Institutionalizing Agroforestry for Accelerated Impact and Improved Livelihoods

Institutionalizing Agroforestry for Accelerated Impact and Improved Livelihoods by Smallholder Farmers in Southern Africa A Proposed FANRPAN & World Agroforestry Centre Collaborative Project Olu Ajayi World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Presented at the FANRPAN Regional Policy Dialogue 4 -7 Sept, 2007 Lusaka, Zambia

Outline • Background: Phase I & II of Agroforestry R & D • New focus of agroforestry R & D in SA region • Goal and impact of proposed Project • Planned activities and expected outcomes

Evolution of R&D on Agroforestry in Southern African Region Number of farmers involved Farmer innovations & constraints Suitability of technology in other sites g Farmers’ n ali 1 st generation modifications issues: • Species Screening op d A rm a -F rch n O sea Re Late 1980 s Sc n tio • Management regimes on i t sta rch On sea Re & p u t ou 2 nd generation issues e. g. pests Early 1990 s • Seeds & germplasm • Targeting • Labour • Profitability • Grazing • Fire • Property rights- tenure • Policy • Diversification of options • M & E • Impacts on livelihood Mid 1990 s >2000 2005 Time

Agroforestry options being scaled up 1. Improved fallows • • • Non coppicing fallows Coppicing fallows Mixed fallows Intercrops with sesbania and tephrosia etc Mixed cropping with gliricidia 2. Integrated nutrient management (Fallows supplemented with fertilizer) 3. Biomass transfer 4. Rotational woodlots 5. Fodder banks 6. Indigenous fruit trees

Scaling up of Agroforestry in Southern Africa Diversificati on of AF options Scaling up/out Germplasm Economics, Policies, institutions Marketing & processin g Capacity Building

Field with AF trees Continuous field

Water-stressed maize after 21 days of dry spell in Zambia January, 2003 Maize, no fert Maize with fertilizer Maize in AF field

Financial profitability of maize production systems per hectare over a fiveyear cycle in Zambia (Grain yield only) Figures are on one hectare basis, using prevailing costs & prices and an annual discount rate of 30%

Value-Cost Ratio ($/$) of maize production systems in Zambia

Lessons learnt • Solid evidence that agroforestry options are profitable and offer opportunities to enhance household food security and conservation of the natural resource base • Identified as a technological success in NRM (by the Science Council of the CGIAR) and an example of “success story in African agriculture” (IFPRI African Agriculture Success survey) • Technical characteristic & field performance of agroforestry are necessary and important but are not sufficient to guarantee their adoption by farmers. • Appropriate institutions, policies and incentive mechanisms are required to facilitate the adoption of agroforestry

New Project focus • Mid Term Review recommendations: – Build on lessons learnt …but shift from direct implementation of scaling up of agroforestry – Increasing emphasis on policy and mainstreaming agroforestry into national and regional programmes – ICRAF’s science role/technical partner and knowledge brokerage – Identify a strategic sub-regional organization to lead the policy and mainstreaming of agroforestry in southern Africa (FANRPAN) – FANRPAN / ICRAF proposal

Goal and Impact of the proposed Project • Overall Goal of Project – “increase the ability of smallholder farmers to diversify livelihood opportunities by producing sufficient food to feed their family, generating cash income, increasing the productivity of their farm and conserving their natural resources” • Project Impact: – By employing integrated agroforestry practices, at the end of four years of implementation of the Project, 250, 000 additional farm families (1. 25 million individuals) will achieve year-round food security by reducing the average food gap (number of months when food is unavailable) from four to zero. In addition, the annual income of 75% of participating families will increase from less than a dollar a day to a level 25% above the poverty line.

Output Outcome 1. Wider adoption of Policies supporting agroforestry catalyzed and development will be in place and mainstreamed into policy agroforestry will become an integral decisions at local, national, and component of an increasing number of regional levels. agriculture and rural development programmes in the region 2. Partners’ capability to apply long-term demand-driven national and regional and agroforestry strategies strengthened and institutionalized. At least 100 institutions in the region able to provide capacity building on agroforestry and natural resources management; and their capacity to address agroforestry enhanced. 3. Strategies for the targeting, up- and out-scaling and assessing impact of agroforestry options developed by stakeholders. Strategies for targeting, up-and out-scaling, and monitoring and evaluation of priority agroforestry systems adopted and implemented by stakeholders in the region.

Output Outcome 4. Increased participation of Information and technical support smallholder farmers in systems helping farmers to increase agroforestry tree product their participation in agroforestry tree markets. product markets to improve their livelihoods. 5. Functional seed supply systems built and smallholder farmers have increased access to germplasm of priority agroforestry species. Sustainable seed supply, nursery enterprises, and propagation services will be functional; production, distribution and access to agroforestry tree germplasm increased. 6. Existing agroforestry networks and producer organizations strengthened and supported for scaling up. Regional and national networks and producer organizations in participating countries Actively promoting and supporting agroforestry.

Implementation of the proposed Project • Implementing Partners: – FANRPAN is Project Manager, with ICRAF’s support under a formal MOU, and participation from several national institutions • Implementation strategy: Emphasis on three key scaling up thrusts/approaches: – mainstream agroforestry into broader agricultural development policies in five project countries and at regional level – support appropriate extension delivery strategies by government, producer organizations, NGOs and the private sector; – train and empower implementation partners in the three ‘Chinyanja Triangle' countries. • Implementing locations: – Primarily Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia; modest policy support in Tanzania and Zimbabwe; and policy mainstreaming at the SADC and COMESA levels. • Duration of Project: 4 years

Thank you