Applying a Systems Framework to Research

on African Farming Systems

CRP1.1 Regional Inception Workshop East and Southern Africa 5-7 June 2012

Expanding Global Agendas and Increasing Demands on Agricultural Research

Global food security under increasing land and water constraints

Provision of ecosystem services and eco-efficiency of farming systems

Adaptation and mitigation to climate change

Agroecological intensification of smallholder agriculture and poverty

Changing Research Methods and Technology

Design Production systems research Integrating ecological science Place-based research methods Research consortia Scaling up integrated into research

design Flexible institutional arrangements

Design Issues in Production System CGIAR Research

Programs Target Area Selection Research Site Selection

-Target area characterization-Research hypotheses-Methodology for research site selection-Baseline and monitoring of system change

Methods for Research on Farming Systems

Developing the Science of System Intensification

Data and Analytics for: Characterization and targeting Extrapolation Baseline and monitoring Causal relationships

-System change

-Comparative frameworks

Design Characteristics for Analyzing African Farming

Systems Heterogeneity: system boundaries and

classification strata

-Spatial Characterization

-Within site household stratification System Change and Dynamics: drivers

and intensification pathways Embeddedness: landscape,

market/sub-sector, agricultural sector

Implementation programs

INSTITUTIONALMANAGEMENT

EXOGENOUSENDOGENOUS

Livelihood Capitals

Livelihood strategies

Institutions and policy network

Key variables

Aridity index

Length of growing

periodClimate variability

Vegetation heterogeneity

Spatial Scale

Physical – livestock &

crops

Financial – income &

services

Human – knowledge &

skills

Social – herdsize, communities

Natural – water, land,

vegetation

Mixed crop & livestockAgro-pastoralism

Extensive pastoralism

Access to marketsRoad network

Infrastructural development

Village – district level governance

Financial services

Non agricultural employment

Structure of Farm/Household System

Asset base: five capitals Production activities Household objectives:

-Subsistence/food security

-Risk management

-Income

Within site variability: typologies

System Boundaries and Classification Frameworks

Hierarchical Classification Land use: Cultivated land within

managed natural ecosystems First order spatial classification

-Agroecology: eg semi-arid, highlands

-Crop-livestock interaction: eg pastoral Staple food crop: spatially contiguous? Sub-system speciation

System Speciation

East African Highland Banana Systems

Utilization Matoke: Uganda Beer bananas: Rwanda and

Burundi Enset: EthiopiaCrop Management Commercial: southwest Uganda Soil fertility constrained: Bukoba

System Variation and System Performance

System Performance-Productivity, profitability, income-Vulnerability, food security-Resource efficiency, resilience

System Variation-Spatial/causal comparative frameworks-Within-site socio-economic variation

Drivers of System Change Rural population growth

-Declining farm size-Increasing inequity in farm distribution-Pressure on common resources and natural capital

Improvements in Market Access-Transaction costs and input/output-Staple terms of trade

Changes in agroecology from climate change or biotic pandemics

Relative Prices and Marginal Returns to Nitrogen Application

Marginal Return(kg)

Relative Price

Kenya: HYV Maize 19.9 16.0

Kenya: Recycled Maize 16.1 16.0

Uganda: HYV Maize 25.0 33.7

Uganda: Recycled Maize 25.2 33.7

Pathways of System Change

Intensification of existing production patterns: sustainable and unsustainable

Diversification of production Expanded farm size or herd size:

high vs low population densities Increased off-farm income:

expanding non-farm rural economy vs transfers

Exit from agriculture

East Africa: Average Farm Income, 2004-06

Kenya Uganda Ethiopia

Per Capita Income 367 154 94

% Crop Income 36 64 53

% Livestock Income 24 13 34

% Non Farm Income 42 29 12

Kenya: Crop Diversification Indices by Zone

Markets as a Driver of Farming System Evolution

Stage in Farming System Evolution

Farmer Objective Principal Driver

Static Equilibrium Subsistence Dominates Rural Population Growth

Diversification Both Income and Subsistence

<Shifting Farm Gate Terms of Trade<Staple Food Productivity

Specialization Income Dominates <Price Signals in Efficient Markets<Regional Competition and Comparative Advantage