DID YOU KNOW?...DID YOU KNOW...? NR International is one of the UK’s leading project management companies, specialising in the development sector. With a tradition of natural resources

A focus on 17 natural resources projects across the developing world, managed by NR INTERNATIONAL

DID YOU KNOW...?

new spreada v6 8/6/05 5:00 pm Page 1

If you like the book, you may like to watch the selection of videos on this CD. These films were allproduced by local teams with limited resources. They are used as training tools and a method of

communicating the work of the projects to a wider audience.


DID YOU KNOW...?NR International is one of the UK’s leading project managementcompanies, specialising in the development sector. With atradition of natural resources management, we have over 600person years’ experience, working in more than 80 countriesworldwide. We work with and for the poor - but we do notreceive or deliver aid to them. We believe in the creation oftrusted partnerships and we aim to enhance peoples’livelihoods by improving their quality of, and access to, naturalresources. Our philosophy is a simple one, adopting theChinese proverb:

"If you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, but if he istaught how to fish he can eat every day".

NR International is owned by three leading UK universities:Imperial College London; the University of Greenwich; and theUniversity of Edinburgh. They recognise the value of independentand cost-effective management.

Our current portfolio covers over 200 projects we manage onbehalf of a variety of donors including the European Commission(EC), World Bank and the UK Department for International

Development (DFID). We manage five of DFID’s RenewableNatural Resources Research Strategy programmes:

• Crop Protection Programme (CPP)• Crop Post Harvest Programme (CPHP)• Livestock Production Programme (LPP)• Forestry Research Programme (FRP) • and Post Harvest Fisheries Programme (PHFP)

Did You Know...? provides a view of a world rarely seen by mostpeople. Project and team leaders have allowed us in toexperience their life and work. The stories inside have come fromthe following institutes and organisations, which specialise inresearch for development and poverty reduction: NRI; PROINPA;CIP; the University of Reading; KENDAT; PPRI; UNEP ConservationMonitoring Centre; and ICIPE. We would like to thank theseorganisations for all their support, without which much ofthis work would not have been possible. See contacts pagefor more information.

This publication provides a unique insight into the work of theprojects. Projects featured in this book were funded by DFID andthe EC and managed by NR International.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis publication would not have been possible without thewholehearted enthusiasm and commitment of all those whosubmitted entries and members of NR International staff whoworked on it from concept to finished product. Special thanks toBryony Johnston, of NR International, for the original idea and tothe project and team leaders who trusted us to represent theirhard work, often carried out over many years, in anunconventional way. Also, many thanks for the supplementaryphotos used, taken on their travels by: Jean Noël Perrin and NRInternational staff. We hope you like the results!

WinnerWe wanted this book to be picked up and understood byanyone, whatever their line of work or interests. That’s why weasked young people – one of the toughest audiences around - tojudge which entry was the best. Students from year nine andten (aged 13-14) at nearby Rochester Grammar School in Kent,very kindly agreed to help us. Overall they chose SteveBelmain’s entry on rodent management in Bangladesh. Here aresome of the reasons why:

"I don’t like rats and, therefore, I think that rat control is a goodidea and that the methods are good"

"Very interesting pictures, very interesting information"

"Keeps you wanting to read more"

The prize for winning is for Steve to make a donation to a charityof his choice, worth £250.

Editor: Benedikte Siderman-WolterProduction Editor: Penelope SilversideDesigner: Dave Moxey, Clocked Work Design

NR InternationalNatural Resources International LimitedPark House, Bradbourne Lane, Aylesford, Kent ME20 6SN UKTel: +44 (0)1732 878686/7Fax: +44 (0)1732 220498/9Internet: http://www.nrinternational.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

Department for International Development and European CommissionThe views expressed are not necessarily those of the UK Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID) or the European Commission (EC).

All projects featured were funded by DFID or the EC and managed by NR International.

ISBN 0-9546452-1-9Published May 2005


CONTENTSIntroduction 7

Did You Know…?

Steven Belmain BANGLADESH, Ecologically based rodent management for small-scale 8SOUTH AFRICA farming systems

Rayne Calderón BOLIVIA Integrated management of major insect pests of potatoes 10Javier Franco in hillside systems in the Cochabamba region of Bolivia

John Colvin INDIA Tomato leaf curl virus 12

André Devaux BOLIVIA Innova 14

Euclid D’Souza BHUTAN Renewable Natural Resources-Extension Support Project 16

Simon Gowen UGANDA Promotion of improved IPM practices for banana diseases 18and pests in Uganda

Claire Heffernan INDIA, KENYA, BOLIVIA The Livestock Guru 20

Pascal Kaumbutho KENYA KENDAT (Kenya Network for Draught Animal Technology) 22Fred Ochieng

Margaret Kieser SOUTH AFRICA Information Core for Southern African Migrant Pests 24(ICOSAMP) PROJECT

Ulrich Kleih BANGLADESH Fish distribution in coastal communities 26

Ulrich Kleih UGANDA Draft Animal Power 28

Elaine Marshall MEXICO, BOLIVIA Commercialisation of non-timber forest products in 30Mexico and Bolivia: factors influencing success (CEPFOR)

Eliaineny Minja TANZANIA, Promotion of IPM strategies of major insect pests of Phaseolus 32KENYA AND MALAWI beans in hillsides systems in eastern and southern Africa

Brigitte Nyambo KENYA Development of private sector service providers for 34the horticultural industry in Kenya

Helga Recke KENYA Agriculture/Livestock Research Support Programme 36

John Stanley DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PROBANANO, A Project to Support Competitiveness in the Banana Sector. 38

Martin Stewart INDIA Western Orissa Rural Livelihoods Project (WORLP) 40

Contact details 42


What about reporting the good news – things that are working in Africa– instead of just seeing it as the continent where things go wrong?

Hilary Benn MPSecretary of State for International Development, November 2004

In the UK we have a history of talking about poverty - Oxfam, Live Aid, Comic Relief, documentaries – it’s of historical importance, if people have no idea about poverty they won’t do anything about it.

Richard CurtisCo-Founder Comic Relief, TV & Film scriptwriter, April 2005

What we need are practical ways to address poverty

Jeffrey SachsSpecial Advisor to the UN Secretary General & Author of The End of Poverty, April 2005

Everyone has to do their bit – there is no easy answer – the strange thing about Natural Resources is how it haspassed out of fashion. How can this be with issues that are so central to survival

– how can food and water cease to be crucial?

Tony WorthingtonMember of Board of Directors, Parliamentary Network of the World Bank & Former MP, April 2005

6


INTRODUCTION: Did You Know...?

Innovative work is changing lives Across the developing world, work is taking place in communitiesthat are remote and rarely seen by the rest of the world.Researchers and specialists are working with these communities tohelp them to help themselves improve their quality of life and breakout of poverty. In the Dominican Republic, banana farmers arelearning how to meet stringent regulations to export their produceto Europe. In Bangladesh, rats destroy crops and have the ability tochew through virtually anything! A project there has come up withsimple, affordable solutions to enable farmers to protect their cropsand, therefore, their incomes. In India, a new interactive tool isable to help even illiterate farmers to educate themselves on howto best manage their livestock and help guarantee their food securi-ty. What’s going on in these areas deserves our attention. That’swhy we’ve produced Did You Know…?

A unique glimpseDid You Know..? offers you a chance to immerse yourself in someincredible stories of lives changing for the better. It combinesstraightforward coverage of the projects that we manage, as well aspromoting the cultural and historical richness of the countries inwhich we work - through the eyes of those who live and workthere.

Communicating scienceNR International-managed projects are dedicated to improving thewell-being of the poor in developing countries. We specialise inrenewable natural resources - that is crops, forestry, fisheries andlivestock. This often involves scientific research, in the lab, but more

often in the field. Project and team leaders work directly with thecommunity to translate their findings into practical solutions – sothat smallholder farmers and their families don’t go hungry, canafford to educate their children and can improve their health withbetter farming methods. Science is often a scary word, but inreality it provides amazing and ground-breaking solutions to theproblems of the world’s poorest. These stories rarely reach thepublic. As Baroness Susan Greenfield CBE commented to theEditor:

If you’re going to write a book, you might aswell have it read by as many people aspossible, rather than one man and a dog!For me, writing a science book that onlyscientists could understand – what’s thepoint? Clear, user-friendly English, I love it!

Baroness Susan Greenfield CBEDirector The Royal Institution of Great BritainInterviewed in April 2005

You can judge for yourself with thestories from the field in this book.

7


Ecologically based rodent management for small-scale farming systems8

• There are more than 1500 species of rodents – more speciesthan all other mammal groups on the planet.

• In Vietnam, rats are traditionally eaten during marriageceremonies and fed to guests at weddings. Indeed, rats areeaten in many African and Asian countries where they arehighly sought after delicacies.

• Rats can easily chew through almost any material includingaluminium, tin, concrete, electrical wires, plastic pipes,wood.

• The word ‘rodent’ comes from the Latin word, rodere,meaning to gnaw or chew.

• Rats are worshipped by Hindus as servants of the gods. Fearof rats is common to many cultures where their presence isassociated with bad omens or bad magic.

• Rodents are the most widely used animals for humanmedical research.

• Rats have such a good sense of smell that they are beingused to detect landmines (by smelling the explosive in thesoil) and to screen for TB (by smelling the bacteria present inpatient sputum samples).

• Rodents are famous animals, thanks to Mickey Mouse, ThePied Piper and many other stories and folklore found in allcultures.

• Rats can attack and damage almost any agricultural cropthat we try to grow.

• Rats can harbour and transmit more than 60 differentdiseases to people and our livestock. The most famousrodent-borne disease, bubonic plague, which killed abouthalf the population of Mediaeval Europe, still persists inmany countries in Africa and Asia where outbreaks occureach year.

• Although it is unknown how many people get sick and diefrom rodent diseases worldwide, some lethal diseases suchas lassa fever have no cure or vaccine.

• Rodents make good pets because they are clean, smart andaffectionate!

Did you know…?

Killing the rat pack

"The most satisfying aspectof our research on rodentsin developing countries iswhen farmers andhouseholders startindependently to adopt therodent managementstrategies and tools we haverecommended. InBangladesh, we have seenfarmers and villagecommunities begin tochange how they store theirlivestock fodder haystacks.By storing it off the ground,they have reduced thenumber of rats living inhaystacks. Farmers have alsorealised an additional benefitfrom the new haystackswhich provide shelter totheir ducks, chickens andgoats. In South Africa, wehave seen communities stopusing highly dangerous andillegal poisons to kill rats,and instead use ‘new’ typesof killer traps that are nowbeing sustainablymanufactured by a SouthAfrican company.

Rodents are certainly themost successful group ofmammals and have beenhighly adaptive to theirenvironments, living in theextreme heat of the desertand the cold of the artic. Of

the thousands of rodentspecies only a handful areconsidered pests. So-called‘commensal’ rodents havelong been associated withhuman civilisation, eatingour food and living in ourbuildings and hitching a rideon our transport. In the UK,rodent pests have beenfound successfully livingdeep inside coal mines, inwarehouse freezers storingmeat, and thriving in areasof poor hygiene andsanitation on farms and incities. The mobility ofrodents, their intelligenceand adaptability make thema challenging adversary tocontrol. But, they can beeffectively controlled in acost-beneficial andsustainable way in nearly allpest situations. However, ifleft unchecked, rodent pestproblems will only increasewith agriculturalintensification andurbanisation pressures. It isunlikely that rodent pestmanagement can besustainably improved with-out continued long-termdonor support by attractingyoung scientists tounderstand localised rodentpest problems."

Steven BelmainNatural Resources Institute

Behind the scenes…

Community trap barrier systems have been shown to protect rice fields from rodent damage. They work byattracting rodents from large distances to an early ripening crop inside a fence where the rodents get caught bymulti-capture traps.

New designs of rat traps make them better at catching rats and reducing rodent populations. Although they canbe labour-intensive to use appropriately, they are cheaper and safer than poisons for poor communities indeveloping countries.

BANGLADESH, SOUTH AFRICA


Steven Belmain Project leader

9

Rodent pests are a wellrecognized problem in mostcountries in both rural andurban situations and affectpeople’s lives by destroyingmany different crops,transmitting diseases to peopleand livestock, contaminatingfood and water, and damagingbuildings and other possessions.Almost any agricultural cropgrown can be attacked byrodents, and they are knowncarriers of more than 60different life-threateningdiseases that can be transmittedto people. The numbers ofrodent pests are on the increaseworldwide and are likely tocontinue increasing.

Although effective rodentcontrol methods exist, theirpoor application and adaptationto particular situations oftenresults in treatment failures,leading to apathy andwidespread acceptance ofrodent pests in theenvironment. Generally,perception about the impact ofrodents on people’s livelihoodsis poor. This is partly due totheir multiple impacts(agriculture and health), thedifficulty to assess some of theproblems (e.g. crop loss) andlow public awareness (e.g.disease transmission) about thedamage caused by rodents.Without a good holistic

understanding about rodentpest problems and the cost-benefits of rodent control, itcan be difficult to convincepeople that rodent control isachievable and can lead to realbenefits in their lives. Rodentpests disproportionately affectthe poorest people who are lesslikely to possess appropriateknowledge and access toproven technology. By givingpeople appropriate knowledgeand experience, they can devel-op strategies to increase food,financial security and health.

Current rodent control practicesare often based on the use ofpoisons, rodenticides. Research

funded by the Crop ProtectionProgramme and Crop Post-Harvest Programme and led byscientists at the NaturalResources Institute, has beenworking with communities andlocal institutions in Africa andAsia to evaluate and understandtheir rodent pest problems anddevelop appropriate strategiesthat can reduce the problemsrodents cause for them. Becauserodenticides can be expensiveand difficult to use safely, otherrodent management methodsinvolving trapping andenvironmental management aremore appropriate for thesituations found in developingcountries.

Our work…Oh rats!

R8184: Ecologically-based rodent management for small-scale farming systemsFunded by: DFID Crop Protection and Crop Post Harvest Programme, co-funded with World Vision and with thePoverty Elimination Through Rice Research Assistance Programme (PETRRA)

Project leader: Steven Belmain, Natural Resources Institute Photos: Steve Belmain, Ken Alpin, Adrian Meyer, Emil von Maltitz, Moses Zimba

Rodents are an important source of protein andhighly sought after delicacies in many countries.

Bandicota benegalensis, the common rice field rat of South Asia.

WINNER


Integrated management of major insect pests of potatoes in hillsidesystems in the Cochabamba region of Bolivia10

BOLIVIA

• The potato (Solanum tuberosum) originated in the highlandsof South America, where it has been consumed for morethan 8000 years.

• The Spanish conquistadores first encountered the potatowhen they arrived in Peru in 1532 in search of gold. Thepotato, not gold or silver, however, is the true treasure ofthe Andes.

• Brought to Europe by Spanish sailors, potatoes were fed tolivestock long before they became a staple in people’s diets.

• Nutritionally potatoes are high in vitamin C and potassium,very high in protein – for a vegetable – and almost fat free.

• Andean potato is the principal staple food for Bolivians andalso a major cash crop, grown nationally by 400,000 small-farm families. Most potato farmers are poor, and yields arelow, due to damage by potato tuber moths and Andeanpotato weevils

• The use of insecticides is the control method traditionallyused by the farmers, producing negative effects in theecosystem and on the health of the farmers because theyare applied at very high dosages.

• Chuño and tunta are dried potatoes that are commonlyeaten both in the cities and in the Andes region where,during the winter, people make them. To make chuño freshtubers are put on the ground and frozen for two or threedays, then they are pressed by trampling to squeeze out thewater and left to dry. For tunta, the frozen tubers arecovered with a layer of straw before the sun rises, and aftertwo to three days are placed in running water for 10–15days and then left to dry.

Source: http://www.cipotato.org/WPA/samerica/Bolivia.htm &http://www.proinpa.org/Catologos.htm

Did you know…?

Kids’ stuff"This project has a new wayof looking at transfer of tech-nology by targeting schoolchildren as the potential pro-moters in the fight againstpoverty – it is after all thewomen and children who areoften responsible for potatocultivation. Training was car-ried out with farmers and chil-dren in grades 5 and 6 (aged10–12) at three rural schoolsin different communitieslocated in Cochabamba,Bolivia. The selection of theissues for training was theresult of a base-line surveypreviously carried out in thearea, where the main pestproblems are the potato tubermoth (PTM), the Andeanpotato weevil (APW), and theinadequate and risky use oftoxic pesticides.

Training materials wereprepared for teachers andpupils, including a guide forthe teachers and a notebookfor the children. The fourmain issues included: historyof the potato crop; biology ofthe pests and methods tocontrol them; and the safeuse of pesticides. Many teach-ers did not come from ruralareas and did not know aboutthe potato crop and its associ-ated pests and diseases, oranything about pesticides. Asa result, teachers were moti-vated to learn through train-ing sessions at PROINPA(Promotion and Research ofAndean Products). They alsolearnt from the teachingmaterials produced by theproject and from their pupils’hands-on experience. Insect surprises!When life cycles and differentinsect stages were taught,most were astonished – theyhad not previously related thedifferent stages with the same

insect! They indicated thatthey knew the larva stagevery well, because this stagecauses severe damage in thetubers and can be seen atharvest, but they did notrelate the larva to the otherstages of the insect. Part ofthe training included visits tothe PROINPA research stationby the children, to see differ-ent laboratories and the vari-ous growth stages of insects.

Out of the mouths ofbabes…During a science fair in anearby town, Tiraque,children from one of the par-ticipating schools were able totalk about biological controlof PTM and APW – acting asunofficial Field Promoters.They also answered questionsfrom the public, thereby pro-viding a unique way ofspreading the word on potatopests. Children often take onadult roles at a younger agein developing countries, so byoffering them training at ayoung age they are betterequipped to provide for theirfamilies in later life. The othereffect noted in this projectwas that, once children weretaught, they in turn passedthe information on informallyto adults in their community,thereby sharing the knowl-edge for the collective gain oftheir community."

Javier Franco and Rayne Calderón PROINPA


Potato farmers, Sankayani, near Cochabamba


Rayne Calderón and Javier Franco Project leaders

11

Our work…Training future farmers

R8044: Integrated management of major insect pests of potatoes in hillside systems in the Cochabamba region of Bolivia . Funded by: DFID Crop Protection ProgrammeProject team: Rayne Calderón, Javier Franco, Luis Crespo and José Olivera, PROINPA Foundation (Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos or Promotion and Research of Andean Products), Bolivia.Collaborators: David Hall and Mark Downham, Natural Resources Institute . Photos: Javier Franco and Benedikte Siderman-Wolter

Andean Vista Children at PROINPA’s research site

Church in Tiraque

Most potato farmers are poor,and yields are low, due todamage by potato tuber mothand Andean potato weevil.This project, managed by theDFID Crop ProtectionProgramme and implementedby PROINPA in Bolivia and theNatural Resources Institute inthe UK, is developing new,non-chemical methods forcontrol of these pests for useby poor farmers. The projectobjective was to improve foodsecurity and increase the familyincomes of poor farmers inBolivia and hillside systems ofSouth America, by developingimproved methods for thesustainable management ofmajor potato pests. Theproject trained farmers inIntegrated Pest Management(IPM) of potato and, duringthese activities, it becameapparent that the impact couldbe greatly increased byinvolving children. Schools

provide an untappedopportunity for introducinglarge numbers of children tothe concepts of IPM at an earlyage and facilitate a way toreach and be more convincingto parents.

Environmentally friendlybiological control methods –rather than chemical pesticides– and IPM techniques wereused. For example, it is possi-ble to create a suspension ofinsects infected with a virus asa spray or powder. When thisis applied to a crop, attacks ofthis pest on the plants arereduced. Another option is touse pheromone traps and luresto attract harmful pests so thatthey fall into the trap, ratherthan attack a crop. The ideawas to understand local pestknowledge and raise awarenessof IPM among farmers and alsoamong policy makers whocould help promote IPM.


Tomato leaf curl virus12

INDIA

• Fresh tomato has replaced tamarind in Indian cuisine and isused in the preparation of almost every meal.

• Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) symptoms are often attributedto "something in the soil" or "too strong sunshine", ratherthan to a virus transmitted by whiteflies.

• Apart from tomato production, Kolar District is the centre forgold-mining in India – this project takes place in Bangaloreand Kolar District in Karnataka State.

• Resource-poor farmers can produce their own true-breedingseed from ToLCV-resistant tomato varieties developed by theproject.

• The insecticide-resistant B-biotype of the whitefly, Bemisiatabaci, first arrived in Kolar District in 1999 and is associatedwith epidemics of ToLCV disease. (Tomato leaf curl disease,also known as tomato leaf curl virus disease (ToLCVD), iscaused by a range of circular single stranded DNA virusspecies in the genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae andare transmitted by B. tabaci).

• Nylon netting, which is used to protect tomato seedlingsagainst ToLCV disease, is commonly used by tomato farmersin Karnataka and organically grown tomatoes are becomingpopular in India.

Did you know…?


Tomato farmer carrying a load, Kolar, a peri-urban site outside Bangalore

A tomato they can’t resist!

"When an opportunity aroseto apply for fundingthrough the DFID CropProtection Programme towork in India on whitefliesand geminiviruses, I wroteto several people in Indiaasking them if they wereinterested. About a monthlater, a letter arrived froman old contact, Prof V.Muniyappa, to say that hewould certainly like to beinvolved and that hethought we shouldconcentrate on ToLCVdisease.

Since then, there have beenmany occasions when theproject could have beenderailed but, each time,Prof Muniyappa and the

staff at the University ofAgricultural Sciences,Bangalore (UASB), wereextremely supportive andresourceful, ensuring thatthe work continued. Whenthe non-indigenous Bbiotype first arrived in Indiaand caused the collapse oftomato production in KolarDistrict, which suppliedBangalore with tomatoes,we were extremely worriedthat the ToLCV-resistantvarieties we were testingwould also collapse underthe intense diseasepressure. When this didn’thappen, the relief of thefarmers, project and USABstaff was clear. In fact, afterthis severe test, the value ofthe technology that wewere developing becameapparent to everyone,

including the represent-atives and breeders ofcommercial seed companies,who attended the farmerfield days.

Throughout the project, theUASB has set newprecedents with regard tothe project and, forexample, the three ToLCV-resistant varieties were soldto 10 commercial seedcompanies under a non-exclusive licence to usethem in the development ofresistant hybrids and tomarket them. In addition,the National Seed projecthas now set up a ‘revolvingfund’, where receipts fromthe sale of seeds are usedto produce more seed forsale, to ensure thesustainability of seed

production after projectfunding ends. This activitywill also ensure that seed ofthe varieties will beavailable for the poorest ofthe tomato growers at aminimal cost.

The project is now enteringa promotional anddissemination phase.Telecommunications havemoved on a lot since thestart of the project, whenBangalore had only a singleinternet café! The projectnow has a web site beingbuilt, which will shortly besited within the UASB’s website under BreakthroughResearch.”www.mensacomp.com//tomato

John Colvin Natural Resources Institute


John Colvin Project leader

13

R8247: Promotion and impact assessment of tomato leaf curl virus disease resistant tomatoes: phase III ofsustainable management and molecular characterisation of Bemisia tabaci and tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) ontomato in India

Funded by: DFID Crop Protection ProgrammeProject leader: John Colvin, Natural Resources InstitutePhotos: Kerry Albright

Research-farmer interaction

Tomato farmers

Farmers in the field

In the past decade, whitefliesand the plant viruses theytransmit have become anincreasingly important globalagricultural problem. In India,the whitefly B. tabaci is currentlythe most important pest oftomatoes, causing directdamage, as well as transmittingToLCVD. Crop losses experiencedby resource-poor farmersfrequently reach 100 per cent,affecting both household foodsecurity and income fromtomato sales.

The pest management practicefavoured by farmers in south

India has been to spray cocktailsof insecticides in an attempt tokill the whitefly, a carrier ofdisease, with harmful effects onhuman health, the environmentand farmers’ income. Womenare involved in weeding andharvesting the crop and they inparticular are exposed to highlevels of insecticides. Thissituation has been exacerbatedby the recent discovery in Indiaof an insecticide-resistant strainof B. tabaci, the B-biotype, byscientists from the NaturalResources Institute, University ofGreenwich, and the UASB. TheB-biotype has already caused

failure of the tomato crop in animportant vegetable growingarea near Bangalore.

In order to combat this threat tothe livelihoods of poor people insouth India, scientists funded byDFID’s Crop ProtectionProgramme and the AsianVegetable Research andDevelopment Centre developedhigh-yielding tomato varietieswith strong resistance toToLCVD. These varietiesperformed extremely well in trialswhere insecticides were notused. There is enormous demandfor these tomato varieties,

particularly by the poorestfarmers, because they allowfarmers to produce their ownseed for the next season’s crop.The varieties were tested at otherlocations in Karnataka State and– provided they continue to per-form strongly – will be promotedofficially through the UASB andlocal NGOs. It is also likely thatthe varieties will be suitable forcultivation in other parts of India.Ultimately, there will be benefitsfor other regions where B. tabaciand ToLCVD cause serious losses:North Africa, the Middle East,the Caribbean and Central /South America.

Our work…Stronger tomatoes mean a better life


INNOVA14

BOLIVIA

Did you know…?


Half-baked is better than raw"Satisfying smallholders’demand for innovations isnot like taking an order in arestaurant. The demand fornew technology is notalways something thatresearchers and farmers canchat about in the abstract.We studied the farmingsystem. We talked to thepeople. We organisedgroups. We didparticipatory trials. Even so,the demand came out littleby little, with experience."

André DevauxCIP, Peru

Potato is the main crop ofthe poor. For several yearsafter the harvest, peopleplant maize, native tubers,beans, and then, when theweeds have built up and thesoil fertility has declined sothat little else will grow,they plant oats or barley,

and then leave land fallowfor a few years. Cows andsheep eat the oats, barleyand even the weedsgrowing in the fallow. So,at INNOVA, we thought thatplanting a forage crop infallow potato fields wouldimprove the soil whilefeeding the livestock; itseemed an appropriateresponse to demand. Thegoal was to help easepoverty by improving potatocultivation by introducingwhat used to be called‘appropriate technology’.INNOVA had several dozenhalf-finished technologies,which had been researchedby earlier DFID projects withnational research partners inBolivia. We wanted to finishthese technologies, butspecifically in response tofarmer demand. So, wewent back to our pilotcommunities, one in thehigh, arid Altiplano of LaPaz, a Quechua-speaking

one in the high Andeanvalleys, and a Spanish-speaking town in the lowvalleys, and asked themwhat they wanted. Theysaid they wanted morefodder for their sheep andcows.

Purple clover (Trifoliumpratense) is hardier andlarger than regular clover,but it takes a while toestablish. Then it forms adense, deep carpet that maylive for 15 years. It is aforage crop (for fodder) andit prevents soil erosion. Afarmer, Nelson Vallejos,planted oats with purpleclover which he had boughtat an INNOVA meeting. Hisneighbours were sceptical;the clover plants weresmall, and people doubtedthat they would survive thewinter.

Two years later, in February2005, Nelson was happy

with the clover. "We cut itfour times a year, not twice,as with alfalfa." He added, "The cows that eat purpleclover give a whole bucketof milk, 10 litres, but whenthey don’t eat it they onlygive half a bucket".We learned that collectingdemand is difficult, mostlybecause the farmingsystems are complex andhighly evolved. Anythingnew must be wedged intofarms that are already fullof crops, animals, andcompeting demands onpeople’s time. There is nomagic formula formeasuring demand andthen satisfying it. Perhapsthe best way is to take half-baked ideas out tocommunities, and finishthem there.

Source: Jeffery Bentley, ClaudioVelasco, André Devaux, GrahamThiele, Salomón Pérez, FredyAlmendras and Félix Rodríguezwww.innovabolivia.org

Nelson Vallejos shows off his purple clover. The plants grow close together and choke the weeds.

• Bolivia, named after the liberator Simon Bolivar, broke away fromSpanish rule in 1825, and was previously known as ‘Upper Peru’.

• Bolivia is the poorest country in South America – over 60 per centof the Bolivian population lives under the national poverty line.According to the Human Development Report, it ranks at number114 among 174 countries (http://hdr.undp.org/).

• Bolivia and Peru were one of the cradles of agriculture – thepotato, cotton, peanut, quinoa and various ‘forgotten’ cropswere domesticated here, besides the llama and the alpaca.

• Bolivia stretches from the spine of the Andes to the Amazonianlowlands. It is one third the size of India, with 9 million people. Itis one of the most indigenous countries in the Americas; abouthalf of the people still speak one of the native languages,especially Quechua or Aymara.

• Bolivia is landlocked, but shares Lake Titicaca, the world's highestnavigable lake (elevation 3805m), with Peru.

• Agriculture accounts for 15 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.Forty per cent of the population live in rural areas.

• The potato is the staple food of many people, especially the poorand the smallholder farmers in the highlands. It is their maincrop.


André Devaux Project leader

15

R8182: Strengthening technical innovation systems in potato-based agriculture in Bolivia Funded by: DFID Crop Protection, Livestock Production and Crop Post Harvest ProgrammesProject leader: André Devaux, Centro Internacional de La Papa (CIP), Peru. Project coordinator: Claudio Velasco, INNOVAImplemented by: Centre for Research in Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Bolivia;

Foundation for Promotion and Research of Andean Products (PROINPA) Bolivia; Universidad Mayor de San Simon (UMSS), Bolivia. Managed by: Papa Andina, a regional potato development programme of the International Potato Centre (CIP)Funded by: DFID’s Crop Protection, Livestock Production and Crop Post Harvest programmes.Photos: André Devaux and Benedikte Siderman-Wolter

Llamas in Sankayani village, near Cochabamba Farmer surveys his field

Different potato varieties Old-style next to an improved plough - farmers expressed a demand for this technology innovation

INNOVA has piloted a differentapproach to the funding andmanagement of agriculturalresearch. While INNOVA wasdesigned to fit the Boliviancontext, valuable lessons andresults can be applied elsewhere.INNOVA works across thedisciplines of crop protection,crop post-harvest and livestockproduction and it respondsexplicitly to demands fortechnology innovation by poorfarmers. It is driven by localagendas and priorities and it links

production-related research withthe need to give poor farmersbetter access to markets. INNOVAhas combined analytical andinstitutional concerns, linkingtechnology supply and demand,which is unique.

Innovative designINNOVA built on previousagricultural research anddevelopment work in Bolivia andtakes forward previous renewablenatural resources results in aseries of activities whereby

‘demand’ by poor armers fortechnology innovation isconfronted with the research‘supply’, on an ongoing basis.The project focuses on a range ofproblems affecting smallholdersin mid-Andean valleys, includingpest, disease and weed control,soil erosion, declining soil fertility,lack of fodder and labourshortages.

Project successOne of the importantachievements has been to bring

three research and developmentorganisations together to workon a common agenda. In thepast, each organisation wasengaged in promotingtechnological innovation, butworked in relative isolation. Theproject has been developingduring a period of extremepolitical and institutionalinstability in Bolivia, which makethe achievements all the morenoteworthy.

Our work…Bolivian networks


Renewable Natural Resources-Extension Support Project 16

BHUTAN

Did you know…?

Gross PersonalHappiness!"The most personalsatisfaction I have had fromworking in Bhutan has beenfrom working withcommitted staff atDzongkhag (District) level toprovide new ideas anddifferent ways of working,helping them to improvetheir skills and developsmall projects with farmersthat allow them to developtheir confidence andabilities.

The biggest contribution ofRNR-ESP (Renewable NaturalResources ExtensionSupport Project) will be ininitiating, and being partof, systems and proceduralinitiatives that have alreadyformed the standards forimplementing RNR policyand laws of Bhutan. Forexample, contributing tothe design, developmentand institutionalisation of a

policy for sustainable use oftwo-wheeler motorbikes toallow extension agents tomeet with and assist agreater number of farmers.

What I will miss the mostare the welcoming smilesand reverence for all livingbeings and nature that mostBhutanese villagers have.This is, despite having tomake a living from one ofthe most rugged anddiverse landscapes on earthand, perhaps, because oftheir religious and culturalindependence. And ofcourse, the enjoyment that Iget from walking throughthis wonderful landscapemeeting people, eventhough the altitude andslopes does my head andknees serious damage!"

Euclid D’SouzaNR International team specialist

A local Thimphu mother, wearing the traditional kira, and her child

• The department of tourism pursues a policy of ‘low volume, highquality’. Fewer than 8000 people were granted visas to enter thecountry in 2000. The cost of a tourist visa is approximately $200per day.

• Bhutan is roughly the size of Switzerland and about half the sizeof Indiana.

• Forests make up 72.5 per cent of the total area of Bhutan.

• The Bhutanese name for Bhutan, Druk Yul, means ‘Land of thethunder dragon". The people are known as the Drukpas. Englishis taught in schools and it is used as the official workinglanguage, but national leaders advocate the use of Dzongkha,Bhutan's national language.

• Bhutan first broadcast national TV in 1999, making it one of thelast in the world to have television.

• King Wangchuck declared that Gross National Happiness is moreimportant than Gross National Product. The King is married tofour sisters.

• Bhutanese police have the power to detain nationals who are notwearing traditional dress.

• Smoking has been outlawed in public and tobacco sales havebeen banned.

Extensions specialists at the RNR-ESP office, Thimphu, Bhutan



Euclid D’Souza Team specialist

17

Bhutan renewable natural resources extension support project (RNR-ESP), BhutanFunded by: EC . Team specialist: Euclid D’SouzaManaged by: NR International . Implemented by: Ministry of Agriculture, BhutanPhotos: Benedikte Siderman-Wolter

The spectacular Tiger’s Nest monastery outside Paro in Bhutan

Situated in the easternHimalayas between India andTibet, with a population ofabout 600,000, Bhutan is alandlocked country endowedwith an unusually rich naturalheritage. It has been identifiedas one of the 10 global bio-diversity ‘hotspots’.

Development in Bhutan startedin the beginning of the 1960swith the construction of thefirst national highwayconnecting Phuentsholing, atown on the southern border ofIndia, with the country’s capital,Thimphu. Development startedduring the rule of the late ThirdKing and was accelerated whenHis Majesty Jigme Singye

Wangchuck ascended thethrone. Development hasbeen tempered by the conceptof Gross National Happiness(GNH), rather than GrossDomestic Product. The conceptof GNH gives direction to theKingdom’s five majordevelopmental aspirations:human resource development;conservation and promotion ofculture and heritage;sustainable and equitable socio-economic development; goodgovernance; and environmentalconservation.

EU support for BhutanTwo-thirds of the population isdependent on RenewableNatural Resources (RNR) use for

their livelihoods. Therefore, itwas natural that the EuropeanUnion’s (EU) assistance toBhutan, which began in 1982through the EuropeanCommission (EC), should givepriority to the RNR sector. ECassistance to Bhutan over thetwo decades until 2002 hastotalled €46 million. Some €15million has been allocated forthe 9th Five Year Plan period(9th FYP), ending in 2007. Theemphasis of the EU assistanceduring the 9th FYP will be inthe area of environmentallysustainable growth.

The aim of this project is toestablish a more effective andefficient RNR extension service

at field, district and centrallevels, in order to better satisfythe needs of farmers. Theproject team works with theRoyal Government of Bhutan,strengthening their capacity todeliver extension services tothe rural poor in isolated andmountainous environments.Efforts have focused on:technology and information;delivery of extension; extensionmanagement; information andcommunications. During thelife of the project, theGovernment has gone througha major restructuring and theNR International team hasplayed an important advisoryand facilitating role.

Our work…Bhutan and Development


Promotion of improved IPM practices for banana diseases and pests in Uganda18

UGANDA

• Banana occupies 30–40 per cent of all agricultural landunder crops in the Great Lakes region of East and CentralAfrica where it is the staple food for more than 20 millionpeople.

• Uganda is one of the largest producers of bananas in theworld, producing about 10 million tonnes annually, but littleis destined for export because it is a major staple food cropfor over seven million people. It is commonly eaten as acooked starchy vegetable known as matooke.

• Average annual consumption per person is about 350 kgwhich means that many people may eat 1 kg every day.However not all of the fruit is cooked as it can also be madeinto drinks which provides extra income for farmers. Bananajuice is produced on farm, and even a spirit, and is a causefor a social occasion.

• Despite the cultural traditions associated with the use ofbananas, the crop is not native to Africa and probablyarrived on the continent around the year 1000 having beenbrought by traders from India or South East Asia where thecrop originates.

• Given its importance in Uganda, researchers at the UgandanNational Banana Research Programme (NBRP) , are continual-ly monitoring threats and opportunities to banana crops.They are currently sensitising farmers about the recent threatof a new strain of bacterial wilt which threatens to devastatethe crop.

Did you know…?

"The experience gainedand friendships mouldedduring our periods ofstudy in the UK have beenthe foundations of ourcareers; giving us theconfidence to tackledifficult technical andmanagerial issues."

W.Tushemereirwe andJosephine Namagandareflecting on their careerdevelopment, are two ofthe seven scientists fromthe Banana Programmeworking on CPP projectswho have completed PhDstudies in the UK duringthe last 10 years.

Bananas for a cow"To explain the tangibledifference better bananas canmake to farmers’ lives, I’ll giveyou the example of Mr andMrs Umaru Lubega, fromLuwero District, Uganda. Theyhave recently bought a cow, abicycle and a mobile phoneand attribute their ability tobuy these from the additionalincome they are now receiv-ing from their banana crop.Mr Lubega has been harvest-ing 30 kg bunches of fruitfrom his mulched plots, twicethe size of the fruit from the

disease-susceptible varieties.What is more, the Lubegasare confident that now theyhave access to transport, up-to-date communication and abetter income, they are wellpositioned to break the cycleof poverty."

Simon Gowen University of Reading


UNBRP scientist viewing bunch of the new disease resistant variety Kabana 3 (FHIA 17)

Matooke variety of banana Village banana group, Bamunanika, Luwero district

Researchers in the field


Simon Gowen Project leader

19

The Luwero District of Ugandais a traditional banana croppingarea although production hassteadily declined over recentyears, largely because of thedamage caused by leaf diseases,nematodes (microscopic worms)and weevils, which havebecome established in thedistrict.

Since 1995 the DFID CropProtection Programme has beenactively involved with thepriority issues identified by theNational Agricultural Research

Organisation, Uganda, andaddressed through the UgandaNBRP.

These priorities were:• Diagnosis of diseases.• Nematode control using

tissue cultures.• Biocontrol (without the use

of pesticides) of weevils:the fungus Beauveriabassiana can be used as aneffective control agent.

• Banana streak virus: howinfection can causesignificant yield loss.

• Validation and promotionof crop management prac-tices and new, diseaseresistant, cultivars - theuse of which has givenbunches weighing 33 kgfor the variety FHIA 17,compared with 16 kg forlocal variety Mbwazirume.

• Capacity building with PhDstudies.

• Data management.

The main impact of results fromthe CPP projects has been inthe introduction, to farmers, of

disease-resistant varieties ofbanana; demonstrating thebenefits, in terms of pest andcrop management, of using amulch; and demonstrating thebenefits of planting pest-freetissue culture-producedplanting material. The newvarieties have resistance tofungal diseases and toleranceto nematodes. Partnershipswith major NGOs have enabledthe outputs from these CPPbanana projects to bepromoted to 15,000 farmers inthe central region

Our work…Going bananas

R8342: Promotion of improved IPM practices for banana diseases and pests in UgandaFunded by: DFID Crop Protection ProgrammeProject leaders: Simon Gowen, University of Reading, and Mike Rutherford, CABI BiosciencePhotos: Simon Gowen, Uganda National Banana Research Programme, Barbara Pembroke

Ugandan and British-based collaborators meeting at the university of Reading, January 2003


The Livestock Guru20

INDIA, KENYA, BOLIVIA

• Today 1.2 billion people in the world are living in extremepoverty subsisting on less than $1 per day. For 70 per centof the poor, livestock represent an important livelihood asset.

• Livestock are important for urban as well as ruralpopulations. However, livestock-based livelihoods are ofteninsecure due to easily solved or treated livestock productionand health problems.

• A wide-scale study on three continents found that theprimary way the poor obtain information regarding livestockproduction and health was via friends and family.

• The study also showed that poor households prioritisedknowledge regarding the management and health oflivestock as one of their greatest needs.

• Traditionally, information within development wastransferred via an extension officer, or printed media or theradio. Today, more dynamic means such as informationcommunication technologies (ICTs) and the World Wide Webare being explored.

• To be effective, development practitioners must understandhow the poor learn. When we learn, we can process only aminute proportion of the information or ‘data’ in ourenvironment which the brain filters and selects, to under-stand the world.

• There is evidence to suggest that memory is greater forpictures than for words and research has shown thatconcrete objects can more easily be remembered thanabstract concepts.

• Illiterate people have different needs with regard toknowledge transfer than those with even one or two yearsof formal education.

Did you know…?

The Livestock Guru:fighting poverty withknowledge

"For the global communityof the poor, access toinformation, and thesubsequent knowledgederived, is one of thelargest barriers to successin their fight for livelihoodsecurity. However, theability of the poor to bothuptake and adapt newinformation systems andtechnologies is oftenunderestimated bydevelopment agencies.Recent studies havedemonstrated that in manycountries the poor are bothaware of and desire greaterengagement in, the ITrevolution. Indeed, India isone example of how, ifgiven appropriate access,

new technologies can havea tremendous impact onthe lives and livelihoods ofthe poor. Equally, in Africa,studies have shown that ICTtraining initiatives havehigh uptake and interest bystakeholders. For example,in Kenya, ICTs were virtuallyunknown prior to 1992.The rapid expansion of theinternet has put ICTs on theagenda.

The aim of our project hasbeen to build effective toolsfor knowledge transfer toincrease the capacity of thepoor to engage in the ITrevolution and enhance thesustainability of livestock-based livelihoods."

Claire HeffernanUniversity of Reading


School in Kibeira, a slum area in Nairobi

The Guru appeals to young and old


Claire Heffernan Project leader

21

The Livestock Guru is a multi-media, action-learning softwareprogram developed specificallyfor the poor. It has beendeveloped in Kenya, India andBolivia. As such, four differentversions of the programme havebeen created: Tamil, Oriya,Spanish and Swahili and anAymara (indigenous Bolivian)language version is underdevelopment. The software isdelivered via touch-screen kiosksto farmers making the need forany prior knowledge or use ofcomputers unnecessary. It hasproved extremely popular withboth adults and children. There

has also been a huge demand byin-country institutions andagencies.

This study has shown that, ratherthan simply being receptors ofknowledge, the poor are activeconsumers of information whichthey view to be of quality andrelevance.

Knowledge goes interactiveTraditionally in development,most of the emphasis has beengiven to developing appropriatemessages when transferringinformation to the poor. Thisproject, however, has

demonstrated that the form ofknowledge is equally important.The research tested a variety offormats such as video, writtenmaterial and multi-media toolsunder various conditions,individually and in groups. Theteam found that learning wasenhanced with increasing levelsof interactivity.

Fight poverty with knowledgeThe poor are not the onlystakeholders who requireaccurate and timely information.The Livestock Guru enables thedemands of farmers forinformation to be measured and

transmitted directly to decisionmakers.

The Livestock Guru is part of theNational Virtual Academy Projectin India. The project initiated bythe MS Swaminathan Foundationaims to network 600,000 villages(the entire country!) by 2015.The Guru is placed in twosatellite or hub centres for theproject in Tamil Nadu with a rollout to further centres plannedthis year. The National VirtualAcademy was officially openedby the Prime Minister of India inOctober 2004.

Our work…A trilingual guru

ZC0262: The Livestock Guru – Bolivia, Kenya, IndiaFunded by: DFID Livestock Production ProgrammeProject leader: Claire Heffernan, University of ReadingPhotos: Claire Heffernan

Bolivian farmers, Tiwanaka

Children use the Guru and show their parents

Lifelong learning"My name is Valliyammal. I am from Mannadipet andI have two cows. I come to the cooperative to sell mymilk and I came to know about the computerprogramme. By using the programme I learnt aboutmastitis and that will be very helpful for me. I neverhad any training and now I would like to learnmore."


KENDAT (Kenya Network for Draught Animal Technology)22

KENYA

• In Kenya, donkeys are the second most common draughtanimals, numbering over 540,000, and play an importantrole in supporting poor communities. People rely on themfor essential transport services – moving crops from farmsto homesteads or to markets, transporting fuelwood, water,building materials, etc.

• In some rural communities especially around the LakeVictoria region, a donkey is used as a night guard to keepvigil at night. Donkeys have been reported to have chasedrobbers attempting to break into homes! Some cultures inwestern Kenya accord full burial rights to a donkey as theirway of recognising her as a faithful worker.

• Some communities claim that donkey milk has curativepowers but this is not yet documented by research. Someof our people, like the Samburu of northern Kenya considerthe donkey a delicacy which is reserved for specialoccasions like bride price negotiations and visits fromhonoured guests.

• Donkeys suffer from few parasitic diseases and have strongresistance to those they are susceptible to. Most of thehealth problems that donkeys suffer from arise from humanabuse.

• Despite the large contribution that donkeys make to poorrural and peri-urban households, the social value of thisanimal remains low. Most people in Kenya considerdonkeys ‘taboo’ animals and even users regard themselvesas lowly. This low prestige results in the animal having alow priority when it comes to allocation of householdresources to improve its welfare.

Did you know…?

The donkey’s taleDonkeys in Kenya are oftenworked for long hourswithout food or water. Themost common traditionalharnesses are ‘necklaces’made of rubber tubes andwooden saddles with little orno padding. These rubagainst and chafe the skincausing sores and lesions.They are often overloadedand caned repeatedly,because their owners viewthem as having no feelings,and there is very littleawareness of animal welfare.They therefore tend to endup underfed and carryinginjuries from maltreatment.

In order to improve their lot,messages about the welfareand management of donkeysneeded to reach those whoown them, or use them,especially teenage donkeydrivers. These are the Kenyanequivalent of "boy racers" –showing off to girls bydriving their animals as fastas possible up mountainslopes. This often results incrashes and injury for thedonkey. These young menhave little or no education,and their main source ofentertainment is the radio,which they regard as anauthority and trendsetter.

Lessons from human healthinitiatives, such as in thecontrol of HIV/AIDS, haveshown that a multimediaapproach works best atraising awareness of theproblems and graduallychanging human behaviour.

So, KENDAT (Kenya Networkfor Draught AnimalTechnology) set up a pilotradio project funded byBrooke Hospital for Animals(BHA), the Society forProtection of Animals Abroad(SPANA) and DFID’s LivestockProduction Programme (LPP).The approach was to make it‘cool’ to treat your donkey

well and to make economicsense, by giving practicaladvice on treating thedonkeys better in order tomake them perform betterand live longer. Keen tosustain their incomes andimpress their teenage girlpeers, drivers respondedpositively by treating theirdonkeys better.

There is evidence that thepopular FM radio stationsused have had a significanteffect on their behaviour.Many letters from listenershave either requestedextensions, or nationwidecoverage for the programme.


This is an extract from an article in DFID’s Developments magazine:Ground Breaking Research: Why scientific research is so important to the livelihoods of farmers in the developing world. Issue 23. Third quarter 2003.

Donkeys at market

Donkeys with milk churns


Pascal Kaumbutho and Fred Ochieng Project leaders

23

Our work…Donkey know-how

ZC0235: Design of production of radio message and programmes to improve donkey use, welfare and environment for transport and tillage in rural communities.ZC0204: Development of a draught animal toolbox (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia)Funded by: DFID Livestock Production Programme . Project leaders: Pascal Kaumbutho and Fred Ochieng, KENDAT, Kenya . Photos: Dave Smith and stock library image

The theory behind KENDAT’sdonkey projects is that, if youimprove knowledge andawareness of good practice indonkey handling, you increasethe health and useful lengthof a working donkey – ulti-mately improving livelihoods,a positive benefit to ownersand handlers. LPP has beencommissioning research onDAP since 1976. Research hasfocused on: the nutrientrequirements of variousdraught and pack animals;optimal harnessing forefficiency and comfort; newDAP implements particularlyfor cultivation and weeding;animal welfare etc. Many ofthe products of the researchhave been promoted byintermediary institutions likeextension services (which helplink researchers’ results tofarmers) and nongovernmental organisations(NGOs) and adopted bypoorer farmers. However,much useful informationremains ‘on the shelf’.Therefore, LPP hascommissioned KENDAT to puttogether a toolbox of DAPtools, enabling those whoadvise resource-poor farmersto have access to all availableresearch findings in oneplace. The DAP toolbox willbe field tested shortly; andthose who wish to participateshould contact the LPPProgramme Manager (detailslisted at the end of thisbook).

The Equus asinus asinus or domestic donkey


Information Core for Southern African Migrant Pests (ICOSAMP) PROJECT24

SOUTH AFRICA

• The Southern African Development CoordinationConference (SADCC) was formed in Lusaka, Zambia, on 1April 1980 – it is now known as the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community (SADC).

• Current member states are Angola, Botswana, DemocraticRepublic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius,Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa,Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

• The Southern SADC Treaty is a legally binding and all-encompassing framework by which countries of theregion coordinate, harmonise and rationalise their policiesand strategies for sustainable development in all areas ofhuman endeavour.

• It is estimated that the agricultural activities of nearly 123million people in the SADC region (about 67 per cent ofthe population), are threatened by migrant pests.

• ICOSAMP (Information Core for Southern African MigrantPests) provides an up-to-date picture of migrant pestactivity in the region through monthly bulletins and via itswebsite hosted by EcoPort (http://icosamp.ecoport.org).The bulletins are sent to IPMnet News (with a readershipof nearly 5000 in at least 128 countries), to the UnitedStates Agency for International Development for inclusionin their email bulletins, and posted on the South AfricanNational Department of Agriculture website(www.agis.agric.za).

• In one of the local provinces where entomologicalresearch was carried out in South Africa, researcherscame across an interesting traditional belief. Localsbelieve that the Mopane worm, a popular traditional foodproduct, when going into the ground to pupate, isactually returning to its ancestors. They were unable tosee the link in the life-cycle between the worm and thelater emerging moth – vital for the survival of the species– and therefore saw nothing wrong in harvesting as manyworms as possible.

Did you know…?


Strength in numbers

"The best thing for me aboutworking on this project hasbeen the wonderful workingrelationship that has built upover the last four yearsbetween myself and theSADC team.

The biggest contribution ofour project has beentwofold, strengtheningnational capacity andestablishing a SADC regionalearly warning system formigrant pests. There havebeen various projecthighlights, but the one that

stands out from the rest, isthe workshop we held inconjunction with the annualSouth African EntomologicalSociety Congress held inPretoria, July 2003.ICOSAMP collaborators werethrilled with the opportunityof mingling and interacting

with scientists from SouthAfrica as well asinternational researchers."

Margaret KeiserPlant Protection ResearchInstitute

African armyworm Spodoptera Exempta

Brown LocustLocustana Pardalina


Margaret Kieser Project leader

25

Regular outbreaks of migrantpests such as Africanarmyworm, four species oflocust, and red-billed queleabirds often occur in the SADCregion. These highly mobilepests readily cross politicalboundaries, making activemanagement and cooperationbetween neighbouringcountries vitally important. Tomanage or control an outbreak– before it becomes a seriousproblem – it is necessary todetermine its current status,distribution, and scale ofinfestation. This is especiallytrue in the case of armywormwhere its sudden appearance,rapid development and

disappearance necessitate quickaction. Where more than onecountry is at risk from theoutbreak, communicationbetween control organisationsis imperative.

An exciting collaborativeproject between the PlantProtection Research Institute ofthe Agricultural ResearchCouncil in South Africa, andthe Natural Resources Institutein the UK was initiated inJanuary 2001. This project,funded by the DFID CropProtection Programme, assistsdecision makers in the SADCwith essential tools to improvemigrant pest forecasting, and

to implement timely controlstrategies.

ICOSAMP is a collaborativenetwork of southern Africanmigrant pests officers and isgaining internationalrecognition. Modern computertechnology and mappingsoftware (such as thegeographical informationsystem, or GIS) is used toensure detailed and timelyreports are received, monthlybulletins are distributed, andthe website is maintained.

SADC collaborators haverecently received equipmentand undergone training on

their specifically designedcountry systems.

ICOSAMP contributes to cross-border communication andcooperation and hasestablished itself as aninternationally recognisedforum for the status anddistribution of migrant pests inthe SADC region. Regionalcooperation means thatmigrant pest information isnow exchanged throughoutsouthern Africa and pestproblems are being controlled,saving money and reducing thepotentially devastating impactof these pests.

Our work…Uniting the Nations

R8315: Establishment of an ‘Information Core for Southern African Migrant Pests’ (ICOSAMP)Funded by: DFID Crop Protection ProgrammeProject leader: Margaret Kieser, Plant Protection Research Institute, South Africa . Photos: Margaret Keiser, Robert Cheke and Judith Pender

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea)


Fish distribution in coastal communities26

BANGLADESH

• Bangladesh means the land of the Bengalis.

• Civilisation has existed in the region for 4000 years,although the Republic of Bangladesh was only established in1971.

• Farms are small as traditionally, on the father's death, theland is divided between the sons.

• People have large families: infant mortality rate is high andchildren are seen as part of the family economic unit and ascarers for their parents in old age. Therefore, there is areluctance to restrict their number.

• Average life expectancy in Bangladesh is about 58 years.

• The 1970 cyclone killed over 500,000 people. In 1998 floodsdevastated two-thirds of the country. On 26 December 2004,an earthquake under the sea near Aceh in north Indonesia(8.9 on the Richter scale) produced the tsunami causingflooding and destruction in Bangladesh (and Sri Lanka,Thailand, Indonesia etc).

• Bangladeshi soil is among the most fertile in the worldbecause it is regularly enriched by the mud deposited by thefloods.

• If global warming brings about climatic change, sea levelscould rise by up to a metre, and low-lying countries such asBangladesh could find much of their territory submerged.Bangladesh has a number of archaeological and historicalsites dating back as far as the third century BC, but thefrequent floods and the damp climate have destroyed muchof the country's heritage.

• The President of Bangladesh is Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmedand the Prime Minister is Khaleda Zia. Ms Zia was the firstfemale prime minister in Bangladesh and is the widow offormer President Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in acoup attempt in 1981.

Sources:www.worldinfozone.com/facts.php?country=Bangladeshwww.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_pro-files/1160598.stm#leaderswww.bangladesh.gov.bd/

Did you know…?

A better life forfisherfolk"Aside from city states suchas Singapore, Bangladeshhas the highest populationdensity in the world, withjust under 150 millionpeople occupying 56,000square miles. This isreflected in intensecompetition for resources.In particular, open accessnatural resources such ascoastal fisheries represent alast resort for many poorpeople. At the same time,this also leads tooverexploitation of theseresources. Althoughpreservation and handlingmethods could beimproved, very little fish is

wasted in the marketingchain. In fact, fish sold atdiscounted prices because itis not very fresh is oftenbought by poor consumerswho find it difficult toafford higher value freshfish.

Due to population densityand scarcity of resourcesthere are a lot of poorpeople living in coastalareas of Bangladesh. I hopethat the policyrecommendations producedas part of this project willmake a real impact for theirbenefit."

Ulrich Kleih Natural Resources Institute


Fishing boatsPoor sharks!


Ulrich Kleih Project leader

27

Access to fish is the traditionallivelihoods asset of householdsin coastal fishing communitiesin Bangladesh. This asset iscomplemented by gear such asboats and nets. Other assetsinclude land and means ofagricultural production,transport, health, educationand financial resources in theform of savings, cash, orcredit.

Factors that contribute topoverty in the communitiesinclude, declining fish catches,lack of security (mainly due topiracy in the fishing grounds),natural disasters such as

cyclones or floods, lack ofcapital, lack of employmentopportunities andeducation/skills, and poorhealth. Both fishermen andtraders see declining fishsupplies and piracy in the seaand on the rivers as their mainproblems. Where catches willdecline beyond a certain level,this may well lead touncompetitive situations to theextent that traders andmoneylenders will pull out ofaffected locations. This maywell result in a less efficientmarketing system in thattrading competition willdecrease.

Our work…Fish for life

This project has provided animproved understanding of thetrading and credit system, andits impact on poverty in coastalfishing communities. Amongstother things, this was achievedthrough the development of a‘methodology’ that integratesmarket and credit analysistechniques with thesustainable livelihoodsapproach. The latter is theapproach to developmentconcentrating on peoples’strengths, rather thanweaknesses, with anunderstanding that the poor’svulnerability is shaped bypolicies, institutions and otherexternal factors, beyond theircontrol. The project examined

a range of constraintsidentified by stakeholders, anddeveloped appropriate policyrecommendations. Togetherwith another DFID Post-HarvestFisheries Research Programmeproject implemented in SouthAsia, it has been successfullyintegrated into a Guide to theAnalysis of Fish MarketingSystems that provides the mainelements which need to beconsidered when analysing afish marketing chain from alivelihoods perspective.Recommendations arising fromthe project are primarily aimedat decision makers in theGovernment, the donorcommunity, NGOs and theprivate sector.

Globalisation, livelihoods and credit issues

R7969: Fish distribution from coastal communities in Bangladesh – market and credit access issues Funded by: DFID Post Harvest Fisheries Programme . Project leader: Ulrich Kleih, Natural Resources InstituteProject partners: Natural Resources Institute, Community Development Centre (CODEC), and the University ofChittagong, Bangladesh . Photos: CODEC

Fish processing

Life on the beach


Draft Animal Power28

UGANDA

• The use of oxen as draught animals has been common innorth-eastern Uganda since the colonial period.

• The number of oxen has been severely depleted duringthe last two decades due to prolonged periods ofinsurgency and cattle rustling and, currently, restockingefforts are ongoing to increase the number of cattle.

• Donkeys have been preferred by farmers in areas prone tocattle rustling since they are less likely to be stolen.

• Farmer Groups, in Iganga, asked to describe how theirdaily lives had changed since they had owned theirdonkey or ox-carts, listed 12 differences, the main onesbeing: time saving; reduced workload; better health;easier bulk transport; and more income generatingopportunities.

(Source: D O’Neill (2004), Project report on ergonomicsconsiderations)

• Donkeys have a negative image in most parts of Uganda(except in those districts close to the border with Kenya).The animals are said to be difficult to manage and of littlevalue. Only substantial amounts of sensitisation andtraining by the local project partners has led to changesin attitudes of farmers and other stakeholders.

Did you know…?

Head-loading women

Ms Akudi’s house and donkey


"When visiting villages inUganda, it is striking towhat extent crops and otherloads are carried by peopleon the head or back. Inparticular, women areresponsible for the bulk ofthe burden in that theyoften also have to carry ayoung child. In mountainousparts of the country such asthe hills of Kasese District,farmers simply don't haveoptions other than the useof donkeys as pack animals.

Farmers often told theresearch team how usefulthe newly introduced meansof transportation were forthem. As a researcher, suchstatements make it allworthwhile. At the sametime, I hope that the

research results are taken upbeyond the immediate reachof the project."

Ulrich KleihNatural Resources Institute

My head-loading days areover!Before the project, BettyAkudi used to ‘head-load’,carrying 10 jerrycans (or 200litres) of water every dayfrom the well to her home.With a large family tosupport, she wouldsometimes make five returntrips of 2 km while herchildren were at school. Attimes, she produced a localgin, waragi, to sell whichrequired another 200 litres –regularly she carried head-

loads of cassava weighing30–40 kg. During harvestseason, it was common forher to walk the 1 kmbetween her plot and homeup to six times a day. Now,as part of a farmers’ group,she has access to threedonkeys and a cart, whichmeans she can transporteverything in one go. Shealso has more time to restand, where she previouslycomplained of head andbackaches, she feels muchhealthier now.

Betty belongs to a farmers’group with 10 members.They own two donkeys, afoal and a cart, and she isthe donkeys’ caretaker. Aspart of the risk/cost sharingarrangement of the project,

the group had to pay 60 percent of the USh96,000 costof the cart (£1 = 3100Ugandan shillings). Shecharges farmers, who arenot group members, to hirethe donkey cart. She hasearned about USh70,000net over a six-month period.Any money remaining afterbills is used for domesticpurposes.


Greater mobility for farmersincreases their access tomarkets and market price,leading, in turn, to increasedproduction, less dependency onagricultural traders, andimproved income. This actionresearch (learning by doing)project adopted the ‘innovationsystems’ approach, outlined bythe DFID Crop Post-HarvestProgramme. Instead of atraditional transfer ofknowledge from the researchorganisation to passive farmers,this system recognises thatanyone touched by theresearch process will affect itsoutcome and that the role theyplay may change over time.

Human porterage is the mainmode of transport in thevillages of the three projectdistricts, Iganga, Kasese andKatakwi and women bear thebulk of the burden (on theirheads or backs) when it comesto transport of crops to andfrom markets and collection ofwater or firewood. As in mostparts of Uganda, bicycles arethe main intermediate meansof transport (IMTs). In thevillages surveyed, there was noownership of donkeys, donkeycarts, tractors, trailers, cars orpick up trucks. Any physicalassets are ownedpredominantly by men, whilstownership by women is onlyprevalent in areas with a highernumber of female-headedhouseholds.

Payment in foal!Participants of the GoldenMilestone Workshopformulated a research actionplan for the introduction of theIMTs in the three districts. Thekey principles were: IMTsintroduced would be donkeysas draught and pack animals;the project would cover 40 percent of the cost of IMTintroduction; mostly pregnantfemale donkeys would bepurchased for the project withone or two males placed ineach sub-county to promotesustainability through breeding;poor farmers unable to paycash could pass on the firstfoal to another farmer, in lieuof payment. The Kasesefarmers described how donkeyswere taking the domestictransport burden away fromwomen and children, and weremaking markets moreaccessible to the communitythan roads ever have.

Policy impactSuccesses of this projectinclude: improved cart design;communication betweenparticipants; project partnerstaking ownership of thewelfare of the animals;sustaining the donkeypopulation established by theproject; and Local Governmenttaking up the research findingsand budgeting for future IMTdistribution to farmers.

Our work…Improving the road to marketOur work…Improving the road to market

R8114: Improved food crop marketing through appropriate transport for poor farmers in Uganda Funded by: DFID Crop Post Harvest ProgrammeProject leaders: Ulrich Kleih, Natural Resources Institute, Charles Kaira, Uganda Transport Forum Group Photos: Ulrich Kleih, Dave O’Neill, Peter Owor

Ulrich Kleih Project leader

29

Donkey carrying water, Kasese

Kasese landscape


Commercialisation of non-timber forest products in Mexico and Bolivia: factors influencing success (CEPFOR)30

MEXICO AND BOLIVIA

• 70 per cent of Bolivia’s population, some 5.9 million, live onless than $2 dollars a day and almost all the rural populationis poor (Bolivia Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2001).

• Bolivia is losing forest cover at a rate of 2,000 squarekilometres each year –the 2nd highest annual rate ofdeforestation in South America (FAO 1997). Mexico has lostmore than half of its forest cover over the last 50 years, andcurrently loses 2,300 square kilometres every year (WorldBank, 1995, report 13114).

• Only 1 in 2 people have access to sanitation.

• 26 per cent of Mexico’s population, or 11.5 million people,live on less than $2 dollars a day(Earthtrends.wri.org.povlinks/country/mexico.cfm).

• 18 million Mexicans live in forests and wild lands (WorldBank, 1995, report 13114).

• 10 per cent of all known species on this planet live in Mexicomaking it the fourth most diverse country in the world(World Bank, 1995, report 13114).

Did you know…?

A latin love affair

I first stepped off a plane inMexico City when I was 21.It took much less than the15 month stay to realisethat Mexico had left animpression on me thatwould last a lifetime andmotivate me to exploreLatin America, ending up inBolivia. Working with therural poor in Mexico andBolivia had its inevitablechallenges, tough times andfrustrations, but onecommon thread throughout

it all was the amount ofenthusiasm, hope andresourcefulness that manyindividuals along the waypossessed. It continues tobe an inspiration and amotivation for me to workdirectly with communitiesand, indirectly, through in-country organisations, inthe rural development andtropical forest conservationsector.

Elaine MarshallUNEP World ConservationMonitoring Centre


Flying into the Amazon basin to undertake field work with cocoa and rubber communities, Bolivia From the Amazon to the football pitch, rubber bladders for footballs, Bolivia

Interviewee farmers Madidi National Park, Bolivia


Elaine Marshall Project leader

31

CEPFOR (commercialisation ofnon-timber forest products inMexico and Bolivia: factorsinfluencing success) is a fouryear research project carried outin eight communities in Boliviaand ten in Mexico. Itconsidered ten different plantnon-timber forest products(NTFPs) - such as cocoa, rubber,palm fibre, mushrooms - andtheir communities. Productswere chosen to highlightdifferent marketing strategiesand characteristics. CEPFORwas designed to address issuesthat had been neglected byprevious research and the multi-disciplinary team involvedspecialists in social science,economics and environmentalscience. It was a collaborativeventure between six partnerorganisations. The LatinAmerican project partners hadyears of rural development

experience working in some ofthe poorest regions of Mexicoand Bolivia and their previousresearch had indicated thatfamily economy and income islargely dependent on NTFPs.

Although trade in NTFPs hasbeen widely promoted as anapproach to rural development,recent research indicated thatNTFP commercialisation is oftennot successful. In order toensure that NTFPs fulfil theirpotential contribution tosustainable development, it isimportant to understand thereasons for success and failure,and the conditions under whichNTFP commercialisation canmake a positive contribution tothe lives and livelihoods of thepoor. Therefore, the researchexamined the impact of NTFPcommercialisation on the poor,women and land ownership

issues. Opportunities andrestrictions to commercialisationof NTFPs were identified forhouseholds and communities,and market structure andfunction were analysed for thecase study NTFPs, to identifywhat it was necessary to do forsuccessful commercialisation.

Our project identified a growingneed for information and toolsto support the decisions beingmade by a wide range ofstakeholders, including: localcommunities consideringinvesting in the establishmentof a commercial enterprise;development and conservationagencies; government agenciesand NGOs that work with them;and the private sectorinstitutions involved in tradingand marketing forest products.We have designed a means ofidentifying what influences

success at community, house-hold and marketing chain level.We have also written a shortbook documenting newresearch methodologies andproviding an in–depth analysisof how NTFP producer-to-consumer chains work.

We have also developed a"decision-support tool" and"methods manual" to helpselect appropriate NTFPs forsustainable development andpoverty reduction. The aim isthat the toolkit will guide andsupport the efforts oforganisations working with therural poor on NTFPcommercialisation initiatives,thereby increasing the value offorests by sustainabledevelopment of NTFP resources.

Our work…Lasting legacy

R7925: Commercialisation of non-timber forest products in Mexico and Bolivia: factors influencing success (CEPFOR)Funded by: DFID Forestry Research ProgrammeProject leader: Elaine Marshall, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK

CEPFOR Partners: The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, The Overseas Development Institute (UK),Bournemouth University (UK), and the non government organisations "CARE Bolivia", and in Mexico,"Methodus Consultora", "Grupo de Estudios Ambientales", and "Grupo Mesófilo".Photos: Elaine Marshall

Mexican children smiling in the sunshine Ilimani towers above La Paz, the highest capital in the world


Promotion of IPM strategies of major insect pests of Phaseolus beans in hillsides systems in eastern and southern Africa32

TANZANIA, KENYA AND MALAWI

Did you know…?

It’s bean amazing!"It has been gratifying towork with these enthusiasticand determined farmers intheir different groups, withbean pest management as theentry point. Do you knowthat smallholder farmers canunite into research groups,report their own results,catalyse the formation of newgroups, and can start and runtheir own small villagelibraries? Also otherstakeholders, including gov-ernment ministries and otherinstitutions, NGOs, the privatesector etc., are now using thebean Integrated PestManagement (IPM) groups forplanning and implementingvarious development activitiesin the target communities?

Such farmers haveparticipated in this DFID CropProtection Programme projectwhich has been in operationfor four years at target sites inMalawi, Tanzania and Kenya.Currently, we have over 250farmer groups in eastern,central and southern Africa.Malawi has 50 groups with1000 farmers, Uganda has 20with 2500 farmers, Kenya has40 with over 4000 farmersand Tanzania 150 with morethan 50,000 farmers."

Eliaineny MinjaInternational Centre forTropical Agriculture(CIAT)/Selian AgriculturalResearch Institute


• Common beans are the main legume grain crop for humanand animal food as well as a source of household income ineastern, central and southern Africa.

• The crop is predominantly grown by smallholder farmers inrural areas. Beans are regarded as a woman’s crop – it iswomen who look after the crop in the fields and stores andmake decisions on how much to eat, save as seed andsometimes also the quantity to sell.

• Some 40% of the total production in Africa is marketed atan annual value of US$452 million.

• The bean plant is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen intothe soil thereby improving soil nutrient levels for subsequentcrops.

• The majority of families in urban and rural areas consumebeans at least once every two days. Beans form part of thetraditional dishes for families in the hillside systems of theregion and, in some countries like Kenya, Burundi andRwanda, for example, the annual bean consumption perperson is over 60 kg.

Bean farmer at a meeting

Beans cook faster and with better taste (alsono stomach gas) if bicarbonate of soda isused.Practised by several ethnic groups in northern Tanzania

Eating beans frequently is a sign of poverty. Most well-to-do family members in rural communities (e.g.chiefs) and urban communities (e.g. civil servants,businessmen) consider eating beans frequently instead ofmeat, fish, milk, etc. as a sign of poverty.

We love eating beans. They are a healthyfood for our growth.Some children in primary schools in northern Tanzania

White beans are for foreigners.Kinshasa residents in DR Congo, and consumers in westernKenya and northern Tanzania consider that white beans are forcanning and for consumption by foreigners in hotels. Hencethey are sorted out and sold at higher prices than mixtures.

Some myths and sayings


Eliaineny Minja Project leader

33

The common bean (Phaseolusvulgaris L.) is a major source ofprotein and calories in the dietof poor people in eastern,central and southern Africa.Grown largely for subsistence,and mainly by women, theleaves are used as a vegetableand the beans are eaten freshor dried, while the haulm(stems and pod shells) is fed tolivestock. Insect pests anddiseases are a major constraintto bean productivity causingannual losses of 430,000tonnes in eastern and southernAfrica alone. Previously, pestmanagement technologies havebeen developed but theiradoption has been limited topilot sites.

This project aims to empowerfarmers through enhancingtheir capacity to understandpest problems and encouragingthem to seek pest managementoptions. In this project, theInternational Centre forTropical Agriculture (CIAT) is in

partnership with nationalagricultural research andextension services and locallyactive NGOs in Tanzania,Malawi and Kenya. Involvingthe farmers in evaluations oftraditional methods, such asuse of pesticides made fromplant extracts, has restoredfarmers’ faith and confidencein their indigenous knowledge,which until recently theyperceived as being backwardand something to be ashamedof. It has also empoweredthem to research on otherconstraints that limitagricultural production in theirlocations.

The initial research activities ofthis project were thought up by12 innovative farmers in SanyaJuu village, Hai District, innorthern Tanzania. These andother farmers in the districtwere faced with a sporadic butserious problem of bean foliagebeetle (Ootheca spp.)infestations in their fields. The

farmers requested help fromthe district who in turninformed the research teams inArusha. Traditional methods(using wood ash, cow urine,soap, kerosene, etc.) andimproved strategies (high-yielding pest tolerant beanvarieties, row planting, etc.)were tested and demonstratedin farmers’ fields. The positiveresults allowed farmers toselect the most suitablestrategies, blending traditionaland improved methods.Additionally, these innovativefarmers requested that theythemselves disseminate thesuccessful results to otherfarmers and sensitised localleaders to set up villagelibraries.

The benefits of beans!Government and politicalleaders participated in projectactivities and are supportive ofproject initiatives. In westernKenya, for example, a villagelibrary (or Village Information

Centre-VIC) was partlyfurnished by the Ministries ofHealth and Education,interested in using the centrefor HIV/AIDS awareness andadult literacy campaignactivities. Benefits thatparticipating farmers atdifferent project sites havegained from this project,include: confidence andknowledge; access to improvedcrop varieties; loans for farminputs and other services thathave helped them to increasebean grain yields from 1–1.5 to4–5 bags and maize from 7–10bags to 12–18 bags; householdfood security; ability to paychildren’s school fees; training;better human health and acleaner environment. And,according to some of theparticipating women farmers,some male farmers now spendmore time in the fields andwith their family members,compared to the period beforetheir participation in projectactivities!

Our work…Innovative farmers

R7965: Promotion of IPM strategies of major insect pests of Phaseolus beans in hillsides systems in eastern and southern Africa Funded by: DFID Crop Protection ProgrammeProject leader: Eliaineny Minja, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) / Selian Agricultural Research Institute, Tanzania . Photos: Eliaineny Minja and Kerry Albright

Village children, Tanzania Bean farmer meeting


Development of private sector service providers for the horticultural industry in Kenya34

KENYA

Did you know…?


Bridging the EUREPGAP

"As I was trying to share myexperiences with mycolleagues in the UK lastDecember 2004, I wasshocked to hear that a highranking official of the UKGovernment wantedsomebody to educate him onwhat EUREPGAP is! I wenthaaa!! And my eyes almostpopped out of their sockets.As I was digesting this pieceof information, it dawned onme that the Kenyan farmeris more informed than thewould-be consumer, whoimposed the new EUtraceability and EUREPGAP

on the supply chain. Then, Ismiled to myself. Knowwhy? The race for EUREP-GAP certification was on andKenya was in high geardetermined to win, thanksto efforts and contributionsfrom many willing partners,because the doors of the EUsupermarkets, the key clientfor the fresh vegetables andfruits, were about to beslammed shut! Reason: Non-compliance to EU traceabilityand EUREPGAP protocols by1 January 2005.

We had been busy trying tocapacitate small-scaleoutgrower groups to set up

internal control systems, apre-requisite for EUREPGAPcertification, but it wasproving more difficult thanwe thought. The sub-sectorwas in disarray due to con-fusions and uncertainties.Reason – what if the EUsupermarkets closed thedoors come 1 January 2005?What will happen to the250,000 families in Kenyawhose livelihoods depend somuch on the sub-sector? The discussion went on andon, and will continue,because there are likely tobe new requirements – andwe know this is true. Thenon 17 December 2004, one

of the outgrowers groupswas EUREPGAP certified,after two years of trainingand technical support! Wehave done it! It can be done,given adequate resourcesand an enabling policyenvironment. As I left to gohome for Christmas, I had agood reason to smile –yeeeeeees! We have done it!Now we have a role modelafter two years of invest-ment, so we will succeed!"

Brigitte NyamboInternational Centre ofInsect Physiology andEcology (ICIPE)

• The founder of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement, Wangari MutaMaathai, became the first African woman to win the NobelPeace Prize in 2004.

• Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for 30per cent of gross domestic product and more than 60 per centof export earnings. Tea and coffee are traditionally among thecountry’s leading foreign exchange earners, but horticultureproducts have become increasingly important.

• At least 2 million Kenyan employees earn all or part of theirincome from horticulture. Previously, smallholders sold mainly tomiddlemen, without direct contact with exporting companies oran understanding of where or how their products were sold. Butfrom 1st January 2005 horticultural and foodstuffs imported tothe EU will have to meet mandatory traceability requirements.

• EUREPGAP (Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group for GoodAgricultural Practice) certification was devised in response to thedemands of consumers, retailers and global suppliers.

• Kenyan agricultural products include: tea, coffee, corn, wheat,sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry,eggs.

• Life expectancy is about 45 years.

• About 50 per cent of the population is below the poverty line.

• Kenya has acted as an important mediator in Sudan’s north-south civil war; Kenya and Uganda are working together to stemcattle rustling and violence by Lord’s Resistance Army along theborder.

Sources: www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ke.html#People www.new-agri.co.uk/05-1/develop/dev01.html and www.worldinfozone.com/facts.php?country=Kenya

Child on farm


Brigitte Nyambo Project leader

35

The recent expansion in theexport horticulture sector inKenya has provided smallholderfarmers with excitingopportunities to boost theirincome. However, increasinglydemanding requirements forproduce to conform tostandards in the EU marketthreaten to exclude many ofthese farmers who currentlyprovide 75 per cent of thefresh produce. Extensionservices are unable to assist thesmallholder farmers inbecoming compliant; thisjeopardises farmers’ incomeand implies loss of employmentopportunities in small/mediumunits. Therefore this DFID CropProtection Programme projectis working to establish privateservice providers for advice,

input supply and plantprotection through hands-ontraining to ensure thatsmallholders can comply withrules and regulations of thetrade.

Candidates were selected fromthe large number ofrespondents to a newspaperadvertisement, and each of thecollaborating export companiesnominated one member oftheir field staff. Nineteencandidates started training InNovember 2003. Trainingcovered: extensioncommunication skills; workingwith farmer groups; integratedpest management; safe andeffective use of pesticides;hygiene standards for freshproduce; business

management; and EUREPGAPrequirements and preparationof outgrowers’ groups forcertification. Trainees onattachment to outgrowergroups (one trainee per group)have been able to improvegroup organisation by linkinggroups with reliable exporters,preparing for EUREPGAPcompliance, and providingservices to smallholderhorticultural producers againstpayment. Three of the traineesfound the initiative soattractive and rewarding thatthey resigned from theirprevious employment to seek afull-time position in privateservice provision!

The project is a joint initiativebetween ICIPE, the Natural

Resources Institute, WinrockInternational, KenyaHorticultural Exporters Ltd,Myner Exporters Ltd, EastAfrica Growers Ltd andGreenlands Agroproducers Ltd.The support and enthusiasm ofcollaborating export companieshas been encouraging.

The initiative, the first of itskind in East Africa, hasattracted the attention of largesectors of the industry andother development agencies.The Horticulture DevelopmentCentre funded by the UnitedStates Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), forexample, has shown a lot ofinterest.

Our work…Making the grade:private sector service for horticulture industry

R8297: Development of private sector service providers for the horticultural industry in Kenya Funded by: DFID Crop Protection ProgrammeProject Leader: Brigitte Nyambo, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya.Photos: Brigitte Nyambo and Kerry Albright

Maize in a sackExtension provider trainees discuss issues with farmers


Agriculture/Livestock Research Support Programme 36

KENYA

• Kenya is as large as France or Texas.

• Agriculture forms the backbone of the economy accountingfor nearly 80 per cent of its employment and 60 per cent ofits income. It is therefore no surprise that most Kenyansregard the agricultural sector as the main hope in combatingpoverty, particularly among Kenya’s rural population.

• Around 80 per cent of Kenya’s land mass is arid and semi-arid land supporting about 50 per cent of the country’scattle, 60 per cent of the sheep, and 70 per cent of thegoats and without doubt, 100 percent of the camels.

• The Salato Women’s Group from Ngurunit, Marsabit District– one of the groups working with Kenya AgriculturalResearch Institute/Agriculture/Livestock Research SupportProgramme, Phase II (KARI/ARSP II) – recently received theGerman UNIFEM Award 2004. The group was nominated bythe project partner, University of Hohenheim(http://www.troz.uni-hohenheim.de/news/UNIFEM).

• Following the KARI/ARSP II research on camel milkprocessing, a 3000 litre per day dairy is being established byprivate entrepreneurs in Nanyuki, Laikipia District, assistingcamel herders within a radius of about 200 km to markettheir milk, and supplying the lucrative urban markets withhealthy, nutritious and medicinally advantageous quality-controlled products.

Did you know…?


Woman power in Kenya

"During the implementationof ARSP II, one project dealtwith processing andpreservation of milk andother animal products inpastoral areas of northernKenya, where the populationreceives food aid almostcontinuously. Research wasgeared towards increasingfood security and availabilityof nutritious food in dryseasons, but also towardsimproving household incomeand, in particular, women’sand children’s nutritionalstatus.

In order to make clean milkavailable and produce

marketable products,education in basic milkingand processing hygiene wasessential – and this is wherewe hit the first snag. Whenclean, transparent plasticmilking containers (with alid) were introduced to thecommunities, the menintervened. In the publicmeetings that were held toensure the full support of allcommunity members for theestablishment of small-scaledairies with a regular andsufficient milk supply fromthe pastoralists, men stoodup and said that God hadgiven them the cows andcamels together with thegourds. These gourds aretraditional milking containers

made from animal hides andskins or baskets woven verytightly from wild asparagusplants. Changing to differentcontainers, and particularlytransparent containers,would cause ‘bad eye’disease in their animals andwas, therefore, not possible.It took a survey andlaboratory tests to identifywhat ‘bad eye’ really was:sub-clinical mastitis, causedmainly by Staphylococcusaureus bacteria!

The research team showedthe connection betweenunhygienic milkingtechniques (not washinghands when milking andbetween milking different

cows, etc) and the fact thatsome of the teats were dryso that they lost valuablecalves. Consequently somemen allowed the wives totest the new techniques butinsisted the containersneeded to be non-transparent. One verycourageous woman took theplunge and ‘milked’ into thenew containers. When hercow gave birth to a femalecalf, the last men wereconvinced that this newtechnology was somethinggood since a female calf isregarded as a specialblessing!"

Helga Recke NR International team leader

Masai woman, Kenya

Women on road to market


Helga Recke Team leader

37

"A brilliant and innovativescientist, dynamic andcommitted worker, a sincere,visionary and inspiringmanager."

Romano Kiome Director ofKARI, about Helga Recke onthe news that she had won theaward of Individual of the Year2004 in the British ExpertiseAwards

This project was managed byNR International, financed bythe EC and implemented byKARI. It focused mainly onresource-poor women and

covered a huge geographicalarea with many environmentaland institutional challenges.Now, sustainable solutions arebeing adopted by thesecommunities, and scientists inKARI are more aware of theirrole in poverty reduction.

Agriculture and ruraldevelopment emergedoverwhelmingly as the people’sleading development priorityduring consultations held informulating Kenya’s povertyreduction strategy paper. Yetthe agricultural sector has beenmost noteworthy for its

consistent underperformancedue to numerous constraints,not least of which is that thebulk of Kenya’s land mass isarid and semi-arid lands (theso-called ASALs). The soils inthese areas are poor, rainfall isinsufficient for most crops andthere are frequent droughts.Because the soils are alsofragile, ASALs are prone todegradation upon the slightestdisturbance, such asovergrazing, improper land useand ill-considered exploitationof resources. Most of this landis therefore best used forlivestock production and very

limited irrigated agriculture.The importance of livestock tothe pastoralists, particularly interms of cash income and foodsecurity, cannot be overstated.These animals are the primarysource of red meat, and addi-tionally supply draught powerand manure for major townsand cities in the country. Thereis now real potential fordevelopment into a foodproducing area providing jobopportunities and hope forKenya to banish the food reliefdependency that seems tocharacterise most ASALcommunities.

Our work…Flagship for the future

Agriculture/Livestock Research Support Programme, KenyaNR International team leader: Helga ReckeManaged by: NR International

Implemented by: KARI Funded by: ECPhotos: Jean Noël Perrin and John Esser

Rural road


PROBANANO, A Project to Support Competitiveness in the Banana Sector.38

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

• The earliest clear descriptions of bananas are given in ancientGreek writings on the 327 BC expedition of Alexander theGreat, in India.

• The centre of greatest diversity of the wild musa species, and thepresumed centre of origin of the banana group, is in Indochinaand South East Asia.

• Introduction of bananas into the "New World" is thought tohave been made by a priest who took plants from the CanaryIslands to the Dominican Republic, which is now the majorexporter of organic bananas in the world.

• Bananas are considered a holy plant in the Koran and in Indiathe banana is sacred to one of the forms of the Goddess Kaliand is worshipped on the third day of the month sravana.

• In East Africa beer is produced from bananas.

• The banana was seen as a symbol of economic prosperity incommunist Eastern European countries.

• Although banana plants can grow up to three metres high, theyare not trees but herbs, similar to grasses.

• Bananas can be eaten in their unripe form, i.e. green skin, buthave to be cooked first.

• Bananas are the main fruit in international trade and the mostpopular in the world.

• Around 98 per cent of world production is grown in developingcountries.

• World banana exports are valued at over US$5 billion per yearmaking them a vital source of earnings. India is the world leaderin banana production (23.69 per cent in 2000) and Ecuador isthe world leader in banana exports (33.70 per cent in 2000).

Did you know…? Behind the scenes…

Researchers on site at the banana plantation Bunches of bananas

The European Unionbanana regime, aslippery business

"Consumers in theEuropean Union pay up to90 per cent more for theirbananas than US con-sumers; this is due to theEU banana market beingprotected by a quota andtariff system that effectivelylimits the amount ofbananas that can enter theEU. Why? The briefanswer is to protectEuropean Union bananaproducers (principally theCanary Islands, andMartinique and Guadeloupein the French West Indies),and also African, Caribbeanand Pacific Producers (thathave preferential access toEU markets). By the first ofJanuary 2006 the regimewill change with the marketopening up as the quotasystem is removed and atariff-only systemintroduced. This willprobably result in a decline

in prices to the consumerand, possibly, thedestruction of the bananaindustry in some ACPcountries, notably the WestIndies (Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and Dominica - notto be confused with theDominican Republic –unfortunately, Columbuswasn’t a very creativeperson and discovered bothislands on a Sunday, whichin Spanish is "Domingo"!).

Is the change in the marketworthwhile? This, at leastpolitically, depends onwhere you live. While thegovernments in Germany,Poland (a new EU memberstate), Italy etc. support theopening of the market, thegovernments in the UK,France and Spain oppose it.Well at least the British andFrench Governments agreeover something!"

John StanleyNR International team leader


John Stanley Team leader

39

Legislative retail and consumerpressure has a marked andsometimes detrimentalinfluence on the supply chain,particularly on small scaleproducers; the banana industryis one example. PROBANANOis a project to promote thecompetitiveness of the bananasector and is funded by the ECand the Junta AgroempresarialDominicana, and managed byNR International. It contributesto the social and economicdevelopment and commercialcapacity of banana growers.An important part of the proj-ect was the establishment ofthree demonstration farms toillustrate to farmers thefacilities and standardsrequired to gain access toEuropean markets. They alsoprovide training on health andhygiene standards, as well as agreat opportunity for farmersto share knowledge onbusiness issues such ascropping, irrigation and waysto combat pests.

Although commercial bananaplants are sterile, in that theydo not produce seeds, they doproduce children (or "hijos" inSpanish - most commercialbanana plantations are inSpanish speaking countries).From the base of the motherplant (corm) several "hijos"sprout up. Each of these"hijos" would become amature plant if they were notcut back to allow only one todevelop to maturity, (a slightlymacabre form of familyplanning you might think!).The immature banana fruit

rises through the centre of thetrunk of the mother plant andenters into the world afterapproximately nine monthsfollowing the initial planting.Following emergence the fruitrequires another three monthsbefore it develops to maturitywhen it can be harvested. Atharvest time the banana bunchis cut from the mother plantand immediately the motherplant is destroyed, allowing foronly one of her "hijos" todevelop into the next motherplant. This process can,theoretically, continue foreverand there are plantations thathave been in continual bananaproduction for over fifty years.

The harvested fruit istransported to a Pack Housewhere the bananas suitable forexport are washed and packed.Commercial yields can rangefrom 30 to 60 tonnes perhectare (12 to 24 tonnes peracre). Bananas are one of thehighest yielding commercialcrops in the world.Despite the amount of carethat is taken over theirproduction, harvest andpacking, there are alwaysconsiderable amounts of wastebananas that are rejected. Veryoften these rejected bananasare sold on the local markets,or are fed to livestock. In atleast one farm in Ecuador thewaste bananas are fed to dairycattle with the milk beingexported to the United States,generating an additional sourceof income for the farm owner.And, no, the milk doesn’t tasteof bananas!

Our work…Banana production, a small family business?

A Project to Support Competitiveness in the Banana Sector (PROBANANO), Dominican RepublicFunded by: EC and the Junta Agroempresarial DominicanaNR International team leader: John StanleyClient: ONFEDPhotos: John Stanley

Tops of banana plants

Banana plantation workers


Western Orissa Rural Livelihoods Project (WORLP) 40

INDIA

Did you know…? Behind the scenes…

Woman with child, Saliped village, Sunabeda PlateauGhumra performance, Bamadruga self-help group, Babedir, Boden district

• Orissa, in East India, has a population of about 36 million ofwhom over 20 per cent are members of 62 distinct tribalcommunities.

• Following the exceptionally bloody defeat of the KalingaEmpire near the modern state capital, Bhubaneswar, in 261BC the victorious emperor Ashoka became a pacifist,abandoning warfare and adopting Buddhism.

• The Oriya language of Orissa has its own beautiful anddistinctive script, evolved for writing on palm leaf paper.

• Orissa is home to ‘Odissi’ one of India’s most gracefulclassical dance forms.

• The temple of Lord Jagannath ('Lord of the Universe') at Puriis one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in India and thecentral deity is the focus of religious life throughout Orissa.During the annual ‘car festival’ the deity, Lord Jagannath, istransported through Puri town. His imposing vehicle is builtafresh each year from carefully selected traditional materialsand is the origin of the word ‘Juggernaut’.

• Rice feeds more than half of the world's human populationand can grow virtually anywhere, with the right irrigation.Orissa is the centre of origin for rice, inspiring the botanicname Oryza sativa. Almost 50,000 local rice varieties aregrown in India and over 4,700 varieties have been collectedin Orissa. These are maintained by farmers for homeconsumption as well as traditional festivals and ceremonies;each farmer has their own favourites. Continued survival oflocal varieties is threatened by the spread of high yieldingcommercial varieties.

• In Orissa as a whole about 70 per cent of the population isdependent on agriculture. In rural areas the infant mortalityrate is around 97 per 1000 births, amongst the highest inIndia. In rural areas more than 35 per cent of the populationhas no access to safe drinking water and around 96 per centdo not have adequate sanitation. In rural areas, over 82 percent of families do not have electricity.

Partnerships for change

"The Western Orissa RuralLivelihoods Project (WORLP)works with 100,000households and 1,500village-based Self HelpGroups (SHGs). Womenplay a very active role inthe project, making up over90 per cent of the SHGs.

Inevitably, in rural areaswhere over 80 per cent ofthe population aredependent on agriculture,WORLP focuses on land andwater management.However, villagers areparticularly concernedabout health and expend alot of their meagreresources in dealing withhealth problems. One ofthe most interesting andpromising developmentshas been the integration ofnatural resourcemanagement with health

issues, initially throughwater supply, sanitation andvillage hygiene; laterthrough medicinal plants,malaria control and trainingof traditional birthattendants.

Effective partnerships are aplank of WORLP strategiesand have been negotiatedwith international, nationaland local actors from civilsociety and governmentsectors. These partnershipsoffer exciting opportunitiesfor WORLP to engage in awider range of activities, tomore exacting standards,than would otherwise bepossible. The ability tomake partnerships workeffectively has emerged asa particularly vital featureof WORLP."

Martin Stewart NR International team leader


Martin Stewart Team leader

41

The four project districts ofBargarh, Balangir, Kalahandiand Nuapada, in the State ofOrissa, are amongst thepoorest in India. Healthindicators for the populationare exceptionally poor, there isan acute shortage of safedrinking water and the districtssuffer from regular drought.WORLP, implemented by theGovernment of Orissa andsupported by the UKDepartment for InternationalDevelopment (DFID), isaddressing poverty bypromoting livelihood initiativesfor the poorest.

The approach that has beenadopted focuses on workingwith, and building upon,people’s existing strengths andresources. It involves allsections of the ruralcommunity and seeks to create

an environment in whichindividuals, families andcommunities are empoweredto make appropriate choicesfor their long-term well being.

Developmental activities inWORLP include agriculture(land improvement, croppingsystems and horticulture),village-based social andinstitutional development,health and hygiene,pisciculture and small businesspromotion.

In 2001, an NR International-led consortium was selected toprovide support to theGovernment of Orissa on themanagement andimplementation of WORLP. Theproject support team has beeninstrumental in encouragingthe adoption of a livelihoodsapproach to the development

of watershed areas andsupport for the poorest andmost marginalised groups. The"livelihoods approach" is atool to plan and implementdevelopment. The approachseeks to identify and build onpeople's strengths; includingtheir financial, physical,human, social, natural andpolitical assets. It starts withpeople that need assistance. Itfocuses on issues that causepoverty and helps tounderstand, from people'sperspectives, how to improvethe way that they make aliving. In addition, the teamhas been responsible forproviding technical assistanceacross a wide range ofactivities. The success of theproject is evident in the highlevel of replication of WORLPapproaches outside the projectdistricts.

Our work…Empowering Communities

Western Orissa Rural Livelihoods Project (WORLP), India . Funded by: DFID UK . NR International Team, Orissa: Martin Stewart, David Gandhi, Sudin K, Nazma SultanaConsortium: Led by NR International & ERA Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. of Orissa, with the Natural Resources Institute of the University of GreenwichClient: The Orissa Watershed Development Mission of the Government of Orissa . Photos: Bishnu Das Pradhan, Balakrishna Hota and Girish Kumar Manik

Left: Self-help group, Larki village, Kamna district

Below: Village scene, Kalmidadar, Nuapada district


NR International

Richard SmithChief ExecutiveNR InternationalPark HouseBradbourne LaneAylesfordKentME20 6SNUKTel: +44 (0)1732 878686www.nrinternational.co.uk

NR International managed research programmes

Frances KimminsProgramme ManagerDFID Crop Protection Programmewww.cpp.uk.com

Wyn RichardsProgramme ManagerDFID Livestock Production Programmewww.lpp.uk.com

Tim DonaldsonProgramme ManagerDFID Crop Post-Harvest Programmewww.cphp.uk.com

John PalmerProgramme ManagerDFID Forestry Research Programmewww.frp.uk.com

John SanchezProgramme ManagerDFID Post-Harvest Fisheries Programmewww.phfp.uk.com

Project collaborators

International Centre of Insect Physiologyand Ecology (ICIPE)PO Box 90-00621Village MarketNairobiKenyawww.icipe.org

International Centre for TropicalAgriculture (CIAT) /Selian Agricultural Research InstituteInstitutePO Box 2704, ArushaTanzaniahttp://www.ciat.cgiar.org/africa/index.htm

International Potato Centre (CIP)Coordinator Papa Andina PartnershipProgramInternational Potato Center - CIP - CentroInternacional de la PapaMailing Address: Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peruwww.cipotato.org

Kenya Network for Draught AnimalTechnology (KENDAT)P.O. Box 285900200 City SquareNairobiKenyahttp://www.atnesa.org/kendat/

The Livestock Development GroupSchool of Agriculture, Policy andDevelopmentUniversity of ReadingPO Box 237Reading, RG6 6ARUKwww.livestockdevelopment.org

Natural Resources Institute (NRI)University of GreenwichCentral AvenueChatham MaritimeKent ME4 4TBUKwww.nri.org

Plant Protection and Research Institute(PPRI)Locust Forecasting & GISLocust Research UnitAgricultural Research CouncilPlant Protection Research InstitutePrivate Bag X 134Pretoria 0001South Africahttp://icosamp.ecoport.org

Promotion of Research of AndeanProducts (PROINPA)Av. Blanco Galindo Km. 12.5,Calle C. Prado s/nCasilla Postal: 4285CochabambaBoliviawww.proinpa.org

UNEP World Conservation MonitoringCentre219 Huntingdon RoadCambridgeCB3 0DLUKwww.unep-wcmc.org

University of ReadingDepartment of AgricultureEarley GateWhiteknightsReadingRG6 6AUUKwww.reading.ac.uk

CONTACTS



© NR International. May 2005.Printed on recycled paper


Documents

DID YOU KNOW?...DID YOU KNOW...? NR International is one of the UK’s leading project management companies, specialising in the development sector. With a tradition of natural resources