Case Study

This is a success story produced by the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) under APPSA. Through partnerships with the Department of Agriculture and other players, the World Bank funded Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA) supported smallholder farmers with necessary information and technologies to transform
the way they grow their soybean in order to increase farm yields and income. In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture under Extension Services the project mobilised lead farmers to host demonstration plots showcasing improved soybean production technologies.

This resource is one of the APPSA success stories for Mozambique. It narrates the story of Mrs Isaltina Aly Trigo. Mrs Trigo is a smallholder farmer from Malema district in Nampula province. She has been growing soybeans for the past several years. Like many other farmers in the area, she views soybean as a crop with cash potential. The crop produces high yields, and is relatively unaffected by pests commonly found among other staple crops. Although technologies for increased soybean production and productivity, local processing and utilization options have been developed for use by farmers, Mrs Trigo and many other smallholder farmers are not aware of these technological options. This is attributed to among other reasons, inadequate popularization of these technologies. In 2013 the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA) began working with Mrs Trigo and other farmers in Nampula province in up-scaling improved soybean processing and utilization technologies so as to improve food and nutrition security as well income generation for the smallholder famers. Since working with the project, Mrs Trigo has been processing her soybeans into milk and bagias. Initially, the soybean milk was just for home consumption while the bagias were for home consumption and for sale. With time, she increased the quantities of her processed products, and started selling both products.

The present study on the “Use of ICT for Agriculture in GIZ projects – Status quo, opportunities and challenges” is meant to be a practical guideline for projects and planning officers alike. It is based on an analysis of past, current and planned ICT4Ag experiences in GIZ, with special focus on extension, training and agricultural value chain development, and enriched with experiences and lessons learned by other developing organizations.

The objective of the study was to provide a general overview on the development, risks and potentials of ICT4Ag, to do a stock taking and compile a list of ongoing GIZ projects with ICT4Ag experience, to gain more insight in the current application and use of ICT solutions in GIZ agriculture programs and projects, to collect the available results and learnings ‘from the field’, and to match these with global lessons on ICT4D and ICT4Ag.

How can we transfer natural risks out of rural livelihooods to empower and protect people?

Contribution à l’adaptation au changement climatique et à la résilience des producteurs au Sahel

Food Tank has compiled a list of indigenous fruits, vegetables, and grains from many regions that are nutritious, delicious, and contribute to sustainable livelihoods in rural communities across the globe.

Every day, plant species across the globe are disappearing. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that approximately 75 percent of the Earth’s plant genetic resources are now extinct, and another third of plant biodiversity is expected to disappear by 2050. Up to 100,000 plant varieties are currently endangered worldwide.

Unfortunately, most investments in agriculture are for crops such as wheat, rice, and maize, rather than for more nutritious foods or indigenous crops—and this focus has had devastating consequences. Global obesity rates have doubled over the last 30 years, increasing the risk of diet-related illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in industrialized and developing countries alike.

Many indigenous crops are environmentally sustainable, improve food security, help prevent malnutrition, and increase farmer incomes. Initiatives like the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC)’s Vegetable Genetic Resources System and Slow Food International’s Ark of Taste are working to catalog indigenous species of fruits and vegetables all over the world.

Food Tank has compiled a list of indigenous fruits, vegetables, and grains from many regions that are nutritious, delicious, and contribute to sustainable livelihoods in rural communities across the globe.

A contribution to adaptation and farmers´ resilience towards climate change in the Sahel

Review of research findings, options for mitigation and recommendations for development cooperation

his paper contributes to emerging research on the impacts of climate change on communities in the Global South by mapping and analyzing its impacts on rural livelihoods in semi-arid Matobo District in Zimbabwe. It investigates the possibilities and scope for climate change adaptation in this region as communal households adjust and diversify their livelihood portfolios. In so doing, it finds that climate change has had remarkable consequences on the livelihoods of people in this semi-arid area. It has altered the ecosystem leading to the disappearance of certain plant and insect species that were an essential part of the local natural habitat and livelihoods of local people. Rainfall patterns have also become unpredictable leading to erratic, mostly, poor farming seasons with direct implications on the local food system and rural economy. In response to these climate change induced impacts, a variety of new livelihood strategies are emerging as households seek to cushion themselves against this threat to their sustainability. However, a pertinent question is: how far can these adaptation strategies evolve under the increasing pressure of climate change impacts? In other words, are these communal households urging towards tipping points?

The reality of climate change is now a well-accepted reality and there is emerging evidence that climate changeposes a massive threat for development especially in poor countries. An understanding of the emerging trends of climate change and its effects in local ecologies is an important starting point in addressing the negative effects of climate change. This study sought to understand the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of local communities, focusing on Matobo District in Zimbabwe. The objective of the study was to understand how communities have been affected by climate change and how they are adapting to it as well as their perceptions about the gravity of the climate change phenomenon. The findings of the study were that the effects of climate change on livelihoods in the study area are alarming. Climate change has altered the physical geography of the area leading to a disappearance of flora and fauna and other natural habitat that constituted the livelihoods of the local people. Declining precipitation and rising temperatures are making farming increasingly more difficult,and thus aggravating food insecurity in the area. Urgent climate change programming steps must be taken to prevent a livelihoods catastrophe in semi arid regions in sub-Saharan Africa.