Targeting Agricultural Intensification and Commercialization in Africa: for Improved Environment and Livelihoods Cheryl Palm, Chris Neill, Paul Lefebvre, Kate Tully, Jonathan Hickman
Africa is BIG Farms are small
Farms are small in Africa Yet, >70% of production from smallholders Lowder et al., 2016
Africa has Diverse Farming Systems Garrity, Dixon, Boffa. 2012
HEALTH Improved food security dietary diversity improved nutrition?? increased labor productivity Agricultural Intensification: Potential Tradeoffs and Synergies Increased agricultural production and income GENDER improved labor productivity time allocation for family? co-opt of earnings by men ENVIRONMENT/WATER leaching N,P into water sources increased erosion/runoff greenhouse gas emissions depletion of water supplies clearing of native habitats Replenish soil nutrients EDUCATION children used for farm labor time freed for education?? income for education
Agricultural Intensification in Africa: Questions to Consider Can smallholders produce sufficient quantity (and quantity) for food and nutritional security? commercial markets? What is needed to move from own production to markets orientation? Where should intensification occur to avoid deforestation and other environmental impacts? Does food and nutritional security suffer with the transition from food to cash/bioenergy crops? Will this intensification result in land aggregation and further economic marginalization of smallholder farmers?
Maize Activities in Three Locations in Africa Millennium Villages Food Insecurity % land planted to maize N applied Kg N/ha Yield kg/ha % maize home consump tion % maize sold Market Orientat ion Tanzania 1.2 50% 66 1574 27% 15% 0.24 Malawi 1.0 41% 78 1867 28% 17% 0.20 Nigeria 1.2 29% 192 2886 19% 41% 0.61
Where to Intensify Production Commercialization? Maize Yield Gap in the SAGCOT Region of Tanzania Based on IIASA yield potential and IFPRI disaggregated yields 2000
Soil Constraints by Region (% area) Majority of Soils in Africa are Inherently Good Soil attribute Tropical Africa % Tropical America % Tropical Asia Al toxicity 26 43 24 High P fixation 11 32 20 Low nutrient reserves 31 47 27 H 2 O stress (>3months) 67 45 72 High erosion risk 24 35 53 % Sanchez, Palm & Buol 2003. BUT the soils have been depleted
Need to know where and how to apply fertilizer! Maize yield increase to NPK fertilizer What type of soil Fertilizer response to NPK fertilizer (over control) Kenya, Acrisol Study area DRCongo, Ferralsol Tanzania, Cambisol Nigeria, Lixisol (0 to 1 ton ha -1 ) 16 60 36 78 (1 to 2 ton ha -1 ) 48 40 59 22 (>2 ton ha -1 ) 36 0 5 0 Roobroeck, Palm, Nziguheba in prep
Factors to consider for targeting intensification 1. Result in increased yields and profitability 2. Have minimal impact on leaching, GHG emission 3. Avoid deforestation Methods used to identify these areas in East Africa 1. Maps of maize suitability produced by IIASA 2. Soil >30% clay to 30 cm depth derived from ISRIC soil grids 3. Slope from SRTM Digital Elevation 4. Forest cover
Areas to Target Intensification Maize 1,2,3 classes 1,425,083 sq km 61% of area clay >30%, slope <8% 92% of area has < 40% forest cover and 49% has <10% forest. 72% of the area is already cropland.
Targeting intensification More work needed to generalize responses to increased fertilizer use on soils Better information on soil depth will be important to better identifying areas on which leaching will be low Linking forest cover to carbon stocks and biodiversity Determining and understanding factors for adoption of intensification is critical Market access Value cost ratios Etc Consider other tradeoffs or synergies
Agricultural Intensification and Diet Diversity Diet diversity is associated with reduced stunting, independent of socioeconomic factors As intensification increases, lower crop diversity found on farms Stunting as related to crop diversity in several countries Arimond and Ruel, 2004
Agricultural Intensification Food Availability, Access and Utilization Related to percent of farm in cash crops Ghana, Bonsaaso Anderman et al., 2014 % of land devoted to cash crop
Some conclusions and precautions Intensification and commercialization are happening in Africa Need to consider the biophysical (soils, climate) and social (farm size, incomes, food and nutritional security, gender) for targeting Intensification normally leads to deforestation Must be accompanied by policies to curb deforestation Intensification of cash crops leads to improved income but not necessarily improved food security or nutrition or equity Target some interventions to improve nutrition Target some interventions specifically for women and lower income groups