Are we having too much Agricultural Talk to ourselves?

Photo Credit: Photocase.com

I am an ardent conference attendant, agricultural related ones to be specific. It’s more of a habit I developed way back in campus as an avenue for bringing to practice the theory I learnt in class. Of late, I have developed a liking for those whose focus is geared towards that overly famous term Food Security.  I call it famous because if you do a major keyword search on it, it ranks highest where agricultural matters persist.  And just like Technology makes Africa appear sexy, Food security takes over where matters of Agriculture thrive.

That was the same feeling I was left with when I attended a recently organized Africa Food Security Conference and Agri Exhibition in Nairobi. At some point, the “Enough is Enough” voice inside of me developed some sort of energy. This is how it all went down.

I was looking for content to help me understand the state of Food Insecurity in Kenya as part of feeding my farming mind and along the way I stumbled upon the conference call. Its location being in Nairobi made it much easier for me to attend. As usual, there were some new learning’s gained in the process, some common ones and the worst case scenario. For the sake of it, I will lump them up in to the good, the sorry and the worst.

The Good Side

If you have ever been in the horticulture industry, then KEPHIS is no newcomer to you. These are like the Kenya Bureau of Standards mandated to certify agricultural inputs and produce for both imports and exports. My “wow” moment with them was when I realized they have an Electronic Certification System that has been in place since last year. The ECS , a business to government and government to government web system allows for ease in preparation of export documentation for export produce in the case of both cut flowers and fresh produce. 

Photo credit:IITA

The other one was courtesy of IITA  whose product AflaSafe , a safe and cost effective biocontrol product helps  reduce the presence of  aflatoxins both in the field and in the stores. Its basically a mixture of four atoxigenic strains of A. flavus of Nigerian origin held together by colonized sorghum grains and are usually broadcast on fields 10-20kg/ha 2-3 weeks before the flowering of the crop in question occurs. With a lot of our produce being burnt due to aflatoxin contamination, and Aflasafe having been documented to decrease contamination of groundnuts and maize in Nigeria by 80%, -90% in the last two years, it seems quite a viable option for eradicating aflatoxins. Read more about it HERE 

The Sorry Side

Dr Betty Achan Ogwaro who was the Minister for Agriculture for South Sudan was scheduled to attend as one of the keynote speakers on transforming agricultural systems and farming for the 21^st century. A week prior to the conference, the president decided to sack all of the cabinet ministers. Reasons behind this remained unknown to us and as a result she couldn't make it to come

Can you imagine?

The Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad.........

I have a very big problem when 98% of the conference attendants are 55+ in terms of age and a majority working in Not-for-Profit institutions. The very few young faces present were journalists whose major interest was to cover the stories. The only young people present there were Charles Muthui, a practicing farmer in Nyeri who graduated the other day from Maseno University and chose livestock keeping as his full time venture. Also present was MuhammedMukanda, a young person advocating for more young people to join the venture and lastly me. None of us had a formal invite. We found ourselves there.

The state of presentations was also quite wanting. If the slides were not swamped with lots of detailed writings, then some presenters reported on what their organizations are mandated to do rather than what they have done or are have been doing to ensure food insecurity is a problem of the past.

The other point is on not having resolutions after the conference. So people have come and gathered together to share their insights on how to make Africa food secure. So what?  Apart from the lovely cups as take away gifts, what’s the resolve towards the theme “Sustainable Food Security to Match Economic Growth-Seeking long-term commitment to ending hunger in Africa”? If we can’t go beyond using keywords like Food Security to make agriculture look sexy, then that might be one of the many reasons that ten or twenty years from now, we shall look back nostalgically at the state of food insecurity in the world.

Last but not least, the organizers didn't give me a lunch voucher for the second day which meant I had to pay for my lunch. And of course you know Laico Regency aint my everyday joint in the hood. So definitely my pockets shed a few tears  L L

My take

Every conference needs a balance between practitioners sharing knowledge, farmers airing their challenges and a youth presence to maintain a sustainability element as agricultural torch bearers. I am lucky to have served and still continue to serve in all the three capacities. Without all these coming together, we might be just like that man who winks at a woman in the dark. Only he knows what he is doing.

I rest my case!

The ups and downs of a peri-urban farmer

 Deep in the heart of Kikuyu district in Kenya, you are likely to meet up with a few small scale farmers busy in their farms or plots. Nevertheless, few possesse the joys of narrating how a hobby turned to a commercial venture like one farmer does.

Meet Patrick Njogu Gitau a peri-urban small scale farmer since 1993. His 2 ½ acre of land, a major source of livelihood for  his wife and children, is situated West of Nairobi approximately 25 km from the City Center. He is indeed a happy man. His eyes can tell it all and as they say the eyes are the windows to the soul

So what lights his face this much?

Nineteen years ago Patrick was just an ordinary subsistence farmer. His farm, besides being a source of produce for his family, played the role of a hobby.  Time and dynamic agricultural ways caught up with him necessitating him to try new ways of farming. That’s when the idea of being a commercial small scale horticulturalist came to mind.

Knowing he didn’t possess the skills needed for his new found initiative, he sought help from the agricultural extension officers in Kikuyu on how to go about it. The extension officers proved quite supportive to his venture in terms of advice.

“But now I am very happy. Kenyan farmers have moved from subsistence economy to commercial business in agriculture” says an elated Patrick.

New technologies

Patrick acknowledges the mushrooming of new technologies as a force behind the success of his venture.  Take for example the green houses which are effectively minimizing water usage in farms, while ensuring maximum profit from the produce.

Despite the joys of his new found venture, he notices the presence of gaps in agricultural research. In return, he makes a polite request to researchers from the international community to get firsthand information from farmers which in turn assists the researchers in addressing the specific needs of the farmers.

“The requirements of this place are not the requirements for another place” Notes an observant Patrick.

Well all is not doomed in the field of agricultural research and development which not only improves the lives of small scale farmers but also feeds an entire nation and frees it from the burden of food insecurity.

His parting shot to the world: “We are always ready for changes.  To change for better not for worse.”
I couldn’t agree no more!

This blogpost was written for the GCARD Blog  by Emmie Kio, one of the GCARD2 social reporters.

Find the original blogpost here :  http://gcardblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/the-ups-and-downs-of-a-peri-urban-farmer/

Does Agricultural Research Deliver?

Flash back to 2007 

Am seated in an agronomy class in my first year stay in campus and the lecturer in front is talking about  extension officers and their link to helping improve agriculture which happens to be the backbone of our economy..My mind clouds with thoughts and I hear the lecturer saying tidbits about …training…advise..

Extension officers?  Wait a minute! Agricultural extension officers? Who are they? What do they do?  Whom are they supposed to help/advise/train?

Prior to joining Egerton University to study a Bachelor of agribusiness management, I had never come across agricultural extension officers, where I grew up, in Nanyuki, Kenya! Never mind its vast grassland area which supports a range of livestock. Basic knowledge on the importance of deworming animals was lacking causing farmers to give the animals a homemade concoction of boiled Aloe Vera and boiled tree twigs. The result? Deterioration of animals health and subsequent death.

This led me to volunteer during holidays as an extension officer with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of livestock Development in the Coast province to learn bits about extension advice. With participation in extension officers’ field days, I learnt a lot and took part in information dissemination to farmers in the coastal areas specifically on the Nerica rice variety which does well in arid areas and improved bee keeping methods. Later on I replicated my knowledge and still I am, to farmers in Nanyuki with the help of the administration authorities.

Flash forward to 2012
I am seated on my desk watching the video of Joseph Kaguatha narrate his farming ordeals in Lari District of Kenya. And I fully understand what he says. Just like other rural farmers, he faces the common challenges in his subsistence farming trade:

• Dependence on rain fed agriculture
• Land subdivision and fragmentation resulting to lower land productivity hence food insecurity at the household level.
• Lack of extension advice from the agricultural extension officers placed at district levels.
• Lack of new technologies in farming e.g.  Water harvesting or alternatives water sources for agricultural purposes.
• Agricultural researches not reaching the intended beneficiary hence no impact felt at ground i.e. the rural farmers

All is not lost and Joseph believes these challenges could be solved if partnership is maintained between the research institutions, government extension officers and the farmers.
The second Global Conference on Agricultural Research and development (GCARD2) happening in Uruguay seeks to address among others the theme of Partnership and its relation to agricultural research for Development. Do join the proceedings form 29^th October to 1^st November online, and highlight any issue you feel is affecting you or other farmers in any Agricultural related field.

This blogpost  was written for GCARD Blog  by Emmie Kio( Me), one of  the GCARD2 social reporters.

Find the original post here:   http://gcardblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/does-agricultural-research-deliver/

Breaking off the poverty chains: Urban farming in Nairobi, Kenya

Quite a number of us have practiced backyard farming: Rabbit keeping, vegetable/kitchen farming, poultry keeping and so forth in rural areas. These we keep as pets or even as a source of ready vegetables and meat for our daily consumption.

The rapid increase in urbanization and subsequent rise in urban food insecurity has resulted to the mushrooming of this kind of agriculture in urban centers with scholars naming it Urban Agriculture .In essence it translates to keeping animals and growing crops in the cities. It’s either conducted in the cities (intra urban) through ways like sack gardening or outside the cities confines (Peri urban) in green houses, on off-farm plots or on large acreage farmers.

A boost to this form of farming has come by from the support several national and international organizations who have showcased the venture as a good means for solving the problem of food insecurity in urban centers of developing world. This in turn has led to Kenyan agricultural researchers incorporating it as an important aspect in the Kenyan land policy.

So how important is urban farming?

According to Resources for Urban Agriculture Foundation (RUAF) come 2020, 75% of most of the populations in Africa, Asia and Latin America will be concentrated in the urban centers. A majority of these cities economies are at their developing stage which will then translate to rising of issues like unemployment, inadequate nutrition, food insecurity and buildup of wastes in urban centers soaring up. Urban farming comes in to help mitigate some of these issues through its various actors the likes of the urban poor, the women, the researchers and mid -level government officials.
Urban farming shows a lot of potential in:

•  Ensuring food security and provision of necessary nutrition. Less transport costs to the markets are incurred which in turn offers a fair produce price to the poorest of the poor in the urban areas.
•  Boosting the economic status of a family. Less money is spent in purchase of vegetables and there is notable barter exchange with other commodities.
•  Social impacts to disadvantaged and marginalized members of the society. Women groups, orphans and immigrants by giving them decent livelihoods in urban areas.
•  Researchers disseminating agricultural research to farmers as they are able to interact freely with them know their farming needs and develop new technologies  based on the specific needs identified.
• Greening the cities. Treated waste water from sewers is used to irrigate farms while  waste vegetable matter  in municipal dump sites are used to provide organic compost in farms hence reducing pollution to these urban centers.

Research should be “bottom heavy”
In the video at the top of the post, Mary Njenga, an agricultural researcher in Nairobi, not only talks about her passion for urban farming and why she is glad of its incorporation in the land policy of Kenya. She also calls for a shift in the attitude and approach of researchers. “People are tired of researchers coming to take soil samples or crop samples, or yet another questionnaire”, she says. “Research should be bottom heavy. Innovation that researchers build, should come from the farmers.”


This blogpost  was written  for the GCARD Blog  by Emmie Kio, one of  the GCARD2 social 
 reporters.

Link to the original post :  http://gcardblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/breaking-off-poverty-chains-case-urban-farming-nairobi-kenya/#more-1663

The Road from GCARD1 to GCARD2, and Beyond........

The three main themes of The Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2)  are:

• Foresight for Impact- Matching research priorities to future development needs
• Partnerships for impact
• Capacity development for impact

The key elements emanate from the GCARD1 Roadmap which paved way for relevant and more responsive agricultural research for all development systems in the world. GCARD2 builds its foundation on it, looking at where we stand currently, how the changes they predicted/promised are happening and what impacts can be shown.

So what are these elements, their corresponding outcomes and their links to the conference themes?

Theme “F”: Foresight for Impact:
GCARD2 offers a chance for all stake holders to think beyond the conference to see ways in which the future agricultural challenges present themselves and the needs of smallholder farmers can help in shaping the process of agricultural innovation.

Expected Outcome I: Through a Global Foresight Hub, collective actions will be agreed upon with the major purpose of bringing together all analyses and reviews of future Agricultural Research For Development (AR4D) needs from all international, regional and national stakeholders. This will form part in creating better policies and in so priorities for research oriented organizations.

Theme “P”: Partnerships:
As the old adage goes; No man is an island. In the same way, no organization, no matter how good it is, survives in a vacuum. The same applies to GCARD2 as it looks for partnerships along its areas of research and development that will help reaching the aim of improving the lives of millions of people in the world.

Expected Outcome II: there is a great likelihood of success on the side of impacts for smallholders. This is for the mere fact that there will be agreements on common purposes and mutual commitments to the objectives of CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) and other global partnerships programs.

Theme “C”: Capacity Development:
Institutional Learning and empowerment of Youths
Looking closer we see few youths interested in agricultural related careers with particular interest women. What new skills and capabilities do you feel are lacking? How can we attract and retain young people in these agricultural careers? GCARD2 will focus on determining investment needs in various levels of agricultural research and development for different generation groups.

Expected Outcome III:  A spring up of major new initiatives globally, launched to address capacity needs in the areas of investment and careers. This in turn will lead to increased investments, creation of more attractive agricultural careers and key barriers to the impact of agricultural research and innovation addressed.

Empowerment of Women
According to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in The State of Food and Agriculture , women play a vital role in advancing agricultural development and food security. They are efficient agricultural producers and can achieve higher yields given the same resources their counterpart men are given. And agricultural research definitely needs more of them as African Women in Agricultural Research and Development demonstrates in their working. GCARD looks in to the specific needs of women producers and puts them central in the process of agricultural research and rural development.

Expected Outcome IV: Creation of Collective actions committed to reshape AR4D systems to better reflect women’s perspectives and enable their direct access to innovation products and services.

Reporting Framework:
The GCARD2 offers a chance for all stakeholders, sectors and regions to report on their activities and the progress they have achieved in the delivery of GCARD Roadmap. This will help in creating check points of where they stand at present, what went well and what could have been done in a much better way.

Expected Outcome V: There will be a demonstration of renewed commitments to transforming and strengthening AR4D systems at international, regional and national levels. This will form the basis for GCARD3 in 2014.

This blogpost was written by Emmie Kio and uploaded by Robert Kibaya, two of the GCARD Social Reporters for the GCARD2 Conference .Original post can be found at  http://gcardblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/road-from-gcard1-to-gcard2/


Picture courtesy Peter Casier/CCAFS

GCARD: More than a mere conference!

 

October 2012 is going to mark an important event for those involved in Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D). More than 600 people from all over the world will attend the Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2), organized by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), in association with CGIAR, the global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food secure future. We expect close to 1,000 people to participate to the conference remotely, through our webcasting and social reporting.

Development changes needed to achieve the Millennium and Development Goals (MDGs) are often complex and require actions and interactions of multiple stakeholders at national, regional and international levels. The GCARD process is about reshaping agricultural innovation and its significance in meeting key MDGs. It brings together all sectors involved in AR4D: The public sector, national and international policy makers, agricultural Institutions, agricultural research systems managers, leaders of farmer organizations and cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, universities, private sector enterprises in agri-business and farming, investors, donors and philanthropic organizations etc..

The GCARD process also provides a unique mechanism to collectively examine the realities of achieving impacts at scale and what steps and changes will need to be put into place now to reap the benefits of agricultural research, knowledge and innovation in meeting national and international development needs.

From GCARD1 to GCARD2

The First Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD 1) was held in Montpellier, France from 28^th to 31^st March 2010, during which the GCARD Roadmap was developed. The GCARD Roadmap proposes a series of transformative measures required to enhance the contribution of agricultural research and innovation towards development outcomes. The Roadmap sets out commonsense, practical measures, applicable and acceptable across all sectors and scales. It identifies 6 key areas in which the transformation and strengthening of Agricultural Research for Development systems is required to realize the full potential benefits of agricultural knowledge and innovation on the lives of smallholder farmers around the world:

• Collective focus on key priorities as determined & shaped by science and society
• True and effective partnerships between research and those it serves
• Increasing investments to meet the huge challenges ahead
• Enhancing  capacities to generate, share and use agricultural knowledge for development
• Effective linkages that embed research in wider development processes and commitments
• Better demonstration of impacts and returns from agricultural innovation

GCARD1’s regional and global analyses and the CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework both highlight the need to have a bottom-up approach that ensures all stakeholders who are involved in AR4D engage in policy processes and also contribute in implementing ideas into actions, so that by the end of the day the outputs from research have a positive impact on the lives of smallholders, whose development needs should be at the center of consideration. In doing so, together they will contribute in reducing poverty and hunger, improving human health and nutrition and enhancing ecosystem resilience, hence achieving the MDGs.

From Roadmap principles to actions

The GCARD2 will be a major step for AR4D as it will bring together the practical steps now being undertaken to deliver the changes demanded in the Roadmap, recognizing the diverse realities and political economies (the interacting political, economic, institutional, technological, social and cultural contexts) in which development outcomes are desired.

GCARD2 will identify ways of generating more coherent, evidence-based perspectives on our future needs from agricultural innovation and, from practice-based experience, what kinds of partnerships, capacities, actions and changes will be required, from smallholders to scientists, to achieve the desired impacts.

Are you involved in Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D)? What challenges are you facing and what changes do you think are required in order to make a greater impact?

This post is re-blogged from the  GCARD Blog  at http://gcardblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/gcard-more-than-mere-conference/#more-1375  Stay put for more on the same!