existing methodologies tend to be complex, mainly used by donor agencies, and generic, not taking into account the region-specific situations. Region-specific methodologies and training materials must be created for use by ACP countries. 3 Where do you see CTA’s role in developing value chains? There is a lack of clarity on the understanding of the value chain approach. CTA can help to improve this by ensuring that more people are aware and informed of the issues. CTA can assist with multi- stakeholder development as a tool for promoting communication in value chains. 4 How does the value chain programme fit within CTA? The new value chain approach fits well with CTA’s existing strengths in the areas of ICTs and communication. Activities will be carried out by staff from various disciplines across the team and not just by a small number of value chain specialists. There is also a close connection between value chain promotion and CTA’s work to support policy development. 5 Can you give us some examples of some of the products and services planned for value chains this year? The major activity will be an International Conference on Value Chains for Agricultural and Rural Development. CTA will take the lead in organising this, working closely with other agencies and the private sector. The programme is in the early stages of development but probable issues to be addressed include how to make agricultural value chains more sustainable, how to scale up value chain development initiatives so that they benefit many more farmers than at present, and how to make the value chain approach more relevant to ACP countries. © L S er pa L op es © G R am ba ld i fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 25 On 1 February 2012, CTA launched its latest website, http://publications.cta.int. This is the address of CTA Publishing, the ultimate agricultural development online publications catalogue. The new website is not simply an updated version of CTA’s old e-catalogue. It has additional functionali- ties offering the user an enhanced experi- ence. For the first time it is now possible to order publications from CTA online as well as to track the status of a recently placed order. The new site also allows visitors to apply for a new Spore or pub- lications subscription online. Additionally, subscribers can now update their personal account details on the site, ensuring that they receive the latest issue of Spore after they have moved home or changed jobs. Discovering the latest publi- cations and best sellers is also easier, with a more user-friendly layout and advanced search function. Visitors to the site can browse by language (English, French or Portuguese), title, topic or even series. Users are also invited to sign up for CTA Publishing’s monthly e-newsletter ensuring they will never miss out on the latest CTA publications. For those without internet access, order- ing CTA publications by post is, of course, still possible. In fact, CTA has just brought out the 2012 publications catalogue. If you would like a copy, contact CTA today. • CTA is currently conducting a study of its online presence. The aim is to streamline the various sites making it easier for visitors to discover what CTA has to offer. • CTA’s 2012 International Conference will be on the topic of value chains for agricultural and rural development. More details in upcoming issues of Spore. SMS GoING DIGITAL New online publications catalogue (continued from page 25) Born and raised in Niger, Koda studied Information Science at the University of Benin and ICT and Development at the University of Limoges. He joined CTA in 1994 following a successful career at the Ministry of Agriculture in Niger. With remarkable talent, initiative, innova- tiveness and rigour, Koda managed numer- ous information programmes including, the Question-and-Answer Service, the Rural Radio Packs and the Seminars Support Programme. As Programme Coordinator of CTA’s ICT4Dev Programme, he designed and implemented CTA’s Electronic Resource Centre, and was also instrumental in sup- porting market information system devel- opment. Lately, he coordinated the maga- zine ICT Update, involving more ACP ICT specialists in the determination of its content. In recent years he developed a keen inter- est in the support of information platforms bringing agricultural know-how to the pro- ducer. Through this he was involved in pro- jects with the Farmer Field Schools, and in partnerships with RESIMAO, FEMNET and with the CMA-AOC Observatories. Koda was an advocate of the telecentre movement, promoting the development of technically, economically and socially sustainable approaches to the sector. The impact he had on the ground is best sum- marised by one of his many partners, SATNET: “[His death] is a blow to the tele- centre movement and knowledge networks in Africa [...]. He has been very instrumen- tal and passionate in championing develop- ment and support to ICTs in Africa at CTA. [...] Koda is one of the key contributors to champion livelihoods in Africa through ICTs and telecentres.” More recently Koda sought to bring ICTs, information and knowledge closer to small farmers and other agricultural stakeholders and rural communities through community informatics initiatives. He was a firm believer in building a knowledge economy from the grass roots. Regardless of the project, Koda met each task with professionalism, passion, good humour and an openness to new ideas and thinking. He was extremely conscious of the social and human dimensions and implica- tions of the projects he managed or he was involved in. He touched the lives of every- one he worked with. A true gentleman, Koda’s kindness, warmth and generosity of spirit will be greatly missed. We have lost an outstanding col- league and friend. A blog has been set up to allow those wish- ing to leave their condolences to do so. These will be shared with Koda’s family. http://kodatraore.cta.int. Messages can also be sent to the email address kodatraore-memoriam@cta.int © C TA IN mEmoRy CTA loses a beloved friend and a great colleague GET ON BOARD 26 | SPoRE 157 | fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 Extending the value chain David mwangi miano’s interview on community-based extension in issue n° 156 generated a substantial number of reader comments. mr David otieno wrote to say he was excited at the market linkage approach highlighted in the interview. In his opinion, the development sector must aggressively pursue this sort of linkage in order to address the effects of poverty. he comments that smallholder farmers are extremely enterprising irrespective of where they come from, but one of the challenges they all face is access to credit. he believes that with assured credit farmers would be able to produce the right quality and quantity of goods for consumption and markets. Taking the argument one step further, he suggests that partnerships with likeminded commercial banks and other financial institutions should be pursued to support the small farmer. he sees this as having wider-reaching effects than just completing the linkage on the value chain, to developing an investment attitude and savings culture in rural households. mr octavian mghanga also reacted to the interview, commenting that community- based extension services can be made sustainable if proper value chain concepts are incorporated in them. he believes that this concept enables poor farmers to get access to niche markets resulting in increased income. The subsequent effect of this is more available income to pay the community-based extension providers. mr yusuff Sakiru writes to say the government should become involved and formulate a policy which should be strictly followed. he wants to see more extension workers recruited, a focus on results-oriented services and better educated farmers. What do you think? Ginger mr mamadou bamba was interested to learn of the opportunities in ginger for small producers. he hopes that the market demand for this spice will continue. Getting farmers on board with climate change The editorial on agriculture in climate change negotiations in issue n° 155 struck a chord with several readers. mr Norbert eboh aired his concerns about the limited farmers’ awareness of the impact of climate change in agriculture. he wonders how farmers can increase their awareness of the issues. he believes that ACP governments should be called upon to invest heavily in agriculture. however, as one of our malawian readers, mr Goodfellow Tsilizani, demonstrates, some farmers are very much aware of the effects of climate change. mr Tsilizani has observed several changes in his environment over the last months which have helped him better predict dry spells and erratic rains. Socially acceptable fertilisers having read the article ‘free but shunned’ in issue n° 152, Spore reader mr Goodfellow Tsilizani wrote to share his thoughts on urine fertilisers. he suggests a novel way of overcoming the unpopularity of urine as a fertiliser due to bad odour and its short life span. he has found that blending urine with lemongrass eliminates the repulsive odour and decelerates the decomposition. he cites the example of Bionitrate, a urine blend fertiliser which is sold in malawi for US$1 per litre and is socially acceptable. GET ON BOARD M@il box Reader services Write to Spore CTA — Spore redaction Po Box 380 6700 AJ wageningen The Netherlands fax: +31 317 460067 Email: spore@cta.int Subscribe to Spore SUBSCRIPTIoNS foR ThE PRINTED vERSIoN ARE: • Free for organisations and individuals involved in rural development and residing in an ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) or EU country: - via http://publications.cta.int by clicking on ‘Apply for a free subscription’ - by post (Po Box 173, 6700 AJ wageningen, the Netherlands) or send an email to spore@cta.int • for other individuals and organisations: €36 annually (6 issues) from: SmI (Distribution Services) Ltd Po Box 119 Stevenage hertfordshire SG1 4TP United Kingdom fax: + 44 1438 748844 Email: CTA @earthprint.co.uk SUBSCRIBE To Spore E-NoUNCEmENT Subscribe to the free Spore email summary (90 Kb) at: http://spore.cta.int or send a blank email to join-spore-en@lists.cta.int for text-only: join-spore-text-en@lists.cta.int further information available from: spore@cta.int READ SPoRE oN-LINE • Internet: see spore.cta.int Reproduce Spore • Articles in Spore can be freely reproduced for non-commercial use, if credited as coming from Spore. Please send a copy to the editors. • Reproduction for commercial use requires prior permission. fEBRUARy-mARCh 2012 | SPoRE 157 | 27