Beating Famine FMNR Rolf Shenton Grassroots Trust Zambia

Beating Famine- FMNR Rolf Shenton Grassroots Trust Zambia 1 Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

2 Traditional CBNRM- Adapted Genius Harvest of forest, fish and wildlife was moderated by local customary rules Mosaic burning Crops were mixed, no till, integrated with trees Grazing was planned and communal to reduce disease and give time for vegetation to recover ABUNDANCE & DIVERSITY ! Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

3 Disruptive Invasion-Conquer nature Europeans introduced sport hunting, soon banning customary hunting like the “Chila” Ploughs, mono-cultures, fertilisers and chemicals Clear felling, stumping and plantation while Chitemene was banned and FMNR overlooked. Early burning became policy Access to vast lands restricted by Protected Areas and large-scale farms introduced fencing & private land. Mass resettlement- decision-making structures broken up Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future CONFUSION AND RESENTMENT SET IN!

4 Soil Economy in free fall Bad practices spread, environments degraded, over 70% of livestock and 90% of large wildlife died, crop yields plummeting Nationalization further undermined local & Traditional Authority responsibility over land resources Africans lost control of soil economymillions moved to cities straining services Poverty cycle set in Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

5 Fortress conservation Bunker resource management structures Little or no meaningful involvement of stakeholders Elite capture Political appeasement – corruption ‘Fya Boma’ attitudes- freedom became the freedom to ignore common sense Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

6 Perfect storm Fertilizer subsidies off and on, soil damaged, yields finally collapsed to 1/4 Farmers clear for more crop land Wildlife and fish finish quickly Urban demand for cheap food and energy rises People turned to charcoal for livelihoods Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

7 Summary of decline Sense of ownership and responsibility transferred from local communities to state Rights and benefits given to general public via state New thinking undermined local established CBNRM systems New technologies replaced tried and tested Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

8 Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

9 Part 2 Solutions Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

10 Pockets of Regeneration Landscape- consistent success FMNR areas Holistic Management areas- Namibian Conservancies, livestock ranches, farms Wildlife Conservancies- Campfire, some GMA, Game Ranches, a few Pas Farm level- erratic success Conservation farming Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

11 Factors for regeneration Secure rights and clarifying responsibilities Organized community-owned decision-making processes Holistic management of resources CBNRM business structures for commons Focus on soil as robust base for growth Regenerative technologies for biodiversity Consistent and long-term mentorships Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

12 CO 2 Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

13 FMNR in Zambia Still commonly used around homesteads- motivation is ascetic No academic or official recognition vs tree planting Currently low use of FMNR in commons Increased use of FMNR with CBNRM approach Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

14 Making FMNR ‘cool’ Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

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18 Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future

19 Holistic Context: Environmental regeneration, economic growth and social stability Soil, water and natural resources regenerating Organized rural communities, once a drain on public coffers now take responsibility for their lives, turn profits and pay taxes Government able to concentrate on public services, security and infrastructure THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future