Productivity on ecological organic farms in the tropics

This factsheet discusses some best organic practices for good yields in ecological organic systems, the role of diversity, and highlights some opportunities and challenges with selected crops in organic production. The information is based on long-term experiments and on-farm research conducted in the scope of three projects across different countries in Africa, as well as Bolivia and India. Further products in the series, e.g., posters, videos and more, are linked in the 'Further information' section on the last page of this factsheet

Profitability on ecological organic farms in the Tropics

This factsheet introduces the ways in which organic farmers can be profitable, and highlights some of the major factors from the experiences of the research related to profitability, namely: labour, organic inputs, best practices and market access. The information is based on long-term experiments and on-farm research conducted in the scope of three projects across different countries in Africa, as well as Bolivia and India. Further products in the series, e.g., posters, videos and more, are linked in the 'Further information' section on the last page of this factsheet

Afrika-Strategie des FiBL 2021-2025

Diese Strategie leitet unsere Arbeit nach und in Afrika und positioniert das Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau FiBL klar als Brückenbauer zwischen Forschung und Entwicklung, die zur Evidenzbasis für die Anpassung und Förderung des biologischen Landbaus und anderer agrarökologischer Ansätze beiträgt, um Partner in Afrika zu befähigen und nachhaltige/biologische Ernährungssysteme von der Produktion bis zur Gesundheit und Ernährung der Verbraucher zu erreichen. Das FiBL ist zwar ein relativ kleiner Akteur in der Forschung und Entwicklung in Afrika, wir sehen jedoch eine grosse Chance in der engen Zusammenarbeit mit lokalen Partnern, die am besten in der Lage sind, das von ihnen gewünschte Ernährungssystem aufzubauen, welches die Bedürfnisse des Planeten, der Bauern und der Verbraucher berücksichtigt

Africa Strategy of FiBL 2021-2025

This strategy guides our work on and in Africa and positions the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL clearly as a bridge-builder between research and development, contributing to the evidence-base for the adaptation and promotion of organic agriculture and other agroecological approaches to empower partners in Africa and achieve sustainable/ecological organic food systems from production to consumer health and nutrition. While FiBL is a relatively small player in research and development in Africa, we see leverage in our close collaboration with local partners, who are best positioned to build the food system they want, incorporating the needs of the planet, farmers, and consumers

Blanching and drying period affect moisture loss and vitamin C content in Ziziphus mauritiana (Lamk.)

Wider utilization of Ziziphus mauritania (Lamk) Ber fruits in sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by the rapid deterioration of the fresh fruits and darkening of sun-dried fruits. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of pre-drying treatment, drying method and the subsequent duration of storage on the quality attributes of Z. mauritiana fruits harvested from the Zambezi Valley. The vitamin C content was high at the beginning of the drying period and progressively decreased as the drying increased, and was lowest at three weeks for all drying methods. Effect of drying method was not significant (P > 0.05). The purity (chroma) and lightness (value) of fruit colour decreased (P < 0.001) with increasing drying duration irrespective of the drying method. Blanching fruits before drying significantly (P< 0.001) decreased the colour chroma of the fruits (6.4) in comparison with non-blanched fruits (6.6). Further work to determine the causes of darkening in drying Z. mauritiana fruits and sensory evaluations to determine the level of darkening that is acceptable to consumers is warranted

Do organic farming initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa improve the sustainability of smallholder farmers? Evidence from five case studies in Ghana and Kenya

Organic agriculture (OA) is often regarded as a sustainable agricultural pathway for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, and an increasing number of initiatives promoting OA were initiated over the last decades. However, holistic empirical evidence on the effects of such initiatives on the sustainability of smallholder farmers is still scanty. We analyzed the effects of five initiatives promoting OA on farm-level sustainability. We selected farmers exposed to the initiatives (n = 678) and control farms (n = 957) in five different case studies, two implemented in Ghana and three in Kenya. We used a farm-level multi-criteria assessment tool that evaluates to what extent the environmental, social, economic, and governance sustainability goals formulated in the FAO-SAFA Guidelines are addressed by farmers. We found that the initiatives had limited effects on reducing farmers reliance on chemical inputs use (pesticides and synthetic fertilizers) and uptake of organic or agro-ecological practices. Nevertheless, the results show that the initiatives were able to trigger significant (p-value < 0.05) positive effects mainly for the environmental sustainability goals. In contrast, the goals within the economic, social and good governance sustainability dimensions were rarely affected. Moreover, certified initiatives had more frequently a positive sustainability effect compared to uncertified initiatives

SysCom and ProEcoAfrica/OFSA projects (Project brief)

There is continued global debate on which agricultural production systems are more productive, natural resource conserving, environmentally friendly, economically viable and accepted by society. Many stakeholders have raised concerns about the long-term impact of conventional agriculture on soil productivity, yields and the ecosystem. Organic agriculture is one of the prominent alternative farming approaches, advocated for its benefits to health, environment and social welfare, but is generally perceived as not productive enough to meet growing food demands. Several studies conducted under temperate environments (mostly in Europe or Northern America) have established the benefits of organic farming over conventional farming. However, it has been questioned whether organic agriculture can contribute to sustainable development in tropical conditions. SysCom and ProEcoAfrica/ OFSA projects aim to fill this knowledge gap by working closely with farmers to design and undertake research in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, India and Bolivia

Diversification on Organic Farms

The manual highlights generic approaches to farm diversification under organic management. It has been developed with the understanding that farmers live in various contexts that may require unique adaptations of these guidelines

Pest and Disease Management in Selected Organic Crops - A Resource Manual for Trainers

This manual presents the principles of organic pest and disease management as well as specific measures that apply to particular pests and diseases of cocoa, field beans, groundnuts, and soybeans grown in Africa. The training manual further outlines some of the regulatory considerations for use of various inputs in organic crop production, especially when farmers are considering marketing

Pest and Disease Management in Selected Organic Crops - A Resource Manual for Trainers

This manual presents the principles of organic pest and disease management as well as specific measures that apply to particular pests and diseases of cocoa, field beans, groundnuts, and soybeans grown in Africa. The training manual further outlines some of the regulatory considerations for use of various inputs in organic crop production, especially when farmers are considering marketing