Agroecological Expertise to Assist Development. Report on 10 years of Experience in Tacharane, Mali

Transcription

1 Agroecological Expertise to Assist Development Report on 10 years of Experience in Tacharane, Mali

2 Agroecology: A Realistic Solution Overview Shimmering utopia or realistic alternative for local farmers? In auditing the Tacharane program, Terre & Humanisme sought to demonstrate how agroecology is one meaningful solution to problems of production, food self-sufficiency, crisis resistance, and even social change. This experiment proved that agroecology should have ripple effects, and that more than ever, another way is possible. Agroecology seeks to reconcile the response to the essential need for food with the imperative to preserve the means of producing it. Faced with a system that deprives people of the right to feed themselves, it is a humancentered alternative intended to end humanitarian aid, which though necessary in the current environment, might continue exacerbating the very problems it aims to solve. It's not just an ethical option that encourages high-quality organic production, but also a political choice, a legitimate, peaceful resistance to abusive practices that can seriously harm nature and human beings. 2 The Tacharane Experience For about a decade, Terre & Humanisme has supported the agroecology promotion efforts of two Malian organizations in the village of Tacharane (20 km from Gao in the direction of Niamey, Niger): The NGO UAVES (Union for a Sharing and Ecological Future), a union of Tacharane associations created in 2001, has been helping the people of the village for over 10 years along the path to food self-sufficiency. Today, the NGO promotes its efforts throughout the nation of Mali and across the sub-region. CAPROSET (Agroecological Tropical Seed Production Centre) is both an agroecology training centre and a seed production farm created in 2006 by UAVES. What's Agroecology? Agroecology is both an ethic to live by and an agricultural practice for a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. It considers respect for the bountiful earth and the food sovereignty of people on their own land to be essential foundations for any balanced, sustainable society. Pierre Rabhi Why an Outside Audit? After 10 years of partnering, Terre & Humanisme wanted to have this experiment evaluated by an outside organization. From March 14 to March 27, 2014, the independent team of URD (Crisis, Rehabilitation, Development) was to evaluate the methodological approach and implementation of the programs, the organization of UAVES and CAPROSET, and the development and expansion of actions in Mali and neighboring countries. How? Through field visits, interviews, discussion forums, and participatory workshops, the team was able to measure changes in both farming practices and in families' everyday lives. The following pages detail the results of this study. Who are Terre & Humanisme? Created in 1994 as "Amis de Pierre Rabhi" and renamed in 1999, Terre & Humanisme works to promote agroecology as a practice and ethic with the intent of improving the condition of human beings and their natural environment. In 2015, Terre & Humanisme acted to: Offer its vision of agroecology to the world's farmers. How? By delivering its training modules to agricultural instructors and to professionals. Giving a boost to its efforts in Africa. How? African rural farmers are increasingly likely to opt for agroecology. Terre & Humanisme seeks to meet their urgent demand for training and strengthen the network of local actors that teach agroecology in the field. Spur excitement about its actions, in the here and now. How? By opening an office to serve France. Because even in our own country, financial security and self-sufficiency remain out of reach for some.

3 Agroecology As a Response to Hunger Produce better and feed people Tackling hunger is one of the major challenges of agriculture in the Global South. Using a variety of techniques that range from traditional to innovative but are always widely accessible, agroecology provides a beneficial response in terms of crop yields and production levels, even in poor-quality soil. In Tacharane, Yields Rise By food security, we mean the kind The widespread practice of vegetable gardening has enabled that communities of people create an improvement in the nutritional quality of family diets by themselves on their own land, Appropriate, reproducible seeds are available, and proper not with artificial cultivation of them allows people to subsist during lean years. Programs have also made it possible to improve child nutrition and distribute sustenance to the households most in need. Producers are convinced of the benefits of agroecology, the practice of which has changed the way the most committed people live, aid that makes some countries dependent on charitable whims in a way that is contrary to the dignity of being human, proud, and self-reliant. Pierre Rabhi as well as their relationship with nature. 3 CAPROSET provides market garden seeds suitable for local soil and climate conditions (70 cultivations) that are popular among producers. Agroecological Activities Set Up 58 community gardens 13,000 people 3 school gardens 950 students 17 gardening wells dug 450 people 2 water sources refurbished 1,300 people 19 fenced community gardens 500 people 20 family gardens tracked 450 families 4 agents trained in SRI Seed bank 1,830 families Promoting agroecological practices 92 awareness sessions held in Mali 25,000 people 2,000 people 78 training sessions in the region of Gao primarily women 12 training sessions, 11 in planting seeds held outside Gao 500 people (including 6 in Burkina) 13 training sessions for students and schoolteachers Livestock farming should be developed further as a complement to market gardening. 1,500 students and 36 teachers + 23 teachers in Bamako This year, to grow rice, I used compost on 0.25 hectares instead of chemical fertilizers. The yield is much better than what I could get with chemicals. Everyone was surprised and interested by what my field did. A rice farmer from Kara Since the arrival of Pierre Rabhi and the work done by UAVES, plots reserved for market gardening have proliferated all along the river. Almost all households now have a vegetable garden. After UAVES training, I no longer use chemicals in my field (neither as fertilizers nor for plant health) but I get good yields. A head of family from Tacharane A leader from Kara

4 Agroecology: Respecting the Environment Feed the earth and preserve the environment The philosophy of agroecology is based on our link to nature. This means taking the environment into account in a comprehensive way, as well the notion of balance sustainability. Composting, digging wells and waterholes, and mulching are part of the range of solutions that ensure production while preserving the integrity of the soil. In Tacharane, the Land is Healing With the use of composting Composting is becoming more common and is replacing the use of chemicals. and CAPROSET's seeds, the crops Water supply issues are a priority, and can partly be solved by digging we harvest are very high quality. wells and drains (digging wells and recovering run-off water). They keep for longer and taste much Anti-erosion dikes (more than 50 km) and deepening waterholes better. People are leaving Gao are cited as major activities for the common good of the community : and Ansongo to come here to buy Protecting the village and rice paddies from flooding, maintaining the produce from us. village's workforce, and increasing the livestock water supply from one to four or even five months. A market gardener from Tacharane Through the regular guidance of teachers, producers have shown proficiency in agroecological practices, particularly composting, which has become very common. Reforestation is only a minor share of UAVES' actions, but the promotion of wood-free construction (in partnership with the association Voûte Nubienne) is an initiative that should be developed km of anti-erosion dykes 3 waterholes deepened 1 micro-dam built 4 controlled irrigation structures rehabilitated People of Tacharane 250 agropastoralists and stock farmers 800 people 1,125 families

5 Agroecology as a Sustainable Solution for Communities Increase the autonomy and resilience of the people living here Agroecology has proven its ability to lighten shocks, whether from severe climate or from fluctuations in grain prices. Because they are self-sufficient and have more food resources, rural dwellers are no longer always at the mercy of a bad year. In Tacharane, people are more self-sufficient Means of subsistence have markedly improved as a result of several factors : The expansion of market gardening has enabled survival even in lean years and helped diversify and improve families' diets. Households' economic capabilities have increased because direct consumption of vegetables and the income generated preserve a large share of their resources. The availability of seeds and garden crops, as well as seeds for rainy seasons, improves their capacity for resilience. Farming in the dry season is now more productive. The flexible range of services makes it possible to adjust our work to match the changing needs and concerns of the community. We should improve data collection so that we can better track the economic development of the producers (operating statements). Before, there was only rice and sorghum, now our lives have changed with the introduction of potatoes, vegetables, and other crops. Before the program, we only had A farmer from Tacharane one rice harvest, which was at the mercy of the rainfall. Now we can plan for a bad year with market gardening. A head of family from Tacharane Social action At the request of our partners, due to armed conflict and the end of mercantile trade with the region, special actions have been put in place to allow people from rural areas to begin a new farming campaign. 5 3 food distributions (1 month of food per household) 2 rice seed distributions 1 livestock feed distribution 5,732 vulnerable households 2,084 rural farmers in need 60 poor stock farmers

6 More Than a Farming Practice, a Philosophy A changing society Beyond farming practices, agroecology defends values that permeate society as a whole, like recognizing the place of women, non-violent relationships, and education for all. An agricultural revolution that is already underway! In Tacharane, mindsets and lifestyles are changing The place of women and their relations with men have improved. Through their involvement in market gardening and literacy, they feel more respected. The problem of low literacy rates standing in the way of promoting agroecology, particularly among women, has been taken into account : 26 literacy centers set up (more than a thousand people affected, 90% women) and a post-literacy booklet produced about agroecology. Unemployment is down as a result both of market gardening and public works, like building dikes out of stone. The rural exodus has considerably diminished: Tacharane's population has risen from 8000 to 10,000 people. The shared interests of the community have been preserved through public programs for social assistance and child nutrition. The local partners (UAVES and CAPROSET) fit in completely and are well known locally. Most of the projects now underway depend on Terre & Humanisme for funding. More diverse sources of funding would be desirable. We were taught together with the men, who understand what we are doing and see positive results in our household work. Now they lets us do more in groups. A woman from Tacharane I feel that in ten years, the most important change in the village is in mindsets and behaviors. Though market gardening wasn't something we did before, now the people here know that they can diversify their work, food, and income thanks to their gardens. Adama Tiégoum, UAVES coordinator (cited in Terre & Humanisme's 20th anniversary overview) 6 26 literacy centers (including 2 in Tamasheq) that have served 1050 people (90% women).

7 The Terre & Humanisme Method Terre & Humanisme : Expert advice to aid in development Today, Terre & Humanisme demonstrates the worth of its efforts on a daily basis. To offer a global alternative, projects must proliferate and reverberate in their impacts. With everyone's support, a better future is possible for all. A different way to be more efficient Programs determined by the land. We don't craft our programs before we visitthe land itself. We prefer adapting to the actual needs and constraints of the people who live there. Giving power to the people. Our goal is to train locals to develop their skills. The trained instructors can then pass that knowledge on to larger numbers of rural dwellers on their own, without outside intervention. Creating skill networks. Because people can do more together, we work with many different partners and encourage them to do the same. A financial model for the real world. No indicators are favored above community voices themselves. Our financial model allows us to keep adapting to local conditions in real time. 7 Agroecology : Global consciousness raising Some large international institutions are finally recognizing that agroecology is the most effective agricultural approach for providing a solution to world hunger, which affects nearly one billion people, leaving two or three billion people undernourished, especially in the Sahel. "More frequent and more severe droughts and floods can be expected in the future; agroecological modes of farming are better equipped to support such shocks," wrote Olivier de Schutter in his report "Agroecology and the right to food" to the UN Human Rights Council in This report shows that agroecology can double the food output of whole regions in 10 years while reducing rural poverty and providing solutions to climate change. The conclusion of the report calls on States to begin a fundamental shift towards agroecology as a way of meeting food, climate, and poverty challenges worldwide. Our experience in agroecology, tested in the planet's most difficult regions, confirms that it is unquestionably a good fit for the condition of rural dwellers most in need. This is why Terre & Humanisme is continuing and expanding its programs into many countries. Agroecology uses techniques aimed at correcting the destructive effects caused by climate conditions and devastating human practices (deforestation, overgrazing, land clearing, and more). This program, if properly applied, works wonders in places where the ecological alteration of the environment is leading towards total desertification. Pierre Rabhi

8 Contact us: Pierre-François Pret, head of the International Office (PSI) +33 (4) (4) TERRE & HUMANISME Mas de Beaulieu Lablachère, France