Inside Youth Bases. Case of Selected bases in Zimbabwe

The study explored the dynamics within political bases with a view to establishing interyouth relationships inter-base dynamics and base-youth challenges This was a qualitative study following an exploratory design It employed the Social Modelling and Cognitive Theory which argues that youth learn aggression and belligerence from modelling behaviour The study focused on selected five political bases in Harare and Mashonaland Central provinces which have all existed during the elections of 2002 2008 and 2013 though the study focusses on 2008 and 2013 plebiscites Data were collected through structured interviews with 25 youth aged between 17 and 35 years and complimented by archival records and previous studie

Readiness to use e-learning for agricultural higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results from a survey of faculty members

E-learning is likely to be an increasingly important element in teaching agriculture and related subjects at universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors involved in determining the readiness and intention to adopt e-learning by faculty members at member institutions of the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE). The study was based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) to predict intentions on the use of e-learning. DTPB draws on constructs influencing the attitude to use technology from two frequently investigated models in this area, that is, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the technology acceptance model (TAM). Valid responses were collected from 70 faculty members with a survey questionnaire. Validated scales from previous research were used to measure the variables of interest. The results revealed that the majority of the respondents have only limited access to ICT infrastructure and support services. However, they perceived e-learning to be very useful in general and to have the potential to enhance their teaching-related activities

A decision support tool for propagating Miombo indigenous fruit trees of southern Africa

Indigenous fruit trees (IFTs) contribute to the livelihoods of rural households as sources of food, income and medicine. Conservation and domestication of IFTs involve germplasm selection, collection,multiplication and evaluation. In addition, biodiversity and genetic improvements have been realized through propagation. However, there are numerous challenges when propagating indigenous trees andthe choice of appropriate propagation techniques determines the success of domestication programme. In this paper we synthesize different propagation methods used for indigenous fruit trees,and propose a decision support tool based on desirable attributes of individual IFT, technical requirements, expertise of the propagators and relative cost of implementing the technology in addition to field performance and tree management. Depending on circumstances, this decision support tool can be used to quickly choose a propagation method for a given fruit tree so as to maximize on germplasm collection, multiplication and evaluation without compromising field performance and management of the fruit trees

Joint Impact Assessment of CTA's support to ANAFE (2003-2013)

The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) as a key partner of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) was involved in the joint Capacity-centred Impact Pathway (CcIPA) study initiated in October 2012

Enhancing integrated approaches in agricultural learning systems using experiences from agroforestry

Small-scale farmers integrate biophysical factors with social, economic, cultural and environmental considerations in managing complex farming systems. This contrasts sharply with universities’ typical organization of knowledge, where reductionist approaches prevail. Such fragmentation leads to graduates with insufficient competence in the analysis of farming systems. Thirty years of agroforestry research have expanded our understanding of complex farming systems and mosaic landscapes. Tools derived from such research can enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Using experiences in Africa and Southeast Asia, this paper argues that agroforestry education contributes to better understanding of integrated production systems – and gradates who are better prepared to advise farmers

Economic framework for integrating environmental stewardship into food security strategies in low-income countries: case of agroforestry in southern African region

One of the greatest challenges in many Sub-Saharan Africa countries especially where seasonal food deficits occur frequently, is how best to achieve a balance between the goals of food security and agricultural production on the one hand, and the concerns for the conservation of environmental quality and natural resources capital on the other. A number of agricultural production technologies (based on natural resource management principles) exist that offer opportunities for achieving the two seemingly divergent goals because they have the characteristics to produce joint multiple outputs, i.e, they produce food and provide environmental services. However, farmer adoption of these technologies has generally been limited. Drawing from natural resource economics, this study presents a conceptual framework that provide environmental-economic logic for establishing incentives that internalize the environmental services produced by multiple-outputs land use technologies. Using a land use practice based on agroforestry principles (that is, “improved tree fallows”) as a case study, this paper synthesizes studies carried out in southern Africa region for over a decade. It then discusses how the potential impacts of the technological advances made in research and development are affected by policy and institutional constraints, among other challenges. With particular emphasis on the socio-economic context in southern Africa, the paper identifies options for addressing these institutional and policy constraints in order to facilitate adoption of multi-output land use practices by farmers and unlock their potential to meet food production goals for individual households and environmental services for the wider society.Keywords: Adoption, Agri-Environmental quality, Environmental services, Natural resource economics, Payment for environmental services, Science-policy linkage

Learning agrobiodiversity: options for universities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Proceedings of a regional workshop, 21-23 January 2009, Nairobi, Kenya

Agrobiodiversity needs to enter university curricula in a broader fashion, to prepare graduates for both conserving and using agrobiodiversity sustainably. To tackle this issue, the first regional consultation on agrobiodiversity education in Sub-Saharan Africa was held in January 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop featured expert presentations on key aspects of agrobiodiversity, pointing at the knowledge and skills required in graduates. Workshop participants from 16 African and two European countries identified key issues for teaching and learning agrobiodiversity and outlined a framework for integrating the subject in university curricula. An action plan was developed and a task force was assigned to follow up the workshop recommendations

Managing fodder trees as a solution to human-livestock food conflicts and their contribution to income generation for smallholder farmers in southern Africa

Livestock production is an integral part of smallholder farming systems in southern Africa. While goats and sheep play some role in the smallholder farmer household economy, cattle are the predominant livestock species supplying draught power, milk, manure and meat. Production of cattle is based on range grazing. However, the nutritive value of the range is generally low depending on vegetation type and season. With the rapid increase in human population in southern Africa and the increasing need to produce staple food on a sustainable basis, smallholder farmers are increasingly encroaching onto lands formerly reserved for livestock grazing. Therefore, livestock subsisting on the range require supplementation. Conventional bought-in supplements are expensive. Fodder trees and shrubs have been integrated within some farming systems of southern Africa as fodder banks with varying degrees of success. Work carried out in Tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe is reviewed to provide evidence on how the fodder tree technology has impacted on livestock production with special reference to smallholder dairy production, human food production and smallholder farmers' income. For the wider adoption of the technology, a synopsis of the different scaling up pathways and approaches adopted by research and development agencies is presente

A simple method of formulating least-cost diets for smallholder dairy production in subSaharan Africa,”

Smallholder dairy farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are constrained by inadequate supply of good quality protein sources particularly during the dry season. Commercial protein concentrates are expensive and not readily accessible. Multipurpose forage legumes and other non-conventional protein sources available on-farm have been promoted as alternative cheaper protein sources. The major problem faced by smallholder dairy farmers however is the formulation of diets balanced for the key nutrients and also being cost-efficient. This paper presents a step by step spreadsheet based procedure of diet formulation for smallholder dairy production. The procedure ensures that the diet is balanced for all the key nutrients, is low-cost and the user has significant control over the formulation process. An example using this formulation method incorporating the fodder legumes Leucaena diversifolia, Leucaena pallida, Leucaena esculenta, Acacia angustissima and Calliandra calothyrsus indicate a cost reduction from 10% on C. calothyrsus to 30% on L. diversifolia inclusion when compared to the conventional dairy meal concentrate (US$ 0.34/kg). This ration formulation method is recommended for use by livestock extension advisors and smallholder dairy farmers to quickly formulate low-cost diets using locally available feed sources so as to optimise the feeding of dairy animals at the farm level

Improving adoption of technologies and interventions for increasing supply of quality feed in low- and middle-income countries

The global increase in the demand for and production of animal-source foods (four-to five-fold increase between 1960 and 2015), which has been mostly concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), provides smallholder livestock producers with an opportunity for improving their livelihoods and food and nutrition security. However, across livestock production systems in many LMIC, limited supplies and high cost of good quality feed severely constrains exploitation of this opportunity. In many of such countries, feeds and feeding-related issues are often ranked as the primary constraint to livestock production and increased consumption of animal-source foods. Here we review the complex biophysical, socio-economic and technological challenges related to improving quality feed supply and the reasons for generally low adoption of apparently proven feed enhancement technologies. We describe also successful interventions and conclude by recommending strategies for improving quality feed supply in LMIC that account for and overcome the prevailing challenges