SEKEM INITIATIVE

Category:

Location/Scale:

Egypt (International)

Founder:

Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish

Period:

1997 – now

In a nutshell

The SEKEM Initiative was founded as a comprehensive development initiative to address some of the most pressing issues affecting Egypt. SEKEM started on a 70-hectare plot of desert land and became the first entity to develop biodynamic farming methods in Egypt.

The SEKEM vision entails a holistic approach focusing on sustainable, organic agriculture to restore and maintain the vitality of the soil and food as well as fostering biodiversity. Furthermore, it supports social and cultural development in Egypt by enabling and promoting knowledge transfer, education and conscious consumption. Over the years, SEKEM has broadened its scope and became the umbrella of a multifaceted agro-industrial group of companies and NGOs. Their holding structure is formed by three closely interrelated entities.

Firstly, the SEKEM Holding Company is composed of eight companies and multiple project-based initiatives, each responsible for SEKEM’s economic and ecological value proposition.

Secondly, the Egyptian SEKEM Development Foundation (SDF) which includes a medical center, a school open to pupils from any religious or ethnic background, a school and vocational training center, a nursery, the Mahad Adult Education Training Institute, the SEKEM Academy for Applied Art and Sciences and the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, all responsible for cultural aspects.

Lastly, the Cooperative of SEKEM Employees (CSE), responsible for human resource development, women empowerment, gender equality and the association of partnerships.

Context

In Egypt, agriculture involves 40% of the workforce and remains the least developed sector of the Egyptian economy. Cost of agricultural production has increased while the resource base has shrunk. Today, Egypt has become one of the world’s largest importers of food. Farmers in Egypt face a vast number of problems, such as water-scarcity, over-reliance on chemical inputs and low productivity. Although the total cultivated area is 3 million hectares, representing only 3 percent of the total land area, the government aims at increasing this number to 4.8 million hectares by 2030 through additional land reclamation.

Objective

SEKEM was found to realize the vision of sustainable human development and to tackle poverty, unemployment, food security, water and energy challenges and gender inequality in Egypt. SEKEM’s main objective is the development of the individual, society and environment through a holistic concept, which integrates economic, societal and cultural life.

Key Interventions

Farm Level:

  • SEKEM created jobs and employs today 2,000 people which are paid a fair salary
  • There is a network of more than 3,000 farmers who produce for the SEKEM group
  • Trained 477 farmers on biodynamic agriculture methods and registered them under the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA)

Regional/National Level:

  • Reclaimed 684 hectares of desert land, all of those 100% operated by biodynamic and sustainable agriculture methods
  • Since 2000, 978 students have graduated from SEKEM’s Vocational Training Centre
  • Contributed to the huge reduction of chemical fertiliser and pesticide use of 90% in Egypt’s cotton industry, while boosting yields by up by 30%
  • Planted 600,000 trees and sequestered 500,000,000 tonnes of CO2 through these trees and the soil enhancement
  • Offer free courses for illiterate employees, grant employees access to treatment in health centres and reduce fees on children’s education at SEKEM schools

Lessons Learned/challenges

Due to successful partnerships with banks and donors, SEKEM can realize essential parts of its sustainable development vision. Since May 2007, the German GLS Gemeinschaftsbank AG, the Dutch Triodos Ventures BV and since 2011, Oikocredit Ecumenical Development Cooperative are shareholders of the SEKEM Holding and support the finance department for future investments.

Nonetheless, additional public funds are required to finance financial and technical support to further facilitate knowledge transfer, trainings and the introduction of new technologies in the field of irrigation and renewable energy production. During the coming years, SEKEM will work on increasing the number of small farmers willing to transform their lands from conventional to biodynamic agriculture.

Relevant Links & references

PREMIUM HORTUS

Category:

Location/Scale:

Benin (National)

Founder:

Johannes Goudjanou and colleagues

Period:

2012 – now

In a nutshell

Premium Hortus is the first African greentech company for scaling up agroecology and sustainable development in West Africa. They are specialized in the e-commerce of agroecological products, organic production and producer support in Benin. Available as a web and mobile platform, Premium Hortus allows consumers (households, restaurants and hotels) to subscribe and choose from more than 60 varieties of organic certified products.

Produced in short food supply chains, the products are delivered to the costumers’ destination of choice. In addition, Premium Hortus provides farmers with education programmes that inform them about the latest innovations. They further provide workshops and trainings for companies, which range from drafting business plans to product introductions and the evaluation of their activities. This education programme is meant to train new ‘agroecologists’ who apply various methods of agroecology and access new markets.

Besides the benefits of increased agroecological production, waste is limited and otherwise recycled for organic composting, biogas, and the cosmetic industry. Premium Hortus is also collaborating with other companies and actors aiming at organizing summits and seminars on food security, agroecology and improved access to the markets. Due to the success of Premium Hortus in Benin, they started an expansion phase to Morocco, Togo and Cameroon.

Context

While Benin ranks among the poorest countries on earth, more than a third of Benin’s citizens live below the poverty threshold. Although Benin has had a rapid increase in its urban population, a third of the country’s families remain affected by food insecurity, while 16% of children are malnourished.

Overall, more than two-third of the population is working in the agricultural sector. Large quantities of fertilizer and chemical inputs are used and the distribution system remains obsolete, lacking modern technology. Consequently, the country suffers from significant water and soil pollution, biodiversity loss, low productivity as well as increased vulnerability to climate change and price volatility.

Objective

Premium Hortus’ main goal is to develop and promote agroecology and sustainable food by embedding local knowledge and combining it with modern information and communication technologies as well as business management skills. Premium Hortus can act as a role model for the promotion of agroecology and green innovation in Africa while fighting against climate change. Moreover, they lobby for the promotion of a circular and inclusive economy and create short circuits that benefit producers and consumers.

Key Interventions

Farm Level:

  • Trained over 400 green entrepreneurs and small farmers in business management with technical support in agroecology and access to markets
  • Provide certified natural bio-pesticides made from local plants to over 400 producers

Regional/National Level:

  • Helped to preserve the soil, water, biodiversity and health of more than 400,000 African households and reduced about 47% of greenhouse gases out of a total 1,681 kg/ha/year emitted by conventional agriculture
  • By creating an online selling platform, Premium Hortus supports marketing of the farmers’ products while simultaneously providing fast and secure online payments through QR Codes and Cryptocurrencies
  • Providing a credit assurance system (CALIM+) to customers, to support them during financially difficult times
  • Reducing waste through recycling and food donations/transfers through the platform

Lessons Learned/challenges

Premium Hortus provides access to more than 700 urban households subscribing to agroecological products. As a whole, their business model creates at least 500 jobs/year in rural farms of which 70% are carried out by women and young people. While farmers profit from lower production costs, increased revenues and improved living conditions, subscribers reduced their food waste by 60%.

As e-commerce has become an important topic nowadays, their digital business model possesses a big market potential, without noticeably increasing their fix costs. Nonetheless, a large scale-up might be difficult because of fierce competitors offering similar services and which know how to maintain marketplaces in profitable business sectors.

Relevant Links & references

MESULA MERU SUSTAINABLE LAND LTD

Category:

Location/Scale:

Tanzania (Local)

Implementing organization:

Italian and East African Oikos Institute

Period:

2014 – now

In a nutshell

MESULA is a social enterprise committed to high-quality horticultural production, food security and protection of the territory in the area of Mount Meru, Tanzania. The idea originated from the close relationship of Oikos with the community of Arumeru District in Northern Tanzania.

This region is globally acknowledged as one of the places most affected by over-spraying of highly hazardous pesticides. They realized that organic agriculture not only means to  ban chemical pesticides and fertilizers from the fields but rather apply a holistic approach that considers any productive input and process in strict relationship with environment and agro-ecosystems, but also social and labour issues.

MESULA was created to provide an opportunity to farmers that are willing to approach a new concept of crop production and livestock management. They converted more than 20 acres of land to organically managed farmlands with a special focus on pest management and soil fertility conservation, working only with small scale farmers. The company is reducing costs and distributing profits in an equal way to all the subjects involved. Concretely, 50% of the price is going back to the farmers, instead of being distributed along the value chain among several intermediaries.

MESULA creates a short value chain for the production and supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to the local market with the goal to provide Tanzanians with sustainable, safe and nutritious food. In addition, they provide smallholder farmers with trainings and support for the transition to sustainable farming.

Context

While agriculture is the main backbone of Tanzania’s economy, the country has over 44 million hectares of arable land with only 33 percent of this amount in cultivation. Almost 70 percent of the poor population live in rural areas and almost all of them are involved in the farming sector. Nevertheless, it is observed that export demand far exceeds the supply of organic agriculture in Tanzania, which raises expectations that organic agriculture has a promising future.

Objective

MESULA’s main objective is to contribute to enhanced food security and a fair development of rural communities while simultaneously providing the highest quality of food to consumers. Supporting the production of and access to healthy, pesticide-free food is at the core of Mesula’s vision. Their mission is to show that social equity, respect of human rights, fair economic conditions and a good health state can be tied to profitable businesses through organic production, while still preserving natural resources.

Key Interventions

Farm Level:

  • Hosting the Arushas Farmer Market once a month, which attracts around 300 visitors, in order to give small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their produce and businesses and exchange ideas on sustainability
  • Supporting small-scale food processors to reduce post-harvest losses and promote production and consumption of honey and fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Sensitizing farmers on land exploitation and soil conservation offering free technical advice and trainings on how to produce bio-pesticides from local plant extracts for pest control
  • Reducing the vulnerability of the producers by increasing their yields and diversifying the crops and adding value to the organic product by paying higher market prices
  • Participating in the main agricultural public events in Arusha, organizing farmers’ days to create transparency and connect final consumers directly to farmers and processors

Lessons Learned/challenges

Even though farmers in Arusha were situated in a difficult financial situation, the motivation and willingness of the farmers supported and enforced a sustainable business model. MESULA’s organic produce supply chain has a direct impact on reducing chemical pesticides in agricultural farming practices. Small-scale farmers are reaping the social and economic benefits of the sustainable farming methods, through increased incomes and reduced health risks.

The government of Tanzania has expressed the desire to further promote the organic agriculture sector by supporting increased awareness and knowledge of both producers and consumers. MESULA therefore started engaging in policy discussions on local and national level. Moreover, they could improve on systemic resilience of agroecosystems to extreme weather events and climate change.

Relevant Links & references

SHARED HARVEST ORGANIC FARM

Category:

Location/Scale:

China (Local)

Founder:

Shi Yan

Period:

2012 – now

In a nutshell

Shared Harvest is a public-interested, service-oriented social enterprise devoted to the promotion of ecological agriculture and mutual trust between producers and consumers. The enterprise does not aim at maximizing profits, but rather aims at the comprehensive development of society, ecology and economy.

To do so, they adopted a Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) model to cooperate with the local farmers in Beijing producing local, seasonal and organically grown vegetables and other food products. The CSA model consists of a community of individuals who pledge to support a farming operation, making the farmland community-owned. While growers and producers provide mutual support and share the risk of food production, members pay a fee and then receive a share of the harvest.

The farm itself consists of 60 acres of vegetable planting base and 110 acres of forest land breeding base in a village in the Tongzhou District. In addition, they cultivate 50 acres of vegetable planting base in a town of the Shunyi District as well as 230 acres of fruit tree base and 60 acres of rice planting base in Heilongjiang. Besides that, they connect youth to agriculture and support them in learning about crop sharing by cooperating with eight schools and universities where they also advocate for healthy eating and food education.

Context

Agriculture is a vital industry in China, employing over 300 million farmers and ranking first in worldwide farm output. Agricultural modernization, as implemented in China since the seventies, is largely responsible for air pollution and soil degradation through the usage of fertilizers and pesticides.

Despite the rapid growth in output, the Chinese agricultural sector still faces several challenges as farmers often struggle to sell their agricultural products to customers. The long chain of intermediaries between the producing farmer in the countryside and the end-consumer in the cities often leads to a lack of trust and difficulties for farmers to foresee the demand and prices for different types of fruits and vegetables.

Objective

Shared Harvest Organic Farm targets three core goals: strengthening the relationship between citizens and farmers, protecting the income of farmers in ecological agriculture, and improving the status of food security. They are committed to build a bridge of trust, allowing consumers to enjoy healthy and safe food, while producers get a fair and reasonable income.

Key Interventions

Farm Level:

  • Trained 50,000 farmers about CSA by providing 200 trainings and 500 services as advisors while spreading CSA techniques to more than 1,000 Chinese farms
  • Farmers get paid a similar salary as white-collar workers in second or third tier cities

Regional/National Level:

  • Reduction of 2,500 thousand tons of synthetic pesticides and cutback industrial-sized processing of animal waste by 25,000 thousand cubic meters
  • Increased family income of over 100,000 farmers who are part of the CSA farms and convinced more than 500,000 families to source their food directly from organically grown farms
  • Active participation in social welfare undertakings and introduction of education public welfare courses in multiple schools in order to train a large number of youths across the country
  • Hosting the 6th International Community Support Agriculture Conference in, the 7th China Social Agriculture Conference and the 8th China Social Ecological Agriculture Conference which was co-hosted by the District Government of Lishui City
  • Created an internet platform & app for CSA farms in order to exchange information and to recruit new members

Lessons Learned/challenges

The project has been self-financing since the beginning while the income in 2018 was around USD 1.5 million with a profit of 10% used to build new green houses and to start new projects. Although the new CSA business model helped farmers to sell directly to consumers, individual farmers are still struggling with how to reach consumers and gain their trust.

In addition, especially young farmers who are returning to villages after receiving university education are under great pressure due to the low social status of farmers and the social biases against villagers. Although the farm does perform well in socio-economic measures potential is seen in the optimization of the biological synergies and a more complex crop rotation system.

Relevant Links & references

ADAPTA GROUP

Category:

Location/Scale:

Brazil (Local)

Implementing Organisation:

Adapta Sertão

Period:

2018 – now

In a nutshell

The initial idea to create a solid and replicable strategy to help small family farmers living in fragile biomes in Brazil and to support the adaption to climate change was developed by Adapta Sertão, one of the first multi-stakeholder coalitions in the Brazilian territory.

By joining forces with the Adapta group, which has been created in 2018, they transformed a program called Modulo Agroclimático Inteligente e Sustentável (MAIS) into an impact business that is available to corporate clients, public and financial institutions as well as non-governmental organizations. The MAIS program aims at training farmers on how to generate satisfactory incomes even during drought-intensive periods using alternative farming methods across value chains.

The founders of the Adapta group have practical experience on working with farming families living in areas of high climatic vulnerability for more than a decade and engaged over 650 farmers. To enhance climate resilience, the MAIS program integrates the recovery of ecosystem services with agricultural production while additionally promoting gender equality.

Moreover, it builds on a shared vision of the problem and its solution and helps to transform markets to become more sustainable and fair. Besides that, the Adapta group cooperates with financial institutions to help structure specific credit mechanisms for the family farmers and to develop the farms into sustainable agricultural businesses.

Context

In recent years, Brazil has become the world’s largest exporter of soybeans, coffee, and sugar, as well as one of the largest overall food producer on the planet. The majority of the Brazilian staples is produced by family farmers, which also produce more than 70% of food consumed domestically. The agricultural sector as a whole constitutes nearly 6% of Brazil’s total GDP (without considering other players of the food value chain) and employs nearly 16% of their total labor force. Nevertheless, international monitoring organizations assert that a third of Brazil’s population is food insecure and have difficulty meeting their nutrition needs. It is alarming that Brazil’s agricultural sector and deforestation account for 75% of its greenhouse gas emissions.

Objective

The goal of the MAIS program is to implement sustainable and climate resilient agricultural practices in the most diverse biomes and agricultural value chains in Brazil. The Adapta group campaigns for an inclusion of family farmers in structured value chains with a focus on climate resilience, sustainability and economic viability for all the actors involved.

Key Interventions

Farm Level:

  • Analysing the local situation and presenting the most suitable agroecological, climate-friendly solutions to the farmers directly
  • Offering assistance to farmers by providing and coordinating a multidisciplinary technical team which supports the implementation of practices on the farm
  • Monitoring technical, social, economic and environmental performance of each farm and program through the web-based MAISoft System, which offers open access to farmers data and impact report in order to enhance transparency
  • Developing individual business plans and setting up credit mechanisms to help farmers access the required capital for implementing the proposed solutions
  • Supporting the farmers in an effective deployment of capital by providing direct consultation through a technician

Lessons Learned/challenges

Overall, the MAIS program increased farmers’ dairy production by 63% and their income by 204%. Furthermore, the program resulted in a 30% improvement in pastureland and a 50% decrease in the water footprint of the areas’ farms. In addition, over 3 tons of CO2 is estimated to be offset for each hectare of restored pastureland. So far, ADAPTA has been active on farm level and engaged in socio-economic aspects such as the support of regional value generation and the development of trading relationships with local growers.

Nevertheless, potential involvement could be seen in the support of healthy, diversified and culturally appropriate diets. In order to widen their positive influence and results, ADAPTA would have to start engaging on a policy level by fostering responsible, transparent and inclusive governance mechanisms such as the recognition of traditional rights over natural resources or payments for ecosystem services, biodiversity-friendly agricultural regulations and subsidies.

Relevant Links & references

 

 

 

Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania

Category:

Location/Scale:

Tanzania (local)

Implementing Organisation:

Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT)

Period:

2011 – now

In a nutshell

Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) addresses  social  and  environmental  problems  caused  by  environmentally-destructive  and unsustainable  farming  practices.  These  problems lead  to  food  insecurity,  poverty  and  malnutrition resulting from environmental     degradation through  loss  of   top  soil,  water  supplies  and  forests. SAT’s  vision  is  to  make  sure  the  majority  of farmers  are  using  acknowledged  agroecological methods  to  improve  their  livelihoods,  conserve the  environment  and  reduce  pressure  on  natural resources. SAT creates linkages between farmers, educators, researchers and government, to generate and inspire locally relevant knowledge in agroecology. This community, with its experiences, is the core-network that builds the foundation of SAT’s Innovation Platform. Through using an approach which acknowledges the experience and knowledge of farmers, SAT does not only give inputs but receives as well information. This gained agroecological knowledge is incubated and refined

 

 

 

 

Context

Tanzania is almost 100% self-sufficient in food production. Nevertheless, there are manifold challenges that farmers are facing nowadays in this country. For instance, changing climate, fragmented land, reduced soil fertility, increased erosion and lack of capital are common. In Tanzania, government measures to increase the adoption of agroecological methods have been marginal until nowadays. So far, major initiatives have come mainly from foreign companies, like for instance the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) initiative, which aims to further develop the Tanzanian agricultural sector through agribusiness investments in the country’s southern corridor. The focus of agribusinesses mainly lies on increasing yield without focusing on other key factors which are environmental, social and cultural.

Objective

SAT applies researches, disseminates and promotes agroecological farming methods. The organization philosophy is that through agroecological practices farmers are capable to increase production and income in a sustainable way. SAT works closely with farmers, taking into account their experiences and local knowledge, which drives the initiation of projects, programs and research. SAT not only facilitates on agroecological methods but provides as well basic life skills, entrepreneurial knowledge, and introduces farmers to a saving and lending culture.

Key Interventions

SAT uses impact-proven strategies that are based on four holistic pillars:

  • Dissemination of Knowledge: SAT facilitates agroecological farming practices using an effective hands-on approach where farmer groups practice organic agriculture in demonstration plots. SAT offers short-courses about agroecological practices at SAT Farmers Training Centre, having trainees from all over East Africa. Additionally, SAT disseminates knowledge through the monthly farming magazine “Mkulima Mbunifu”.

 

  • Application and Marketing: SAT is engaged in the whole value chain of agroecological food production and is supporting farmers efficiently through demonstrating that agroecology is capable of transforming livelihoods in a positive way. SAT helps farmers with organic certification for product marketing, and networks farmers with a national certification organisation, linking successful farms to organic markets.

 

  • Research: SAT collaborates with farmers and universities to create demand-driven research to improve and research agroecological farming methods. SAT provides the national and international research community access to agroecological farmers and conducts research on the demonstration farm to gain scientific evidence of the potential of agroecological farming methods.

 

  • Networking: All gained experiences of the farmers and other stakeholders are shared during national and international workshops and conferences. SAT shares the experience from the grassroots level, demonstrating success stories and existing challenges from the farming community in Tanzania.

 

Lessons Learned/challenges

Step by step, SAT widened its field of interventions in order to meet the needs of participants and embrace the holistic notion of agroecology. Most challenging are stable market linkages because of consistent quantities, seasonality and transport. The adoption of agroecological practices needs to yield (financial) benefits to the participants in order to be kept by and replicated by new groups. Once the first farmer groups experience benefits of agroecological farming, they are very good messengers to invite and train neighboring villages.

Relevant Links & references

 

 

 

Soils, Food and Healthy Communities

Category:

Location/Scale:

Malawi (National)

Implementing Organisation:

Cornell University

Period:

2000 – now

In a nutshell

The Soils, Food and Healthy Communities (SFHC) project works to empower smallholder farmers in Malawi to build sustainable, healthy and resilient communities. Farmer-led, participatory research based on ecological approaches is the most important component of the approach. This includes strengthening local indigenous knowledge and democratic processes to address inequalities in Malawi.

The programme consist of various activities to educate and empower farmers. Special attention is put to the role of women and the Malawian youth. SFHC introduces a set of agroecological practices on the farm level, promotes local orange maize varieties and organizes recipe days to improve the diversity of diets and the role of men in their households.

 

 

Context

Malawi has a current population of over 16 million. About 80% of the inhabitants live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for their food and livelihoods. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with over 70% of the population living below the poverty line. An estimated one-third of Malawian households experience chronic food insecurity and calorie deficiencies. High rates of gender inequality in Malawi has contributed to these high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition, as women have little control over agricultural decisions, experience high levels of physical violence, and have lower education and training opportunities.

Objective

All of the project activities focus on improving soil fertility, child nutrition and food security. For example, seed distribution and farmer training and annual field days are important elements to achieve these goals. The project has also integrated several activities to promote agricultural, nutritional and social practices, especially for the poor, HIV-infected and other marginalized groups.

Key Interventions/Research

Farm level:

  • Planting legumes for natural nitrogen fixation
  • Incorporating crop residues for improved soil fertility
  • Improved food diversity and preparation, especially for young children

Regional/national Level:

  • Seed distribution systems
  • Farmer Research Team(FRT) derived from village communities
  • Organization of training camps
  • Organization of field days and exchange visits to show fellow farmers the use and impact of agroecology (farmer-to-farmer)
  • Developing local food enterprises to improve income

Lessons Learned/challenges

A key for success in this project is the increasing support of the government, which has not always been there. Because of their agriculture input subsidy program, they were not fond of this project at first. However, support has risen over time and now the extension staff of the ministry of agriculture are taking part in training and field days. At the moment, only a small part of government money goes into agroecology as they still have the input subsidy program where the most part of the money flows into.

Relevant Links & references

 

 

Successional Agroforestry System

Category:

Location/Scale:

Bolivia (National)

Implementing Organisation:

Fundación Ecotop

Period:

1995 – now

In a nutshell

The Ecotop Foundation joins with farmers to implement successional agroforestry systems (SAFS), integrating different trees and crops based on natural succession dynamics. Crops and trees are grouped as pioneers, secondary or primary species, depending on their life cycle, to form a composition in which all stories (spatial) and all phases (temporal) are occupied, maximizing density and diversity. This results in soil regeneration, organic matter accumulation, improved microclimate and pest management.

Based on an individual diagnostic of a specific production system, Ecotop designs alternatives and offers training in management practices of dynamic agroforestry systems for cocoa and other kind of crops, both for small and large-scale farmers.

The high diversity of the SAFS system provides environmental services like soil regeneration, organic matter accumulation, improved microclimate, and pest control. It can result in high yields from a range of crops without external inputs.

 

 

 

Context

Bolivia has one of the highest deforestation rates of the world and some of the biodiversity-richest ecosystems. At the borders of the Amazon, the extension of the agricultural frontier must be stopped while preserving forests through integrative use. There are two main actors who use the forest: firstly, migrants from the Andes who have been burning forests and implementing monocultures, and secondly, local indigenous people who practise subsistence agriculture complemented with hunting and gathering. The main challenges consist in reversing unsustainable agricultural practices and soil deletion, and providing decent livelihoods for all communities.

Objective

The objective is to restore depleted soils and to improve the productivity of cocoa, coffee or other plantations in crisis. This goal can be achieved without any external inputs, only by increasing the turnover of organic matter, by diversifying the production systems and adapting management practices to the specific requirements of the crop. These interventions also contribute to limit significantly with the damage caused by pests and diseases. At the same time, food security for farmers’ families will improve.

Key Interventions

Farm level:

  • Successional agroforestry systems (SAFS) with crops and trees in combination regarding their life cycle maximizing density and diversity
  • Increasing water use efficiency and higher resistance to droughts through root systems reaching to different soil depths
  • Silvopastoral systems to increase soil protection and synergies between trees and grazing animals

Regional/national Level:

  • Knowledge dissemination through local “lighthouse” farmers passing on their experience and know-how in field courses and farmer-to-farmer exchanges
  • Granting innovative farmers a university title of agricultural technicians to generate prestige in the communities and helps to interact with policy makers
  • Increased livelihood resilience due to constant income throughout the year and no additional costs for external inputs

Lessons Learned/challenges

The SAFS systems promoted by Ecotop is a knowledge-intensive approach. It requires public policies supporting agricultural research and participative extension services. States and donors have a key role to play here. Private companies will not invest time and money in practices that cannot be rewarded by patents and which do not open markets for chemical products or improved seeds.

Relevant Links & references

 

 

 

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)

Category:

Location/Scale:

India (Sub-national)

Implementing Organisation:

Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS)

Period:

2015 – now

In a nutshell

ZBNF has a dual character: It is a peasant movement and a compilation and dissemination of farming methods, now integrated into a public policy. It promotes an inclusive farming system, where the soil or the farm provides all the needed nutrients for an effective and healthy food production.

A precondition for the proposed approach is that farmers should own land and at least one cow, and should have access to some kind of irrigation. Based on that, are the four pillars of farming methods, which increase efficiency and sustainability of the food production.

Overall, the aspects of low cost farming and resilience to climate change for smallholder farmers is the core of ZBNF. For dissemination, the movement is self-organized and the farmers are informally connected to each other (e.g. WhatsApp).

 

 

Context

In 2016, 59% of India’s workforce was working in the agricultural sector. India is heavily influenced by climate change and farmers in India are facing a vicious cycle of credits and debt that leads to a high rate of depression and suicide. The change in Indian economy has led to seed privatization and high costs for farming products. That is the reason why there is a need for new farming methods with little or no external inputs, which are more resilient to climate change.

Objective

With ZBNF, farmers should become independent from external inputs. It promotes that all the nutrients needed are available in a healthy soil and do not need to be added to the system from outside. This approach helps small-scale farmers to increase their net income by using natural farming approaches while increasing the inherent resiliency of their farming system.

Key Interventions

Farm level:

  • Fermented microbial organic bio inoculant/”fertilizer” consisting of water, cow dung and urine, jiggery(raw sugar), pulse flour and soil (Jiwamrita), which provides nutrients, promotes activity of earthworms and microorganisms and helps to prevent fungal and bacterial diseases
  • Seed treatment consisting of water, cow dung and urine, lime and soil (Bijamrita)
  • Mulching, avoiding deep ploughing (Acchadana)
  • Healthy soil conditions through perfect mix of water vapour and aeration, achieved by reducing irrigation and only irrigating at noon (Waaphasa)
  • Intercropping/Agroforestry
  • Contours/Bunds to preserve water

Regional/national Level:

  • Master farmers who practise what they preach and teach other farmers
  • Informal farmer-to-farmer communication, e.g. WhatsApp-groups to share practises
  • Training camps and video tutorials
  • Political support, Andhra Pradesh(Indian state) policy with the goal of ZBNF reaching 6 million farms by 2024

Lessons Learned/challenges

The main challenge is the lack of support from the traditional universities and the national government. Although heavily supported by the state, the national government does not yet see agroecology as a key to solving India’s food challenges.

Relevant Links & references

 

 

 

Cuba’s Agroecological Revolution

Category:

Location/Scale:

Cuba (National)

Implementing Organisation:

Cuban Association of Small Farmers (ANAP)

Period:

1989 – now

In a nutshell

In response to severe economic and political crisis in Cuba, a farmers mass movement (Campesino-to-Campesino Agroecology Movement, MACAC)  has been transforming their productive systems by applying the principles of agroecology. Through this so-called agroecological revolution, the small farm sector in Cuba is achieving ever higher levels of production with lower costs, particularly foreign  exchange costs, as compared to  industrial chemical-intensive monoculture farming systems. The sharing between farmers (Campesino a Campesino) was central and farmers have been the agents of change of this transition process. Farmers were assisted by a network within higher education, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education which became a forum for participatory plant breeding, and supported Cuban Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) and the movement. A number of researchers completely changed their conception of agriculture, from Green Revolution to Agroecology, in the process.

 

 

 

 

Context

From the 1960s to the beginning of the 1990s, Cuban agriculture was dominated by high-external input agriculture focused on large-scale monocultures of export commodities. Although the sector was provided with capital, agro-chemicals, and additional inputs through the Socialist trading bloc, the yields of rice and other key crops began to decline in the 1980s. Due to the large-scale monocultures as well as the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, soils have been drastically degraded and farmers struggled to control pests over the long term. The radical transformation of the agriculture sector arose out of the crisis of the collapse of Soviet support and the US embargo on trade with Cuba. In response to this crisis, the small-scale agricultural sector in Cuba underwent what has been referred to as an “agroecological revolution”. The transition accelerated through the 1990s building on a burgeoning farmer-to-farmer movement (MACAC).

Objective

The goal of the movement was to spread good practices on agroecology through a farmer-to-farmer approach, with participatory plant breeding as an initial focus, but now much broader, to all practices. In this way, farmer can effectively take control over direction of experimentation and breeding, carry out their own experiments, and ensure the diffusion of seeds produced.

Key Interventions

Farm Level:

  • The first initiatives to transform Cuban agriculture were based on input substitution via biofertilizers and biopesticides followed by adoption of agroecological techniques such as diversification, crop rotation, agroforestry & crop-livestock integration
  • In the early 1990s, the Agroecological Lighthouses Programme was initiated: Agroecological concepts were applied at ‘lighthouse farms’ pertaining to different cooperatives in different provinces of the country

Regional/National Level:

  • ANAP implemented decentralized farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchanges. This methodology was based on one farmer becoming a ‘promoter’ and sharing positive farming experiences and successful innovations directly with other farmers
  • Highly organized peasant agroecology movement driven by national small farmers’ association (ANAP) with social process methodology; Land, machinery, & credit pooling through cooperatives
  • Cuba’s agroecological transition has also been aided by the institutionalization of agroecology in public policies, government bodies, research institutes, and NGOs

Lessons Learned/challenges

The transition to a more sustainable and organic food system has to be made easier for the farmers. Usually the first five years of the transition are very difficult, requiring untenable sacrifices from small-scale farmers (who often cannot afford these). One way of addressing this is a more horizontal relationship between scientists and farmers, with farmers and scientists working together in joint ventures to address the challenges of organic production and transition. Furthermore, new ways have to be found to ensure agroecological agriculture is more market oriented. This may include creating local seed companies managed by small farmers to promote and sell local seeds and other organic inputs. Such development could be supported by giving access to credits to green entrepreneurs who will transit from subsidy models to more inclusive business models.

Relevant Links & references