Socio-Economic Analysis of Conservation Agriculture in Southern Africa.

More than four decades after the start of the Green Revolution, agricultural scientists continue to face the challenge of increasing food production to meet the demands of a growing population, particularly in developing countries. Of most concern to scientists is that the sources of agricultural productivity growth (improved varieties, fertilizer and water) have been in use for the last two to three decades, but with no significant yield gains, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. As the demand for food continues to increase, there are now added requirements, not only to provide food security for a growing population, but also to provide more nutritious food to make protein, vitamins and some essential minerals more available, particularly for the most vulnerable communities such as households affected by HIV/AIDS

Coordinating and Advocating for Conservation Agriculture Policies in Southern Africa

Agriculture plays a dominant role in the economic development of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite problems associated with productivity growth, agriculture is a key for spurring growth, getting large numbers of people out of poverty, and is a principal route to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (World Bank, 2009). Agriculture is to be considered more than simply an economic activity – it is a key for food security and thus for survival, a means of livelihood and culture, and a provider of environmental services but also a major source of environmental degradation if unsustainable practices are used. Agriculture currently accounts for about 30 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) gross domestic product (GDP), at least 40 percent of export value, and approximately 70-80 percent of employment (FAO, 2006; IMF 2006; World Bank, 2006; World Bank, 2007b). More than 75 percent of the total population in Southern Africa live in rural areas and the majority of them are smallholder households involved in agricultural activities (FAO, 2006; ILO, 2007)

Assessing the contributions of conservation agriculture to building resilience to drought, Conservation Agriculture Literature Review

This literature review summarises theory and evidence of the contribution of conservation agriculture (CA) to resilience in the event of drought. A resilient agricultural system is able to continue to function and provide essential ecosystem services, such as food provisioning, following an external shock. If drought occurs, a more resilient system should offer higher productivity and food security. The review asks whether CA improves productivity and food security when rainfall is poor, and what aspects of CA contribute most to these benefits. The review will guide the design of a field study on the impacts of CA after the 2015/16 El Nino drought in southern Africa. Conservation agriculture combines three basic sets of technologies or practices: i) minimum or reduced tillage, ii) maintenance of soil surface cover using crop residues, and iii) crop diversification using rotations. CA has been identified as a climate smart agricultural practice because it improves crop productivity, improves resilience of cropping systems to climate change, and mitigates greenhouse gases. In Southern Africa two forms of CA have recently been promoted: a manual version based on digging planting basins, and a mechanised practice based on the use of soil rippers and direct seeders or jab planters. Due, in part, to inaccessibility of CA equipment, most smallholder farmers in the region are practising manual CA techniques..

Economic Impact Evaluation of the ICRISAT Jewels

Agricultural research and development (R&D) can address a range of strategic priorities including food sufficiency, poverty alleviation, sustainable resource management, and women’s empowerment among others. Given the diverse forms of impact possible, measuring the full impact of a given technology is likely to require a multidimensional approach. While the goals of R&D are many, the return on investment constitutes a basic gauge for evaluation. Determining the value of crop production generated per dollar invested in developing a crop technology can indicate whether the investment was warranted and the scale of the pay-off to successful programs. This analysis, therefore, presents both baseline and pessimistic results for ICRISAT crop variety initiatives such as Drought Tolerant Groundnuts in Anantapur District, India (1991-2020), Malawi (1983-2013) and Nigeria (1996-2013), Extra-Early Pearl Millet Hybrid in Northwestern India (1999-2013), Pigeonpea in Northern Tanzania (1993-2022), Wilt Resistant Pigeonpea in India (1975-2013), fertilizer microdosing in Zimbabwe (1999-2013) and Niger (1994-2013), HPRC Pearl Millet in India and HPRC Sorghum Hybrids in India. The report also looks at an assessment of return on investment on Watershed Management in Lucheba, China (2003-2013). For projects that have not yet matured, an ex-ante analysis is carried out for the following; Guinea-Race Sorghum Hybrids in Mali (2000-2024), Sweet Sorghum in India (2002-2020) and Pigeonpea Genome in India (2010-2024)

Socioeconomic and institutional factors influencing adoption of conservation farming by vulnerable households in Zimbabwe

Since 2004, there has been a series of initiatives in Zimbabwe to promote conservation agriculture (CA) through various donor-funded relief initiatives with the aim of improving crop production among vulnerable farmers. In April 2007, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) implemented a survey to collect data from 12 districts and 232 households that had been practicing hand hoe-based conservation farming (CF) for at least one prior season with extension and input support from non-governmental organizations. This study was undertaken to better understand the household and institutional factors that influence CF adoption patterns among the beneficiaries of these relief initiatives. Results from the study show that institutional support and agro-ecological location have strong statistical influence on the adoption intensity of different CF components. Besides the practice of preparing basins, at least 70% of the households had also adopted the following components of CF: manure application in the planting basin, topdressing with nitrogen fertilizer at the 5-6 leaf stage of the cereal crop, and timely post-planting weeding. Household labor availability and impacts of HIV/AIDS did not limit the intensity of adoption of CF. An enterprise budget analysis proved that because of the significant yield gains realized with CF, the technology is more viable than conventional tillage practices of broadcasting manure and overall spring tillage on the day of planting. The increased profitability in adopting CF was also reflected in steady increases in the area each household committed to CF from an average area of 1450 m2 in 2004 to more than 2000 m2 in 2007

The impacts of the El Niño-induced drought on seed security in Southern Africa: implications for humanitarian response and food security

As part of a strategy to address the effects of the recent El Niño and its impact on the agriculture sector, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) undertook a seed and other agricultural inputs assessment in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). South Africa was also assessed even if it was not one of the focus countries, to determine the potential of seed and other input (e.g. fertilizer) exports to other countries in the region. The assessment was conducted by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in collaboration with Southern African Development Community (SADC) Seed Centre, Governments, Non-governmental Organizations (Catholic Relief Services(CRS) and OXFAM)), National Agricultural Marketing Council of South Africa (NAMAC), the Feed the Future Seed Trade Project and private sector actors. The objectives of the assessment were (i) to assess current seed security situation in drought affected areas to understand constraints and opportunities for intervention (ii) to guide short and long-term field programming and (iii) to build the capacity of national stakeholders to mainstream seed security assessments in national processes..

Determinants of Relief Seed Use and Crop Productivity among Vulnerable Households in Zimbabwe

The study quantifies factors affecting use of relief maize seed and implications on productivity in Zimbabwe. It uses Tobit and multiple regression models to analyze data collected from relief recipient households in 2010. Regression analysis showed that time of seed receipt, land area, rainfall and hybrid seed had strong influence on relief seed utilization rates. This underscores the need for timely input distribution before the onset of the rainy season. Rainfall, basal fertilizers, use of hybrid seed and conservation agriculture were significant in increasing relief maize yield. These results are consistent with the current thrust on the green revolution for Africa, centered on promoting increased fertiliser use, conservation of soil and water and modern varieties as interventions for increasing agricultural productivity in Africa. Increased policy efforts should be placed on increasing access to hybrid maize seed and fertilizers as well as promoting conservation agriculture

Conservation Agriculture practices and challenges in Zimbabwe

An increasing number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) through funding from multiple donors are promoting conservation agriculture (CA) in the smallholder areas of Zimbabwe. CA has been seen as technology option that can increase yields of a wide range of crops by resource-poor farmers even in drier agro-ecological regions. Farmers across Zimbabwe have shown a growing interest in the CA technology with evidence of yield gains of between 10 and more than 100% depending on input levels and the experience of the farm household (Mazvimavi et al., 2008). Cases of spontaneous adoption are being observed in areas where demonstrations and training programs have been well supported by NGOs, research and extension institutes. However there have been arguments that CA adoption in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is low due to the socio economic conditions in which CA is implemented (Giller et al.,2009) and that CA can only improve food security in SSA if farmers have access to herbicides and fertilizers (Gowing and Palmer, 2008). This study was aimed at assessing the adoption trends of CA principles and practices in smallholder areas of Zimbabwe. The study also assessed the socioeconomic impacts of CA technologies to vulnerable farm households

Economic profitability and risk analyses of improved sorghum varieties in Tanzania

This study uses survey data collected in 2012/2013 farming season to determine the net-returns and utility-efficient farm management practices for improved sorghum varieties adopted by small-scale farmers in Tanzania. The reference farm management practice was using JEMBE (handhole) for land cultivation and growing local varieties (landraces). Other farm management practices included using ox-plough for land cultivation with or without applying manure for soil amendment, and using JEMBE for land cultivation with or without applying manure. Improved sorghum Varieties included Tegemeo, Pato, Macia, Wahi, Hakika, Mtama-1, and Sila. We used simulation and bootstrapping to estimate yield distributions and net returns and stochastic efficiency with respect to a function to complement first and second degree stochastic dominance analyses to determine varieties and farm management practice that reduce production and price risk. Under profit maximization and risk reduction assumptions, main results show that Macia and Mtama-1 varieties have high mean yield and low yield variability. Even under low inputs and extreme risk averse farmers, Macia and Mtama-1 were superior choices. Value addition activities increased price offered to farmers, which also reduced price risk

Conservation Agriculture and Climate Resilience

Climate change is predicted to increase the number and severity of extreme rainfall events, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. In response, development agencies are encouraging the adoption of ‘climate-smart’ agricultural techniques, such as Conservation Agriculture (CA). However, little rigorous evidence exists to demonstrates the effect of CA on production or climate resilience, and what evidence there is, is hampered by selection bias. Using panel data from Zimbabwe, we test how CA performs during extreme rainfall events - both shortfalls and surpluses. We control for the endogenous adoption decision and find that while CA has little, or if anything, a nega-tive effect on yields during periods of average rainfall, it is effective in mitigating the negative impacts of rainfall shocks. Farmers who practice CA tend to receive higher yields compared to conventional farmers in years of both low and high rainfall. We conclude that the lower yields during normal rainfall seasons may be a proximate factor in low uptake of CA. Policy should focus promotion of CA on these climate resiliency benefits