The power dynamics in co-management of forestry resources: the case of the mafungautsi forest reserve in Gokwe (Zimbabwe)

Although governance innovations that involve moving powers closer to the citizens are receiving increasing policy support, their implementation is not without problems. This study uses review and case study approach to critically examine the contradictions and ambiguities of "peasant empowerment" in a co- management venture between Zimbabwean foresters and peasant communities. The institutional infrastructure for co- management was derived from and superimposed upon a complex web of local power bases, further fragmenting existing networks of interest, affection and association, and thus limiting the scope for co- management. The legislative environment, at least during the pre -2000 period, supported the expropriation and control of the land and resources of peasant communities, thus contradicting the underlying principle of co- management, which is that of co -equal partnership. Powers over natural resources have remained centralized in the national state; the little power that has been decentralised has been transferred to levels that are not close enough to the citizens. Furthermore, there is no legislation that gives a legal mandate and fiscal autonomy to units closer to the citizens than the district level. The co- management venture is "supply -led" rather than "demand driven ", implemented on the terms and conditions of their allies in the state bureaucracies responsible for natural resource management. However, in spite of their marginalisation, peasant communities continue to have a wide repertoire of tools, which enable them to significantly penetrate local and broader political processes. The study identifies the need for fundamental changes in the co- management system, including the creation of downwardly accountable institutions and experimentation with new co- management relations. It argues that such changes require related reversals in the ways that researchers, policy -makers, civil society organizations and other facilitators have traditionally conducted their business. The central thesis is that the state and other external actors have sought to mould seemingly local institutions and have tried to discipline these institutions towards the achievement of top -down conservation objectives.

Addressing conflict through collective action in natural resource management

The food security crisis and international “land grabs” have drawn renewed attention to the role of natural resource competition in the livelihoods of the rural poor. While significant empirical research has focused on diagnosing the links between natural resource competition and (violent) conflict, much less has focused on the dynamics of whether and how resource competition can be transformed to strengthen social-ecological resilience and mitigate conflict. Focusing on this latter theme, this review synthesizes evidence from cases in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Building on an analytical framework designed to enable such comparative analysis, we present several propositions about the dynamics of conflict and collective action in natural resource management, and a series of recommendations for action. These propositions are: that collective action in natural resource management is influenced by the social-ecological and governance context, that natural resource management institutions affect the incentives for conflict or cooperation, and that the outcomes of these interactions influence future conflict risk, livelihoods, and resource sustainability. Action recommendations concern policies addressing resource tenure, conflict resolution mechanisms, and social inequalities, as well as strategies to strengthen collective action institutions in the natural resource sectors and to enable more equitable engagement by marginalized groups in dialogue and negotiation over resource access and use

CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa and CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality: Stakeholder Consultation Workshop

A stakeholder consultation workshop was conducted by the CGIAR Initiatives on Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi) and Gender Equality on 31 January 2023 at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop aimed to identify and address barriers that limit participation of women and youth and how these are addressed in an ongoing "Veggies for People and Planet" program at the World Vegetable Center. The workshop also sought to investigate existing opportunities and recommend possible integrated solutions for more equitable and inclusive value chain development

One Hundred Priority Questions for the Development of Sustainable Food Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an expected doubling of human population and tripling of food demand over the next quarter century, posing a range of severe environmental, political, and socio-economic challenges. In some cases, key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in direct conflict, raising difficult policy and funding decisions, particularly in relation to trade-offs between food production, social inequality, and ecosystem health. In this study, we used a horizon-scanning approach to identify 100 practical or research-focused questions that, if answered, would have the greatest positive impact on addressing these trade-offs and ensuring future productivity and resilience of food-production systems across sub-Saharan Africa. Through direct canvassing of opinions, we obtained 1339 questions from 331 experts based in 55 countries. We then used online voting and participatory workshops to produce a final list of 100 questions divided into 12 thematic sections spanning topics from gender inequality to technological adoption and climate change. Using data on the background of respondents, we show that perspectives and priorities can vary, but they are largely consistent across different professional and geographical contexts. We hope these questions provide a template for establishing new research directions and prioritising funding decisions in sub-Saharan Africa

One hundred priority questions for the development of sustainable food systems in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an expected doubling of human population and tripling of food demand over the next quarter century, posing a range of severe environmental, political, and socio-economic challenges. In some cases, key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in direct conflict, raising difficult policy and funding decisions, particularly in relation to trade-offs between food production, social inequality, and ecosystem health. In this study, we used a horizon-scanning approach to identify 100 practical or research-focused questions that, if answered, would have the greatest positive impact on addressing these trade-offs and ensuring future productivity and resilience of food-production systems across sub-Saharan Africa. Through direct canvassing of opinions, we obtained 1339 questions from 331 experts based in 55 countries. We then used online voting and participatory workshops to produce a final list of 100 questions divided into 12 thematic sections spanning topics from gender inequality to technological adoption and climate change. Using data on the background of respondents, we show that perspectives and priorities can vary, but they are largely consistent across different professional and geographical contexts. We hope these questions provide a template for establishing new research directions and prioritising funding decisions in sub-Saharan Africa

Institutional settings and livelihood strategies in the Blue Nile Basin: implications for upstream/downstream linkages

River basins / Water policy / Institutions / Institutional development / Farming systems / Mixed farming / Cereals / Sorghum / Irrigated farming / Vegetables / Pastoralism / Poverty / Water supply / Sanitation / Labor / Ecosystems / Energy / Water power / Watershed management / Water harvesting / Legal aspects / Environmental policy / Water users associations / Irrigation programs

Why gender matters: reflections from the Livestock-Water Productivity Research Project

Livestock water productivity (LWP) is becoming a major area of research. IWMI and ILRI are attempting to understand the gender implications of different interventions to increase LWP, through research funded by BMZ (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung). This paper draws on research conducted in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and also the wealth of information emerging from the Multiple Use Systems Project (CPWF Project 28 on www.musproject.net). Some of the emerging results show that technological innovations are not gender neutral, because their design, timing, and labor requirements have differential gender implications. Some technological interventions to increase livestock water productivity might result in more work for women and fewer benefits going to the women. Secondly, gender and power relationships also shape the benefit terrain, which results in differential access and control of the benefits from the improved livestock water productivity. What matters is not just improving livestock water productivity, but the type of livestock targeted. Smaller livestock are seen to be largely benefiting women, thereby improving education and health prospects of the children within poorer households more than larger livestock. Therefore improving LWP does not necessarily result in improved well-being for men, women, and children and reduce poverty at large. Gender nuanced interventions are likely to contribute toward improvements in the livelihoods of both men and women

Three ways to improve water productivity in Zimbabwe

A poster prepared for the ILRI Annual Program Meeting (APM) 2010, held at ILRI campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 14-17, 2010