Production of Innovations within Farmer–Researcher Associations Applying Transdisciplinary Research Principles

Small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan West Africa depend heavily on local resources and local knowledge. Science-based knowledge is likely to aid decision-making in complex situations. In this presentation, we highlight a FiBL-coordinated research partnership between three national producer organisations and national agriculture research bodies in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Benin. The partnership seeks to compare conventional, GMObased, and organic cotton systems as regards food security and climate change

Challenges and Opportunities for Organic Research and Extension

Organic farming holds the great promise to solve some of the environmental and social problems caused by conventional agriculture. To play this role at the global level, farmers need access to essential knowledge on efficient ways, sustainable means and support structures that encourage organic practices and incentives to adopt them

Am Ende bleibt alles beim Alten

Das UN-Jahr der Familienlandwirtschaft soll Hoffnung machen: auf eine gerechtere, nachhaltige Landwirtschaft und weniger Hunger in der Welt. Doch wie viel dürfen wir uns von diesem Themenjahr tatsächlich erwarten? Gian Nicolay meint: Das Jahr der Familien - betriebe wird kaum nachhaltige Spuren hinterlassen

Farmer-Researcher Networks in West African Organic Value Chains. Economic and Sociological Challenges

Farming in tropical Africa is getting more and more complex. Land shortages often lead to soil fertility decline, as the usual fallow can’t be practiced anymore. Organic farmers have to compete additionally with subsidized synthetic fertilizer programs, cost-rising GMO competition and policy preferences for conventional and non-organic practices. The EuropeAid funded Syprobio project in West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin) involves organic farmers, researchers and technicians from farm organizations organized in networks to develop innovative technologies to improve competitiveness of organic value chains as well in enhancing food security for the producers. The main challenges of both economics and sociological issues are described and recommendations made. The role of information technology is presented and first research results are discussed on the use of video for farmer-to-farmer extension. Socio-economic preconditions are proposed in order to institutionalize these new communication tools and to further strengthen farmer-researcher networks

Welche Landwirtschaft für Afrika? Akzeptanz und Potenzial biologischer Methoden

Afrika, dieser grosse, vielseitige und verkannte Kontinent kämpft zurzeit heftig um die Ausrichtung seiner Landwirtschafts – und Ernährungspolitik. Die Lage ist dramatisch. Südlich des Sahel leiden von den knapp 800 Mio Menschen mindestens ein Drittel an Hunger und Misere. Ein Grossteil der Ackerböden und Weidegründe ist stark beschädigt und gibt nur noch Bruchteile der üblichen Erträge her. Wälder und Savannenlandschaften sowie Biodiversität stehen unter Dauerdruck und fallen ungebremst dem Landhunger zum Opfer. Hat die biologische Landwirtschaft das Potenzial, wesentlich zur Ernährungssicherheit, zum guten Leben und zur Regeneration der Bodenfruchtbarkeit beizutragen? Das Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL) hat gute Gründe, daran zu glauben und neue Wege zu beschreiten

Rapport intermédiaire - Syprobio - 2012

Project report after 2 years implementation. R4D in West Africa, promoting organic cotton systems through farmer-researcher networks

Dissemination and adoption of bottom-up agriculture to improve soil fertility in Africa: An interdisciplinary approach

Soil fertility is at stake at a global scale, putting pressure on food security, poverty alleviation and environmental protection, under scenarios of climate change that in most cases aggravate the threat. In sub-Saharan Africa, a combination of depleted soils and population growth adds particular pressure to smallholder farmers and society. Their capacity to innovate in a social, economic, political and cultural context is seen as decisive to reverse the trend of declining soil fertility. However, many technologies with a potential to protect, maintain and build up soil fertility are hardly used by small-scale farmers, triggering the urgent question on their reasoning not to do so. Exploring and understanding the constraints and complexity of the social systems interacting with the implied institutional dynamics are essential steps in designing appropriate agricultural innovations that are scalable and adoptable. The focus of the inter- and transdisciplinary approach applied in the project ORM4Soil (Organic Resource Management for Soil Fertility; www.orm4soil.net) lies at the heart of this project. We are combining qualitative and quantitative methods from agronomy, sociology and communication sciences in order to bring soil-fertility-enhancing-technologies and their adoption to the center of the decision-making process of farmers’ as well as local and regional institutions. At local and regional innovation platforms, stakeholders from business, government, academia and farmer organizations are discussing the outcomes of agronomic trials and sociological research. We are expecting to create bridges between the needs and concerns of farmers, relevant segments of society and policymaking, with the new common goal to enhance soil fertility

La transdisciplinarite comme approche innovante de recherche action; le cas du projet syprobio

L’agriculture biologique et le commerce équitable en Afrique de l’Ouest centrés autour du coton, introduits depuis 1999, ont démontré un vrai potentiel d’augmenter les revenus et d'améliorer la sécurité alimentaire des petits productrices et producteurs. Actuellement, plus de 16'000 producteurs produisent le coton et d’autres cultures vivrières dans leurs systèmes de production en bio dans la sous-région. La diversification de ces cultures biologiques dans la rotation ou la combinaison de ces cultures avec celles d'arbres (agroforesterie) et de l’élevage visent à protéger la productivité en dépit des changements anticipés des conditions climatiques. A travers l'amélioration de la fertilité des sols et la diversification des systèmes de production, l'agriculture biologique a également un potentiel reconnu de contribuer à l'adaptation au changement climatique

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