Presentation for the Ecosystembased Adaptation Community Thursday 29

Presentation for the Ecosystem-based Adaptation Community Thursday, 29 October, 2015 Agroforestry in the Horn and East African Dry lands including Ethiopia: challenges, opportunities and s-s collaboration By Dr. Zeremariam Fre : PENHA founder/director and lecturer at the University College London. 2015.

The Ecological and political map of the Horn of Africa Region

Population , ecology and demography. ¡ ¡ ¡ Population in 8 countries 220 million plus. 2 million square km in area (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan: North-South, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti). Ecological diversity affecting livelihood systems and six distinct ecological regions with which cultures, economies, livelihoods systems, etc. are connected. Coastal sparsely populated hot arid areas along the Red Sea where there is fishing, coastal trade and livestock production. Deserts and dry savannah where livestock are extensively reared and sparsely populated in Northern Sudan. Low rainfall areas. Plateau or high land zones: Alto piano, densely populated, highly degraded, mixed farming areas with mild climate and high rainfall.

Strategic location

Strategic location and impact on livelihoods. ¡ Important strategic significance: Red Sea, Gulf and Indian water ways (Soviet-USA during cold war). ¡ Post cold war: China, Middle East and super powers, both military and trade. Bab-el Mandeb in the Southern tip and Suez canal in Egypt further North (route to the Mediterranean sea). ¡ During Bush era ‘’War on terror targeted region’’ (Africom USA) based in Djibouti. Western military policy created more terrorism.

Long history and civilization ¡ ¡ ¡ Region shares diversities of cultures, religions and different civilisations which cross colonial borders. Abrahamic civilizations: Ethiopia and Eritrea Christianized during the third century Anno Domini, Islam was introduced around the 7 th century. Both great religions lived side by side for many centuries, e. g. the AL Negash shrine. Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Northern Sudan were centres of old civilizations with written language, literature, art and old monasteries which go back to the 6 th century. The Eastern Horn (along the Coast) was colonized by Greeks (the name “Ethiopis” meaning sun burnt/black, Eritrean Sea now called Red Sea), then the Turks in the middle ages and then by colonial powers (Italy, Britain and France during the scramble for Africa in the 1880 s). Ethiopia not colonized.

Rock churches in Ethiopia

Part two: Dry land agro-ecology and two major key challenges ¡ Land grabbing and consequences for agroecology and livelihoods. ¡ The impact of Prosopis and its potential use in agro-ecology in Africa.

Land grabbing crisis: Food, financial and fuel crisis since 2007 Selling (blue) and Buying (red): Losers(blue) and Winners (red) impacting negatively on small farmers and herders.

Agro-ecology, pastoralists and small farmers produce most of the food in Africa. ¡ ¡ ¡ 60% to 70% food security depends on small farmer production, average 2 to 3 hectares mixed farming and bio diverse. Limited support from national governments specially regarding land/resource rights. Women play a major role in food production from seed to table but not fully recognized. Commercial farming mainly mono-cropping, technology driven, export oriented, fossil fuel based, peasant labour exploitation (e. g. coffee, cocoa, cotton, etc. ) Exploitative policies leading to negative adaptation, e. g. urban drift and urban poverty for farmers and pastoral people. Growing social movements among pastoralists and small farmers. PENHA greatly supports that.

Agroforestry and small scale farming

Pastoralists and framers are experts/masters of their environment. ¡ ¡ ¡ Botanical knowledge on species’ characteristics and use properties – plant physiology and pathology, pest management. Ecological knowledge on growing conditions of plants and animals in specific areas – also conservation, biodiversity and maintenance. Technical knowledge on cultural management practices. Institutional knowledge on norms, rules and regulations for using and managing resources within a locality. Market related knowledge on economic benefits and value of crops/animals. Legal knowledge on levels laws and legislation for planting and harvesting, e. g. customary laws on land.

Land grabbing crisis: Food, financial and fuel crisis since 2007 Selling (blue) and Buying (red): Losers (blue) and Winners (red) impacting negatively on small farmers and herders

Prosopis story with South American roots!

Diversity and beauty of pastoral people and women working hard.

Cattle in humid tropics: Uganda

Desert camels in Sahara

Cattle market in Sudan

Concluding remarks ¡ ¡ ¡ Connecting people South-South to share development experiences: Promote rights and technology-based approach to sustainable development. Joint research and replication of good South–South development practices.

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