Issue 063 - Regional Food Systems

BAOBAB ISSUE 63, SEPTEMBER 2011 1

A magazine on drylands development and sustainable agriculture / Issue 63, September 2011

REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS

BAOBAB ISSUE 63, SEPTEMBER 20112

Regional Director James Nguo

Dear Reader,

T he theme for this issue of Baobab has been informed by the need to

explore and understand the relationship between food production

systems and mechanisms for its delivery to consumers at local regional

and global levels. With increasing population, a changing global climate and varying patterns of

utilisation of food crops, it is important that we create more platforms for discussions about food systems. As Dr.

Immaculate Maina observes in the Theme Overview, the efect of food systems on human welfare depends on a

range of factors including their environments; poverty status and their capacity to inluence or be part of food

systems either as producers, processors or consumers.

There is a place for the small scale farmer in the context of global food production and consumption. Given small-

scale farmers tend to intercrop a wide variety of food types they contribute towards regional agro-biodiversity.

They enhance the potential of local food systems to provide a large variety of grains, tubers, pulses, green

leaves, wild fruits and berries, meat and ish that are locally important, nutritionally rich, culturally accepted and

environmentally resilient. As population increases and with it demand for more food, it is expected that pressure

for mass production of food will threaten this diversity.

As the efects of climate change manifest in more frequent droughts in regions such as the Horn of Africa, the

resulting low food production is already forcing communities to adopt various coping mechanisms among

them: consuming less food in order to just survive; consuming only essential food or; consuming food of

poor quality. The impact of this is reduced consumption of essential micronutrients which compromises

capacities for production and therefore leads to low household incomes. This is why our Stork Story focuses on

encouraging farmers to begin growing crops that enable them to cope with drought, while providing them

with more nutrients and capacity to sell surplus to improve their livelihoods.

A discussion of food systems with respect to East Africa is timely. The region, particularly northern Kenya

and parts of Somalia have experienced severe food stress over the period 2010 – 2011, leading to the worst

famine in 60 years. Many are now questioning existing regional food policies given that droughts in the region

have become predictable. It is not diicult to ind one area in Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania experiencing food

surplus while another area in the same country is experiencing food scarcity. Clearly, in such situations local

mechanisms for distribution and access to markets are not well aligned.

On a diferent note, I wish to share with you some good news. ALIN is the 2011 winner of Access to Learning

Award (ATLA) given annually by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. ALIN was recognised for providing

access to information and technology in hard to reach communities through creation of knowledge centres

in rural areas. On behalf of ALIN fraternity, I wish to thank all of you for your dedicated contributions towards

supporting your network.

We welcome your comments and feedback on the subjects covered in this issue. We trust that we will continue

to count on your ideas and suggestions on how to make Baobab more relevant to the livelihoods of small-

scale agricultural producers in East Africa. We are especially keen to receive ideas about how to ensure usable

information reaches those whose lives depend on increasing the production of their crops and livestock in a

manner that preserves available natural resources.

Editorial


ISSN: 0966-9035Baobab is published four times a year to create a forum for ALIN members to network, share their experiences and learn from experiences of other people working in similar areas.

Editorial Board

James Nguo

Noah Lusaka

Esther Lung’ahi

Anthony Mugo – Chief Editor

Illustrations

Shadrack Melly

Layout and Design

Bernie Wendoh (Noel Creative Media)

Important Notices

Copyright

Articles, pictures and illustrations from Baobab may be adapted for use in materials that are development oriented, provided the materials are distributed free of charge and ALIN and the author(s) are credited. Copies of the samples should be sent to ALIN.

DisclaimerOpinions and views expressed in the letters and articles do not necessarily relect the views of the editors or ALIN. Technical information supplied should be cross-checked as thoroughly as possible as ALIN cannot accept responsibility should any problems occur.

Regional Editions

1. Farming Matters global edition by ileia

2. LEISA revista de agroecologia, Latin America edition by Asociacion ETC andes.

3. LEISA India, by AME foundation

4. Majalah Petani by VECO Indonesia

5. AGRIDAPE, French West African edition by IED Afrique

6. Agriculture, Experiences em Agroecologia, the Brazilian edition by AS-PTA

7. Chinese edition by CBIK

Talk to us

The Baobab magazine

Arid Lands Information Network, ALIN

P. O. Box 10098 – 00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya

AAYMCA Building, Ground loor, Along State House Crescent,

Of State House Avenue, Nairobi

Tel. +254 20 2731557 • Telefax. +254 20 2737813

Cell: +254 722 561006

E-mail: [email protected] • Or visit us at www.alin.net

About ALIN

Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) is an NGO that facilitates information and knowledge exchange to and between extension workers or infomediaries and arid lands communities in the East Africa region. The information exchange activities focus on small-scale sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation, natural resources management and other livelihood issues.

4

11

8

17

THEME OVERVIEW:Regional food systems

PROJECT FOCUS:

Adoption of Agro-Forestry Raises

Food Production in Cameroon

OPEN COLUMN:

Soaring popularity of sweet potato

in Kenya

NEWS:

ALIN wins Global Knowledge Award

Other Pages...Stork Story ........................................................................................................................... Pg 18

TECHNICAL NOTE: Indigenous Milk ............................................... Pg 23

GUEST COLUMN: Interview ........................................................................ Pg 24

BOOK REVIEW: ........................................................................................................ Pg 30

ContentsContents

THEMEOVERVIEW

Food is essential to life and is a basic human need; it preoccupies all persons - as

producers, processors, distributors and as consumers. The World Food Summit of

1996 deined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to suficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.” The three pillars of food security are availability, access and use.

By Immaculate MainaThe Nature of Food Systems

REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS


A “”food system” comprises

the mutually supporting,

linked and synergistic

activities that result in the

production, processing and

packaging, exchange and

consumption of food. A “food

system” is a complex process that utilizes natural

resources, inputs and technology in production.

The raw materials are processed and packaged

according to speciied standards and customer

demands. The system then involves marketing,

advertising and trade in distribution and retailing

of food materials to end-users who then prepare

the food for consumption.

At the local level, food systems espouse shorter

distances and closer trade links between producers,

processors and consumers of a particular place. The

local food systems operate in tandem to develop

and form regional food systems that cover wider

areas and regions. Thus, food systems are often

diferentiated by their geographic reach (global,

national, regional and local). Functional food

systems guarantee all people at all times have access

to suicient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a

healthy and active life.

Weak or failed food systems cause untold misery

with far reaching physical, mental and economic

efects on any community. When people subsist

on less than the recommended 2,100 kilocalories

per day that the average person needs to lead a

healthy life; they are victims of under nourishment.

The extreme is acute the hunger or starvation that

is often highlighted in media and which is the basis

for rapid emergency response. Poor food systems are

caused by various factors including: natural disasters

especially prolonged droughts; conlict; poverty

traps where the poor lack enough money to buy or

produce food; over-exploitation of environmental

resources leading to poor productivity; poor farming

practices, deforestation, over-cropping, overgrazing,

erosion, salination and desertiication; lack of

agricultural infrastructure such as roads, warehouses

and; failure to use irrigation.

Functioning food systems

Factors in support of or those that impede the proper

functioning of food systems are rarely localized but

are often spread over regions. Indeed, the on-going

food crisis in the horn of Africa is an example of the

regional nature of food systems and of the inherent

dynamics within. Here, the compound efects of

drought, conlict and poor infrastructure and bad

governance have resulted in a serious hunger

situation afecting millions and with ramiications

over the whole of the East African region. This is

happening against a backdrop of surplus food

production in other areas within the region. Hence,

dysfunctional regional integration is a root cause for

many food crises.

Food systems interactions occur between and within

the bio-geophysical systems, agro-ecological zones

(AEZ) and the human socio-economic environments

inluencing both activities and outcomes over large

areas. They are spread over areas of similar agro-

ecological zones (AEZs). Africa is divided into various

AEZs based on the length of the growing period

(LGP) or the number of days when both moisture and

temperature permit rain fed crop production. The

AEZs are desert, arid, semi-arid, sub-humid, humid

and highlands.

The cropping systems within an AEZ are likely to

be similar and the planting and harvesting systems

will difer across regions. In addition, regional agro-

biodiversity has a large variety of grains, tubers,

pulses, green leaves, wild fruits and berries, meat

and ish that are locally important, nutritionally rich,

culturally accepted and environmentally resilient.

Therefore, a regional approach to food security

would ensure that food harvested in one area is

availed to areas of shortage or to areas that are out

of season. It would ensure that there is continuous

supply of food to the diferent areas in a region.

Figure 1: Food system activities and related outcomes

Source: Ericksen, P. J. (2008)



Regional integration has helped solve food crises,

for example Malawi sells maize to Zimbabwe and

Mozambique, Kenya purchases excess maize from

Malawi or Zambia and Uganda sells food to the

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and

South Sudan. Therefore any long term solution to

food insecurity should take an integrated longer

term regional food systems perspective.

Regional food systems and African regional

economic cooperation blocs

Africa’s regional economic communities include,

among others, the East African Community (EAC),

the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

(COMESA) and the Southern African Development

Community (SADC), the Economic Community

of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Central

African Economic and Monetary Community

(CEMAC). These blocs continue to inluence and

present notable opportunities for African food

systems, including:

ͻ Harnessing resources in support of long-term

connections in production, processing and

packaging, exchange and consumption of food

within and across regions.

ͻ Enactment of public policies that improve macro-

economic situations and better management of

public expenditure so that agricultural trade and

enterprises can gain.

ͻ Reductions in trade and non-trade barriers and improved infrastructural development for increased intra-regional trade and enhanced intra-boundary trade.

Regional bodies dealing with food

systems

Various bodies in Africa that deal speciically

with food systems at regional level include the

Africa-Union – Comprehensive Africa Agriculture

Development Programme (CAADP), the Alliance for

a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Forum

for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). At the

sub-regional level, the Association for Strengthening

Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central

Africa (ASARECA) and the East Africa Agricultural

Productivity Program (EAAPP), as well as the various

Eastern African farmers’ organisations and grain

marketing boards are good examples.

Regional eforts in dealing with food systems

also occur within the technical arms of regional

economic commissions that deal with food

issues. The New Economic Partnership for Africa’s

Development (NEPAD) provides the socio-economic

development framework for most of the on-going

eforts. These bodies seek to eliminate hunger and

reduce poverty by increasing public investment in

agriculture; by promotion of integrated programs

in good seeds and healthy soils; access to markets;

information; inancing; storage, transport; and

enabling policies.

In East African, these intentions are epitomized in

the East Africa Agricultural Productivity Program

(EAAPP). The EAAPP is designed to invest in

regional approaches that strengthen and scaling up

agricultural research in Eastern Africa focusing on

dairy, wheat, cassava and rice. Kenya was identiied

as the host for the dairy centre of excellence, Uganda

hosts the cassava centre of excellence while Tanzania

and Ethiopia host the rice and wheat centres,

respectively. The lead implementing agency for the

EAAPP is the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

(KARI).

Given the foregoing, long-term solutions to regional food crises fall along the following key axis:

ͻ Investing in regional Research and Development

(R&D) activities to develop innovations and

technologies that increase productivity and

Figure 2: Agro-ecological zones of Africa Source: http://www.fao.org/

DOCREP/005/Y4176E/y4176e00.jpg


are more resilient to climatic variability. In this

regard KARI provides best practices in regional

integration with its leadership of the EAAPP.

Regional integration and collaboration is also

exempliied by the on-going project, “Making

agri-food systems work for the rural poor in

Eastern and Southern Africa” funded by the

International Development Research Centre

(IDRC). In this project, seven organizations in

Kenya, Uganda and Malawi seek to stimulate

the adaptation of pro-poor agri-food system

innovations, with a focus on traditional crops

of high value, as a contribution to improving

food security and sustainable natural resources

management. KARI is one of these seven

organizations.

ͻ Enhanced integration of regional markets and

trade to facilitate distribution of food across

borders using guidelines by the Common Market

for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and

EAC on removing trade and non-trade barriers

and tarifs.

ͻ Harmonization and coordination of regional food

policies and responses to food crises. Regional

eforts in this regard are espoused by the Eastern

and Central Africa Programme for Agricultural

Policy Analysis (ECAPAPA) and the Regional

Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support

system (ReSAAKS).

ͻ Implementation of CAADP frameworks and plans

for countries to achieve the 10% budget share on

agriculture.

ͻ Regional initiatives for large public infrastructures

such as roads, rail ways and other communication

infrastructure.

ͻ Leadership and conlict prevention and resolution

as envisioned in the African Peer Review

Mechanism (APRM) and Intergovernmental

Authority on Development (IGAD) since most

countries afected by food insecurity are also

prone to conlicts.

On-going challenges and emerging

issues

The African food systems are characterized by

challenges and emerging issues that regional eforts

could resolve. These include:

ͻ Transformation of the food retail sector as

supermarkets become important outlets.

Supplying supermarkets presents both

opportunities and challenges for small scale

producers who have to grapple with added

investments and new practices in procurement,

quality and safety standards.

ͻ Increasing trends towards vertical integration

of agricultural produce supply chains where

cooperating irms control multiple steps along

the production chain. The milk supply chain in

Kenya is one such example.

ͻ Contractual arrangements in the vegetable,

legume and grain production systems. While such

systems beneit farmers by reducing the risk of

price luctuations they pose the risk of reducing

competition and limiting production choices for

farmers. In

ͻ Genetically Modiied Organisms (GMOs) in the

East African region require the development

of harmonized regional policies and common

position on biotechnology, as well as legal and

regulatory frameworks for food safety, trade,

environmental and public health issues.

About the author

Dr. Immaculate N. Maina is a Senior Research Oicer within the

Socio-economic and Applies Statistics Division of the Kenya

Agricultural Research Institute, Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

For more information: http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/publications/

downloads/ericksen07-foodsystems.pdf

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4176E/y4176e00.jpg

An abundant harvest: Good food systems facilitate fair distribution of food.

©ALIN

PROJECTFOCUS



ADOPTION

Raises Food Production

©Charlie Pye-Sm

ith / World Agroforestry Centre.

in CAMEROON

of Agro-Forestry

Introduction of better yielding trees, particularly fruit trees and supporting farmers to practice agro-forestry more systematically has resulted

in better productivity among farmers in Cameroon, through support of

ICRAF. The range of trees intercropped with food crops has been increased through introduction of wild fruit

trees to agro-forestryBy Chris Mesiku

The World Agro-forestry Centre

(ICRAF) has been encouraged

by the ongoing positive reports

from rural farmers who can see

that the agro-forestry practices

they engage in resulting in an

improvement to their livelihoods.

One of the many beneiciaries is Cameroonian farmer

Christophe Missé who is now growing fruit trees on

his farm.

In 1999, Mr. Missé attended a training session held by

the World Agro-forestry Centre in Nkolfep, Cameroon

that he says changed his life. He learned techniques

for developing superior varieties of indigenous fruit

trees and now runs a nursery with his neighbours,

selling over 7,000 seedlings per year. He has also

planted hundreds of indigenous fruit trees on his

farm.

Mr. Missé discovered that the economic return

from his trees increase as the trees mature. This is

especially true for his indigenous fruit trees which

have been shown to not only produce a better yield

each per area when compared with non indigenous

species but are also more resilient to droughts.

Value for indegienous trees

In many rural settings where partial agro-forestry

systems have been in operation for many years,

ICRAF researchers focus on maximizing the

productivity of the already existing systems by

producing trees that compliment that diversity. This

is done by improving the germplasm (seeds and

seedlings) of certain trees to have desirable qualities

like improved nitrogen ixation for better soil fertility.

The work of utilising quality germplasm, maximising

farm productivity and improving the market access

of smallholder farmers is carried out by ICRAF’s

Global Research Project.

“We ask local people which indigenous trees they

value most and for what traits,” explained Zac

Tchoundjeu, co-leader of ICRAF’s Global Research

Project, commenting about the work of ICRAF’s

Tree Domestication and Agroforestry Germplasm.

“Best responses are by farmers with large, sweet

fruits grown on trees that mature quickly.” In

Cameroon, these species include bush mango

(Irvingia gabonensis), African plum (Dacryodes edulis),

African nut (Ricinodendron heudelotii) and Bitter kola

(Garcinia kola).

With the help of local farmers, agro-forestry scientists

have identiied and domesticated many varieties of

fruit trees found in forests. Tchoundjeu said “Diferent

trees of the same species can bear fruits that are

sweet or sour, large or small.” With availability of fruit

bearing trees that are economically competitive

Tchoundjeu added: “People become less dependent

on commodity markets, and they produce a crop

they can both eat and sell.”

The impact of growing trees

The money Christophe Missé has earned from

practising agro-forestry on his farm has contributed

signiicantly to his livelihood. “With the money have

made I have built a new house,” he said. “I can now

pay for two of my children to go to private school.”

However, without clear strategies for accessing

markets, Christophe Missé would have had minimum

gains from his fruit trees. ICRAF continuously

works to create mechanisms to help smallholders

access markets. Farmers who have quality forest

products that are in demand in the market place

help contribute to conservation. Like Missé, such

farmers can directly help shape land-use change in

many parts of Africa because as tree products like

medicines and oils are embraced by the broader

community, there is less dependence on traditional

cash crops often associated with farming practises

that are detrimental to ecosystems. Some of the

agro-forestry trees farmers grow can rehabilitate

degraded parts of Sub Saharan Africa by enhancing

the nutrient cycling and organic matter in the soils.

An important factor is access to water especially

during drought times. Some agro-forestry trees

planted by farmers can also improve the hydrology

of those farms making them less vulnerable to the

efects of extreme weather. With over 3,000 species

of wild fruits in Africa, local farmers can experiment

and pick the best trees for their soil type and region.

These species represent an enormously important

and largely untapped natural resource for food

security and ecological management.

When most of these species become competitive in

the market place and more farmers like Christophe

Massé embrace them, they will contribute

signiicantly to alleviating food insecurity, improve

environmental conservation and enhance adaptation

and resilience to climate change. These trees will

have transformed both the lives of rural farmers and

the landscapes on which they depend.

About the author

Chris Mesiku is the Associate Communication Specialist, World

Agroforestry Centre Nairobi.

Email: [email protected]


SOARING

OF SWEET POTATO

POPULARITY

Demand for sweet potatoes in Kenya has soared as its popularity as a healthy food has grown. In some areas,

farmers are not able to meet demand and some are abandoning traditional staple crops to grow sweet potatoes.

This has in turn created more interest in the food crop among researchers to develop varieties that combine better nutritional

value with faster maturity and higher productivity.By Mwangi Mumero

IN K

ENYA


©Tony Kim

athi 2011

For Charles Muthike, a sweet potato farmer in Ndia Division in Kirinyaga County, demand for this versatile food cannot be met. “We have lorries and small traders trooping to our farms looking for ready sweet potatoes to buy and

sell to the swelling urban population. A large number of farmers in this area have switched from growing maize to fast moving sweet potatoes,” says Muthike, a father of three and a farmer at Karima, near the Nyeri - Nairobi Highway. A bag of sweet potatoes retails at Kshs. 4,500 (approximately US$50).

With rising shift toward more traditional foods and as lifestyle changes demand healthier eating habits the so called “orphan crops” such as sweet potatoes and yams have become a favourite for many health conscious urban Kenyans eager reduce consumption of “junk food.” While Central Kenya produces a small fraction of the sweet potatoes in the country, the main growing areas being western Kenya - mainly Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Rachuonyo and Kisii counties, land area under sweet potato has been increasing in some parts of the province.

Sweet potato is an important cash crop in Mosocho and Suneka divisions in Kisii County. In Kisii, a 90 kg bag of sweet potatoes sells at Kshs. 5,000 (about US$55). Over the years, acreage under sweet potatoes has been rising with average yield at about 10 tons per hectare. Sweet potato is adaptable to diferent agro-ecological zones ranging from 0 - 2100m above sea level. It is occasionally found in altitudes of about 2400m. It thrives at average temperatures above 24°C and abundant sunshine.

The sweet potato plant requires rainfall of 750 - 1000mm per annum and a moderate soil pH of 6.0 for optimum production. It also requires well drained soil to allow root development. The growing period for the crop is three to six months depending on the variety. However during the short rains, farmers prefer varieties maturing in three months and during the long rains those maturing in six months.

Land preparation

Land should be prepared to loosen the soil to make mounds of 80 cm by 30 cm and one to three vines planted per mould or on ridges of 90 – 150cm by 30 - 60cm along the ridges. Vines are used for establishment. The shoot should be cut 30cm from the growing point before planting. Cultivation of some of the newly introduced varieties currently under testing by the International Potato Center

(CIP) and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) has lead to higher yields.

Average per capita consumption of sweet potato in Kenya is about 24 kg per year with higher proportions consumed in the western parts of the country. The white skinned variety has desirable characteristics to both farmers and consumers. These include short maturity period – three to four months - high yields, moderate stability after harvesting - up to seven days - and an attractive yellow lesh.

The major disadvantage of the variety especially if grown for home consumption is that its quality deteriorates very fast when left un-harvested beyond one month after maturity. Another variety has a red skin and yellow lesh and matures within six to seven months after planting. After maturity the tubers can retain their quality for a further three to six months when left un-harvested. This variety is therefore suitable for cultivation for both home consumption and marketing as it can store relatively well after harvesting.

Nutritional value

Sweet potatoes, particularly the yellow leshed varieties, are good sources of vitamins. At the same time they yield more calories per acre than many other starchy foods. A comparison with other starchy food crops shows that sweet potato yields more calories per unit area than either maize or Irish potato and nearly as much as cassava and that its protein yield is far higher than the latter.

Despite the clear potential of the sweet potato in helping to meet its food needs, full exploitation of the crop is constrained by its bulkiness, perishable nature, low cost per unit sold, as well as low consumer acceptability. Consumers perceive it only as a snack and not as a main dish. This perception is an important barrier to increased sweet potato consumption and hence production. “Mostly, people buy potatoes to roast or boil and eat them as snacks. Few customers buy more than ive pieces at a time as they are not considered a full meal even at family level,” observes Alfayo Njeri, a trader at the Kibingoti market, located along the Nyeri - Nairobi highway.


high anthocyanin content - an antioxidant - in sweet potatoes prevents cancer and aging.

According to Dr. Ted Carey sweet potato breeder from Ghana ailiated with CIP, the anthocyanins in sweet potato are easily absorbed from the digestive

tract into the bloodstream, where they may have

beneicial efects. Currently, in addition to ield

testing, CIP scientists also do laboratory tests for

nutritional characteristics of these and other sweet

potato clones with an aim for future multiplication.

“We are evaluating nutritional components such as

beta-carotene, protein, starch and dry matter, and

also minerals and micronutrients such as iron, zinc,

and magnesium”, explains Genoveva Rossel, CIP’s

sweet potato germplasm collection curator.

About the writerThe writer is a freelance journalist. He can be reached through:

[email protected]


At the market, groups of mainly women traders hawk all types of foods including fruits and sweet potatoes to the thousands of road users along the busy highway. At major Kenyan urban centres, traders roasting sweet potatoes alongside maize have become a common feature.

Antioxidants

On their part, researchers have upped the ante and identiied another milestone in the nutritive value of sweet potatoes –which are seen as an important food crop in semi-arid lands across the world. According to breeders at the International Potato Center (CIP) in San Ramon, Peru, the pigmentation of the purple leshed sweet potato varieties is due to the presence of anthocyanins. Studies from Kansas State University have revealed that two of these anthocyanins contain properties inhibiting the growth of cancer cells in the human colon. The

A farmer weeding sweet potatoes in Kabete, Kenya

OPENCOLUMN

As food security situation worsens

in East Africa, some smallholder

farmers in Western Kenya are still

feeding their families on maize

they harvested last year, thanks

to ongoing implementation

programme of research indings

to revive the fertility of soils in the region.

According to David Mbakaya, a soil scientist at the

Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), early

indings from an ongoing research have so far

established that soils in Western Kenya have become

too acidic for maize production due to climatic factors

and overuse of nitrogenous fertilisers. “From ield

trials, we have discovered that the average Potential of

Leucaena pods.

Long term and repeated use of nitrogen based fertilizers in the maize growing zones of western Kenya has resulted in high soil acidity reducing farm yields for the crop. Recent introduction of the use

of lime to reduce soil acidity has resulted in dramatic improvement in maize yield.

By Isaiah Esipisu

SOIL LIMING IMpROVES

Maize Yield In Western Kenya


Hydrogen (pH) levels in soils within the region stands

at 4.5 – meaning that such soils can hardly support

maize growing,” said Mr. Mbakaya.

Scientiically, the neutral pH level is supposed to stand

at seven on the pH scale. At that level, it means that it

is neither acidic nor alkaline. Anything below seven is

acidic, and above that is alkaline. However, maize can

withstand mild soil acidity ranging from 6.5 to 5.5. But

this has to be controlled because alkaline soils that

measure anything beyond 7.5 on the pH scale will ruin

the crop as well.

The four major reasons as to why soils become acidic

include rainfall and leaching, use of acidic parent

material, organic matter decay, and harvest of high-

yielding crops.

Experts say that high soil acidity occurs when

ammonia based fertiliser materials are applied to the

soil. “In reality, nitrogen fertilizers increase soil acidity

by increasing crop yields. This happens when there

is an increase in the amount of basic elements being

removed from the soil as nutrients,” said Mbakaya.

Lime as a soil additive

To solve the situation, research scientists through

the KARI – Kakamega Branch with funding from the

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) are

encouraging farmers to neutralise their soils using

lime - a soil additive made from pulverized limestone

or chalk which is cheaply available in Kenya. “I have

tried liming my land for two seasons, and the results

are astounding,” said Isaac Ochieng Okwanyi, a 29 year

old father of two, who settled for farming after he was

evicted from Nairobi’s Mathare Slum in 2008 following

the post election violence in Kenya. “Just like any other

young man, I thought that working in the city was the

best way of earning a living. But after I lost everything

during the violence, I decided to stay back home and

try my luck in farming,” said Okwanyi who hails from

Nyangera village in Siaya County.

Using part of the six acres of land he inherited from his father, Okwanyi embarked on growing maize on three acres using the same phosphorous and ammonium fertilisers his parents had been using for years. “In that season, I harvested two 90 kilogramme bags of maize from each acre, half of which I sold since I needed some money, and the rest served as food for my family and my parents for three months,” he said.

Liming trials on farms

However, in 2009, his farm was selected for liming trials by the KARI team of researchers because of its easy accessibility by the researchers and other community members who might be keen to learn


Western Kenya is one of the regions in the country

with stable rainfall all round the year. But according to

Dr Marin Odendo, the Senior Research Oicer - Socio-

economics and Statistics Division at KARI, the region

imports food for six months every year.

“Most of the farmers in Kakamega are smallholder

farmers. Yet this should not be the case because there

is growing evidence that smallholder farmers hold key

to the world’s food security,” said Dr Odendo. But he is

conident that with the ongoing research, there will be

a huge increase in terms of harvest in the near future.

About the writerIsaiah Esipisu is a science writer based in Nairobi. E-mail:

[email protected]

Stories and Pictures by Isaiah Esipisu

from it. “I gave them a half an acre for trials. But the entire community including myself were very sceptical because we did not believe that what looked like cement (lime) could change anything,” said Okwanyi.

But upon harvesting in the trial phase, the

villagers got convinced that there was a

huge diference by looking at the results

from control lines (lines where lime was

not applied) and trial lines (where lime was

applied). As a result, in 2010 Okwanyi tried

liming on two acres of his land while at

the same time applying traditionally used

fertilisers. “Indeed, it rained as expected.

And from what I saw, I can attest that I

have never seen such a big harvest in this

community,” he said.

Improved yields

From each of the two acres, he harvested 16

bags, totalling 32 bags of maize from two

acres, which was far higher than the four

bags he had harvested from the same land

in the previous season. “The proof of my last

year’s harvest is evident. I have since moved

from a tiny grass thatched house to a nice

semi permanent house,” he said pointing to

a new house which he says he constructed

using proceeds from the harvest.

Together with ive other farmers who had

made huge harvests, the group created a

grain bank at the Sega market, where they

have been withdrawing small portions of

the grain for domestic use. “We created this

bank because of security reasons. With the

biting hunger at the moment, it is possible

for people to break into our semi permanent houses in

order to steal maize,” he said.

So far, he has two bags remaining for his domestic

consumption, while his next harvest – now on three

acres of land is only a few weeks away. “When we

started trials for liming in 2009, we had 44 farmers in

the program. But after the irst ield trial phase, the

number has grown to 5000, where 3000 are from

Northern Kakamega in Western Province and 2000

from Siaya both in Western Kenya.

However, before any farmer considers liming as an

option, it is important to have soil samples from their

farm tested in a certiied laboratory in order to analyse

the level of acidity, so as to determine the amount of

lime needed to neutralise it depending on the crop

they desire to grow.


ALIN scores a irst in winning coveted global accolade stamping its authority in pioneering the use of ICTs to empower remote arid lands communities with knowledge and information, transforming their livelihoods.

By Noah Lusaka

All-round excitement as ALIN wins

Global Knowledge Award

In a development that marked the global

recognition of the organisation’s work,

ALIN was declared the 2011 winner of the

prestigious and highly competitive Access

to Learning Award (ATLA) given annually

by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

(BMGF). The timing of the award was highly

signiicant for ALIN coming as it did at the time when

the organization was celebrating its 10th Anniversary

since it started operations in East Africa.

The Award was announced at an event held in San

Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday, August 16, 2011

during the International Federation of Library

Associations meeting at a ceremony presided over

by Deborah Jacobs, Director of the Global Libraries

initiative at the (BMGF). ALIN was recognised for

taking advantage of the beneits of ICTs to empower

arid lands communities by locating Maarifa

(Knowledge) centres in remote arid lands across


A joyous James Nguo, ALIN Regional Director,

holds the accolade aloft.

continued on p 20

STORKSTORY



East Africa and providing free access to information

resources, including the internet and library

resources. Communities that receive information

resources from ALIN have used them to initiate

local social enterprises that have improved their

livelihoods over the years.

This made ALIN to be the irst organisation in sub-

Saharan Africa to win the Award. On hand to receive

the accolade was Mr. James Nguo, the founding

Regional Director of ALIN. ATLA comes with a cash

prize of US$1,000,000 meant to help the recipient

organisation to scale up the winning concept in

order to impact a larger number of people.

Networking to transform communities’ lives

Speaking during the event, Mr. Nguo had this to say:

“We understand that each community we serve is

diferent, and each individual we serve is diferent.

Some communities need information about water

harvesting, while others are dealing with a particular

kind of pest. We have also found that while some

people have taken to computers and technology,

others prefer live demonstrations or lectures in their

native language.”

“Thousands of people in these remote communities

of Eastern Africa are improving their lives through

the information available at these centers” said

Deborah Jacobs, Director of the BMGF’s Global

Libraries initiative, at the award ceremony.

Co-Chair of the BMGF, Bill Gates Senior, while

congratulating ALIN for this award highlighted the

eforts made to providing access to information

resources that have transformed communities’

lives in marginal areas through the established 12

Maarifa (knowledge) centres. He also recognised the

multi-media approach in information capture and

dissemination by using online portals, magazines,

videos and direct presentations and exchanges

among communities.

Celebrating the Win in Kenya

In a follow up event held to share the news about

the big win in Kenya and to celebrate ALIN’s 10th

Anniversary held on September 1st 2011, more than

300 guests were in attendance representing diferent

partners and donor organisations.

They came together in recognition of ALIN having

facilitated networking and knowledge sharing

among infomediaries (extension workers) across

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In her keynote speech,

the Acting Regional Representative of The Ford

Foundation, Dr. Joyce Nyairo noted that ALIN had

distinguished itself as an innovator in the use of ICTs

to empower marginalized communities using the

unique concept of Maarifa centres. The Foundation

has been supporting ALIN’s innovation in the use of

ICTs among other elements of knowledge sharing.

Key ALIN milestones in the irst 10 years

◆ Establishment of ALIN regional headquarters

based at AAYMCA building, Nairobi Kenya.

◆ Establishment of twelve (12) Maarifa (knowledge)

centres (seven – Kenya, three – Uganda and two

Tanzania) and equipping them with ICT and

library resources.

◆ Establishment of three (3) Maarifa centres for

partners in Kenya and Uganda.

◆ Production of information products that include

34 editions of Baobab Magazine, eight Issues

of Joto Afrika brieings magazine, 22 video

clips, 10 diferent CD ROMs, 5 books numerous

posters and other information, education and

communication products.

◆ Pioneering use of ICTs in marginal areas starting

with digital satellite broadcasting, VSATs and

more.

◆ Working with over 60 youth volunteers in

marginal areas.

◆ Nomination the founding Director, Mr. James

Nguo, ALIN as an Ashoka fellow in April 2011

from p. 17

Women use iPods to view agriculture content at Mutomo Maarifa Centre

About the writer

The Writer is a Projects Manager at ALIN. He can be reached

through [email protected]


© ALIN

TECHNICALNOTE

Indigenous Milk Preservation Technology Among the Kalenjin of Kenya

By Bett Kipsang

Kenya is famous for its world

conquering athletes who

traverse the globe bringing in

medals and cash prizes. The

Kalenjin community from the

Rift Valley is famous for giving

returning champions a drink of

traditionally fermented milk known as Mursik from

a colourful gourd or sotet. This article highlights the

process of making the nutricious Mursik.

Origin of Mursik

Mursik technology originates from the Kalenjin

community for whom milk is a staple diet. The

community developed the unique milk preservation

technology using indigenous tree species about 300

years ago. The technology evolved as a result of the

need to avoid wastage by preserving and storing

excess milk for use during the dry season.

Mursik preparation

Milk treatment is traditionally the preserve of

women; however men do sometimes practice the

art. Extreme care must be taken during the gourd

preparation and milk fermentation processes and

high hygiene standards must be observed to avoid

potential food poisoning.

Depending on the availability of milk, a large

quantity of Mursik can be prepared at once or

alternatively small quantities of milk can be poured

into a prepared gourd on a daily basis until it is full.

The fermented milk provides the culture for the new

milk and accelerates the process of fermentation.

The lavour of Mursik is determined by various factors

including the quality of milk used, technique of

cleaning the gourd, time taken before the milk is

served, and to some extent the tree species used to

treat the gourd. Factors determining the quality of a

cows’ milk include: stage of lactation; cow breed and;

the cow’s diet.

Materials and Tools for Making Mursik

• Gourd (preferably dry), fresh one can also do so

long as it is fully ripe.

• Sharp machete or large knife

• Palm tree branches

• Cow urine

• Clean water

• Dry ash

• A piece of cow hide

• Several dry sticks from a milk preserving tree

species (preferably Cassia didymobotrya)

• A bow shaped palm stick (sosiot) without bristles

• Fire

• Milk in a clean container with a lid

• Water

Steps in Making Mursik

1) preparing the gourd: Cut the top of the gourd

systemically using the machete or knife. Remove

the seeds and pour a mixture of water and ash

into the gourd. Cork the gourd and put it aside

for a few days. Pour out the water in readiness for

cleaning and treating the gourd.

2) Cleaning the gourd: Take some branches of

the palm tree and hit them on a irm surface

such as a tree trunk until the edges form brush

like bristles. Using the stif bristles remove the

inner lining of the new gourd in order to ensure

that the milk does not acquire the bitter taste of

the gourd. Pour some cow urine into the gourd

and put it aside for a few days for curing and



seasoning. Pour out the cow urine and use a bow

shaped palm stick (sosiot) to clean the gourd

again.

3) Treating the gourd: Take a few sticks from the

selected milk preserving tree species and burn

the tips them into charcoal. Put the burning

embers inside a clean and dry gourd, shaking it

to avoid burning. Using the bow shaped palm

stick grind the embers by pressing them against

the walls of the gourd using the sosiot in a

methodical, circular in and out movement of the

hand. Repeat the grinding movement until the

inside of the gourd is evenly covered with ine

dust. Pour out any large particles and excess coal

dust and allow the gourd to cool down.

4) preparing and treating the gourd lid: Prepare

a well designed, tightly itting lid for the gourd

using animal hide/skin. Test the lid to make sure

it its tightly into the mouth of the gourd. Treat

the inner side of the lid with charcoal dust using

the method for cleaning and treating the gourd.

5) Milking, boiling and cooling the milk: Milk the

cow and boil the fresh milk immediately. Cover

the boiled milk to avoid contamination and

allow it to cool down. Traditionally the cow was

milked directly into a treated gourd and the milk


would be mixed with some blood and stored in

a cool place to ripen. However this practice has

since ceased due to a change in lifestyles and

widespread awareness of the need to improve

hygiene standards.

6) Fermentation: Pour the cold boiled milk into

a treated gourd or sotet. Cork the gourd tightly

with the treated lid. Store the Mursik in a cool dry

place for about one week to allow it to ripen until

it achieves the consistency of sour milk.

7) Shaking and serving the Mursik: Shake the

Mursik well to ensure it has a smooth, uniform

consistency. After thorough shaking, good

quality Mursik is a clear liquid with a sharp taste

that is almost bitter in some cases, in which white

globules of butter loat. Systematic tapping on

the skin lid produces a popping sound, allowing

excess air to escape. Mursik is best taken during

the dry season or on a sunny day and served cold

with hot ugali, a Kenyan staple food made of

maize/corn lour, millet, sorghum, or a mixture of

diferent types of lour.

Milk treatment and Environmental

Conservation

The use of some tree species for milk preservation

and flavouring is part of indigenous knowledge

that also helps in conservation of biodiversity.

Cassia didymobotrya is native to Eastern Central

Africa and the most preferred tree species for milk

treatment.

Cassia didymobotrya is locally known by diferent

names, for example senetwet (Kipsigis); Inyumganai

(Kamba); Mwino (Kikuyu); Lubino (Luhya); Obino

(Luo); Osenetoi (Maasai) and ndimu or limau

(Swahili). The shrub grows well near cattle bomas

(sheds) especially near decomposed cow dung. It

prefers well-drained soils, can withstand occasional

drought and is propagated through seeds, which

readily germinate. Its leaves are evergreen with

elliptic to oval lealets and yellow ornamental

lowers, which appear for prolonged periods in warm

climates (Mureithi, 1997). Animals rarely feed on

cassia leaves; therefore it has a survival rate of almost

100 percent.

Other tree species used for milk

preservation

Other tree species used for Mursik preparation are:

Lantana kitu (Muokiot), Olea afrikana (Emitiot) Rhus

natalensis (Natal Rhus), Olea capensis, Acacia meansii

and Prunus africana’ among others.

Conclusion

Milk is a locally available and easily accessible commodity and value addition through the use of Mursik technology has proved highly successful. Adoption of Mursik technology by non-pastoralist communities has introduced the element of its commercialization as a viable source of income for livestock farmers.

As a valuable tree species Cassia didymobotrya

deserves the attention of researchers to ensure its conservation and to explore its anti-bacterial efects, among other useful characteristics. There is need to preserve gourd planting, cutting and cleaning technology since gourds are cheap and easily accessible, making them ideal storage containers for farmers.

About the writer

Bett Charles Kipsang is ALIN’s Field Oicer, Ng’arua Maarifa

Center. Tel: +254 720 857 718; Email: [email protected] or

[email protected].

References:

1. Farmer initiated research and extension by william Mureithi.

2. Internet: http://www.plantzafrica.com

3. Personal observation and background knowledge.

GUESTCOLUMN

BAOBAB ISSUE 63 SEPTEMBER 201124

The Baobab’s Anthony Mugo spoke to Mr. David Nyantika, the National Training Coordinator of the National Agriculture and Livestock Extension Programme (NALEP) about government policies and plans to boost food security. The following are excerpts from that interview.

Extension Body Enhances

KENYA’S POTENTIAL

for Food Security


Knowing this, what are you in

government doing?

The Government has stepped up eforts to harness

the potential of ASALs by investing directly in water

harvesting starting with 30 of the old ASAL districts.

Other measures are pasture improvement and

promotion of alternative livelihoods such as bee

keeping, dairy goats and production of gums and

resins.

At the policy level, the continued holding of large

tracts of idle land by individuals has contributed

to reduced agricultural production in Kenya. As

such radical measures are required particularly

to bring about land consolidation through which

communities must be compelled to move to

concentrated settlement areas to free up land for

food production. This will require a determined and

focused reform of the land tenure system.

Recently the debate about genetically

modiied organisms (GMO) has arisen

with some supporting introduction of

GMOs while others are opposed. What

in your opinion is the issue with GMOs?

Personally and as a scientist, I support the use

of biotechnology to improve food production

and to bring about food security in Kenya.

Biotechnology, particularly conventional plant

and animal breeding, has been used in Kenya for

many years. In GMO technology manipulation is

done inside the cell to change gene sequences

and therefore alter the genetic codes of crops and

What does the National Agriculture

and Livestock Extension programme

(NALEp) do?

As a government programme, NALEP is funded

by the Government of Kenya with support from

Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)

to facilitate extension services to the Kenyan public.

NALEP works on a premise of creating a platform for

eicient delivery of extension services and creating

demand for the services. We facilitate government

and other extension service providers to pass

available technical information to beneiciaries.

Demand for such services is higher than supply,

particularly as more inhabitants of arid and semi arid

lands (ASALs) take up agriculture.

Being aware of the critical role of agriculture and

livestock in food security, the government through

NALEP, is determined to use more innovative means

of supporting beneiciaries in production, value

addition and marketing of agricultural produce. For

example, we have been creating specialised groups

known as Commodity Interest Groups (CIGs) to help

beneiciaries produce, add value and market their

produce in a manner that maximises their returns.

A recent study conducted by Egerton University

indicated that NALEP’s intervention has resulted in

the improvement of production of maize by between

100 to 150 per cent in Nyanza and Coast Provinces.

Why then do we still have perennial

famines in Kenya?

We have not maximised the potential of food

production in the arid and semi arid lands (ASALs).

Surprisingly, all that is needed is water. ASALs

have richer soils, and due to higher prevailing

temperatures, crops mature faster and yield better

than they do in the high and mid rainfall areas of

east Africa. The other reason is that our farmers do

not use the recommended levels of fertilizer and

certiied seeds. Importantly, Kenyans have a very

limited choice of eating habits and seem to believe

that only a maize-based diet can sustain them. As

such, shortage of maize is perceived as famine even

if the country has adequate supply of alternatives

such as potatoes, cassava, sorghum, millet and

bananas. As a result of the high emphasis on maize

production, many areas which would otherwise

be most suitable for growing other crops such as

sorghum and millet are not optimally utilised. Other

reasons for perennial famine are poor infrastructure

for delivering agricultural produce to the market,

poor access to extension services and high cost of

inputs particularly fertiliser and certiied seeds.

(c)Tony Kim

athi 2011

A member of Gathia Youth group waters vegetables in Kabete, Kenya

animals. The body is programmed to digest and

process nutrients found in foods that humans and

animals consume. GMO has the ability to introduce

nutrients and chemical products that may be

“alien” and not be easily processed by humans or

animals. It is quite possible that the inability to

digest such nutrients could lead to their getting

deposited in body tissues with undesirable health

consequences. In some cases, such “foreign”

ingredients might trigger immune responses

leading to allergic reactions.

Many who are opposed to unplanned introduction

of GMO food are concerned about the fact that the

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS)

does not have the capacity to analyse GMOs from

other countries and inform consumers about

extra components that have been introduced

in GMOs. This denies the consumer the right

to make a choice about what they would be

consuming. I am aware that certain countries

produce GMO food purely for export. Do we have

the advanced facilities required for thorough and

conclusive testing of GMOs? To me the answer to

that question is in the negative. As a consumer

I have not seen the information I would need

from KEPHIS to enable me to feel comfortable

consuming GMO maize for example. Consumers

must have that information in order for them to

make informed choice as to whether or not to

consume GMOs.

Small scale farmers have been

described as the cornerstone of food

security in Kenya and possibly east

Africa, would you agree with this

position?

I would agree. However, I think there are a number

of policy and technical aspects that need to be

addressed in order to maximise crop and livestock

production by small scale farmers. For example,

it does not make sense to set aside one acre for

growing of tea if a farmer owns only two acres of

land. One acre of tea cannot produce enough green

leaf to make economic sense. In my view, small

holder farmers need to be supported with timely

and usable information and to be able to access

suicient inputs particularly appropriate seeds and

fertiliser. This support should be in form of small

loans that are payable with proceeds from their

farms.

Malawi provides a good example. Upon taking oice,

President Bingu wa Mutharika introduced the so

called “Magic Bag”. This was a package given to each

maize farmer containing, in suicient quantities,

high quality seed, fertiliser and a legume (nitrogen

ixing) crop seeds. The bags were given as grants

and farmers were expected to repay after harvesting

their maize crop. On its part, the Malawi government

committed to buy excess maize from the farmers.

Through this intervention, Malawi became a net

maize exporter.

Does the Government have a role in

linking farmers to markets?

I am a strong believer that access to market should

begin at the grassroots. Every county government

should have a well developed market infrastructure.

Farmers should begin by exploiting those markets

before going for distant and export markets. The

colonial government appears to have igured

that out because it required market centres to be

established within a given average distance from

neighbouring settlements.

County governments should also invest in small-

scale agriculture commodities processing of say

fruits to juices and bananas, potatoes and cassava

to crisps or even loor. This is beginning to happen

in some areas. A good example is the current

plan by the Government to set up a factory to

process rabbit meat at Thika. The Government

should enable more farmers to access greenhouse

technology in order to grow horticultural crops for

the export market. Country governments should

also undertake agricultural market surveys aimed

at informing farmers about agricultural products

that are in high demand at local and international

markets. Access to information provided by the

National Agriculture Farmers’ Information System

(NAFIS) should be broadened through the use of

modern ICTs.

In your opinion, is food security

afected by conlict?

Conlict afects all aspects of production and food

security is no exception. Whenever there are high

levels of poverty and food insecurity, conlict

becomes inevitable. More broadly, people do not

invest in places that that are unstable and where

future peace and tranquillity is unpredictable.

About the writer

Anthony Mugo is ALIN’s Programmes Director. E-mail: amugo@

alin.net

Mr. Nyantika is the training coordinator, National Agriculture and

Livestock Extension Programme (NALEP), Kenya ailiated to the

Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Visit http://

www.nalep.co.ke/


In 2011, one year into the implementation of ALIN Strategic Plan 2010 – 2015, a new phase known

as ALIN 3 has began. It coincides with the completion of the irst 10 years of ALIN’s work in East Africa

and looks to be a phase of great promise because of the numerous opportunities for information and

knowledge exchange made possible by new technologies.

Why ALIN 3!

ALIN 3 relects the phases that ALIN has undergone since 2000 when it started operations in East Africa. The irst

5 years were spent in setting up systems for the network and bringing the network closer to the people. The

following 5 years were spent on development of partnerships and testing technologies for information and knowledge

delivery. ALIN 3 will be based on the 3 pillars that will make knowledge work for the poor as explained below.

Enabling accessEnabling access will involve strengthening

the existing infrastructure made of

Maarifa centres as points of engagement

of communities and the technology

infrastructure constituting ICT equipment

and deployment of ield workers.

Knowledge creationCreating knowledge will involve interacting with

beneiciaries in the ield to better understand their

information needs and then ensuring that needed

information is provided in a timely manner and in formats

and languages that will make it usable. Best practices and

indigenous knowledge coming from communities will also

be captured and shared widely.

EmpowermentEmpowering communities will

involve working with arid lands

communities to facilitate them to

adopt agriculture, livestock and

natural resource management best

practices that will enable them to

maximise their production in a

sustainable manner.

What will change in ALIN 3?Information will be provided according to demand by users. ALIN will work more closely with other partners such as

those involved in civic education to support the holistic empowerment of arid lands communities and reduce their

marginalisation. There will be a more systematic and sustained extension support from Maarifa centres to increase

adoption of new agriculture and livestock rearing technologies and practices that enable arid lands communities to adapt

to climate change.

Here Comes ALIN 3 Strategy


How

to w

ater

IntroductionThe Baobab is a quarterly magazine that is

published in March, June, September and

December. Every issue has a theme that guides the

topic one can write on. Topics for 2011:

March: Youth & Farming

June: Trees & Farming

September: Regional Food Systems

December: Land Issues

How to WriteKnow what you are writing about in advance and think

clearly, carefully relecting on:

• WHATwastheinitialcontextandwhatwerethediiculties faced?

• WHATwerethereasonsfortheapproachtakentoimprove the situation?

• HOWdidtheygoaboutitandwhotooktheinitiative?

• WHENdidallthishappen,andtowhatextentwasthetiming important?

• WHAThappenedasaresult?

• WHYdiditworkoutasitdid?(Weappreciateopinions/analysis/conclusions relevant to ield level, as well as recommendations for policy makers).

• WHEREdidtheactiontakeplace?

please Ensure that You

1) Thoroughly read the call for articles and check that

the article its well with the theme being covered.

2) Explain any terms or ideas that may not be

understood in every part of the world.

3) Acknowledge all sources and references used.

4) Explain any abbreviations used.

Full editorial support is provided. As the articles go through a rigorous editorial process, authors are usually requested to provide additional information or clariications. We would therefore rather have too much information than too little in the irst draft!

Format

1. Articles should be about 700 to 1000 words (one,

two or three-page articles) and should be emailed

to [email protected] or [email protected] as a word

document attachment.

2. Include no more than ive references. Each reference

should include title, year of publication, name of

author, and publisher.

3. Please provide a current contact address at the

bottom of the article. This will also be published in the

magazine. We would also appreciate a contact phone

number for our own use.

The editor reserves the right to decide whether or not

to publish an article or contribution after receipt of the

irst full draft. Articles that are accepted will be edited

to the Baobab house style and shortened if necessary.

Contributions edited in this way will be returned to

the authors for approval before publication. Articles

accepted for publication in the Baobab may be chosen

for translation in any of the six regional editions. We will

endeavour to inform authors if their article appears in

other editions.

photosPictures speak volumes. Two to four pictures relevant to

what you have written must accompany your article.

Illustrations, drawings, or maps are also welcomed. Please

provide the name of the photographer or artist. Please

ensure the photos or illustrations are of suitable quality.

Send the pictures as attachments in jpeg format of at least

300kb and above. Also remember to include a caption

outlining the people or activity in the picture.

Creative Commons LicensePlease note that we use the “Creative Commons License

Attribution non-commercial share alike 3.0 unported’’

policy regarding copyright. We encourage free and open

exchange of information. As such readers and authors are

encouraged to copy and circulate articles from the Baobab

quoting the source. In addition, this means that we may

use submitted photos or text in our other publications. We

will try to contact you and credit your work in accordance

with the license.

Baobab Magazine



Call for articlesCall for articles

The current and impending food

crises are increasing pressures

on the ownership of land and

its use for agriculture. What are

the implications of this for family

farmers? Land grabs cause large

scale migration, poverty and

conlict – not to mention environmental impacts.

Biodiversity decreases when small family farms are

replaced by mono-crops treated with pesticides and

fertilizers. Small-scale farmers have little power to

farm sustainably if they don’t have control over land:

secure access to land is a prerequisite for farmers to

invest in sustainable agriculture. Land grabs give rise

(directly or indirectly) to other issues, the rights of

pastoralists, ethnic or political conlicts, and can also

threaten protected areas.

The key question is: who has the rights to land, or to

determine what happens to it? In some countries,

the central government is the main decision making

authority over land issues, while in others this

control is delegated to local authorities, or traditional

leaders. Land policies can undermine collective land

management, as land is divided up and allocated to

individuals. Farmers are often excluded from land

planning processes: they are overruled by local

leaders or removed from their land without warning.

Also among farmers, some have more access to,

control over and rights to land than others. Minority

groups, for example, including the indigenous

population, often have less power over land. The

same is true in many societies for women, who have

less inluence when it comes to decision making and

ownership. How can (all) farmers be included in all

decision-making processes?

We will examine these issues exploring how farmers,

development organisations, researchers and policy

makers think about them and what lessons are to be

drawn from them.

We welcome articles on this topic including

pictures and suggestion of other people, experts or

organisations that can contribute for this Baobab.

Pictures must be 300KB and above and in jpeg

format.

Forward articles to the editor: [email protected] by

November 31, 2011.

LAND SYSTEMS Impact on

small scale agriculture

Fruits and nuts species with potential for Tanzania

Fruits and nuts are essential in the diets of people all over the world. This handbook presents 40 indigenous and exotic species that have

untapped potential for increased production, trade and use. Although the species selection is based on

Tanzania, the content is relevant for the whole of eastern Africa.

The books focuses on commercial production rather than subsistence. It emphasizes techniques

to produce good quality fruits and nuts that can be sold and fetch good prices. It outlines techniques for

propagating and planting, gives options for processing produce of each species and tells how to deal with pests

and diseases.

The nutritional value of the species is well covered. This book is useful for extension agents and educational

institutions. It will also be of value for planners, project leaders, local leaders, commercial enterprises for anyone

wishing to promote increased production, sale and use of fruits and nuts.

Book Reviews


The impacts of fodder trees on milk production and income among smallholder dairy farmers in East Africa and the role of research

This occasional paper series is meant to demonstrate the efects of fodder shrubs on milk production and their value at the household and regional level and the contribution of research towards strengthening the impact of fodder shrubs.

The study is a synthesis of previous studies related to dissemination, adoption and impact combined with two new analyses, one quantitatively measuring the impact of the shrubs and the other a qualitative analysis to better understand constraints on adoption and gender issues related to participation and control of beneits from fodder shrubs. Among the study indings are that fodder shrubs have been widely adopted in East Africa, by an estimated 205,000 smallholder dairy farmers by 2005.

Copies of the two publications can be obtained by contacting the communications unit

World Agroforestry CentreP.O. Box 30677 00100,Nairobi, Kenya.Tel: +254 207224000E-mail: [email protected]


From Our

Readers

Kindly visit www.alin.net and download a copy.

Editor

Dear Editor,Greetings from Matumaini. Thank you for your Interest in

our centre. With my neighbour who represents Matumaini

on the Agricultural committee in Molo, we are grateful

for receiving Baobab. At this time our special interest is in

drought resistant crops. I have lived in this area for many

years and it seems to be getting drier and drier. Most people

around here own or rent small plots of land usually under

half a hectare. Maize is the main crop grown with a small

amount of beans and potatoes. Do you please bear any

suggestions on what crop can do well in this area?

Thank you

Miss G. Scott Kellie (Founder)

Matumaini Rehabilitation Centre

p.O BOX 62-20106

MOLO

We would suggest you contact the local District Agriculture

Oicer of the area to recommend the right crops for the area.

Editor

Dear EditorI appreciate the great ideas we get from reading Baobab 62

on Trees and Farming I have liked the use of Prosopis tree

which has more beneits than I thought. In Magadi, we only

use it for animal feeding and rehabilitating saline areas. We

learned on other beneits people from Marigat are reaping

from the same resource and we recognize the need to apply

the same since we have more than enough trees and we also

need to control its spread.

Julius Kasifu

Tuko disabled coordinator, Magadi division Nguruman

maarifa centre.

Dear Editor,I have just read the June issue of the Baobab on Trees and

Farming and I found it to very interesting. I saw on the

section of themes that in the December edition you intend

to cover land issues. Depending on the angle that the issue

will take, I would wish to contribute an article. Kindly supply

me with the breakdown of this thematic area so that my

planned article can fall in line with the issue, because land is

a very wide subject area.

polycarp Otieno

part Time small scale farmer, Western Kenya

Dear Mr. Otieno

We are encouraged by your willingness to write an article

for the December issue of Baobab. Please refer to the Call for

Articles section of this issue for guidance in the areas of focus

for the articles. We will look forward to the article.

Editor

Dear Sir/Madam,I am an agricultural extension oicer tasked with

disseminating information to farmers and Farmer groups

in Loitokitok District in Kenya. I learnt about this magazine

from CTA’s Spore magazine No.153. Relevant information

on agricultural technologies, rural development, water,

agro forestry, livestock and any other extension related

information is very key to our career and would very

much be proud to associate with you in working together

to trickle down information to empower farmers. I

look forward to receiving the regular copies of Baobab

magazines. Thanks in advance.

Silas K. Kipng’etich

p.O. Box 50, 00209,

Loitokitok, Kenya

Dear Silas,

Thank for these encouraging comments and the good work

you are doing supporting farmers in Loitoktok. The easiest

way to get Baobab is through ALIN’s website www.alin.net.

We will also be happy to send you an electronic copy. You can

also obtain a free hard copy from our oices.

Editor

Dear Editor,I have seen the Baobab magazine information in the Spore

magazine of June - July No.153.

I have got an interest in it; I would like to apply for the

subscription.

Kindly send copies.

Myson S.Sobe

District Agricultural & Livestock Oice

Dear Myson

p.O. BOX 94,

MBOZI.

TANZANIA

Baobab is published by ALIN with support from ileia - The Centre for learning on sustainable agriculture. ALIN and ileia are members of AgriCultures, a

global network of organisations that share knowledge and provide information on small-scale, sustainable agriculture worldwide.

September 2011 was a sad month during which Arica and indeed the entire world lost an ardent crusader for environmental conservation as well as peace and winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize following the death of Prof. Wangari Maathai. We publish the quotes below in her memory.

“It’s really amazing. You plant a seed; it germinates and looking so fragile, and within a very short time it becomes a huge tree. It gives you shade and if it’s a fruit tree it gives you fruit… to build and transforms lives… We want to see many Africans planting trees. here is absolutely no excuse to stop desertiication because this is something that is doable and cheap.”

“he environment and the economy are really both two sides of the same coin. You cannot sustain the economy if you don’t take care of the environment because we know that the resources that we use whether it is oil, energy, land … all of these are the basis in which development happens. And development is what we say generates a good economy and puts money in our pockets. If we cannot sustain the environment, we cannot sustain ourselves.”

“It is evident that many wars are fought over resources which are now becoming increasingly scarce. If we conserved our resources better, ighting over them would not then occur…so, protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace…those of us who understand the complex concept of the environment have the burden to act. We must not tire, we must not give up. We must persist.”

Documents

Issue 063 - Regional Food Systems