Global South-South Expo A presentation from solution forum 3 organized by FAO. As the world searches for solutions to global development challenges, especially aimed at achieving sustainable development, food security and poverty eradication, the promotion of the “Green Economy,” has become increasingly important. A Green Economy requires effective mechanisms that will safeguard ecological systems, reduce the impact on the use of natural resources, and stabilize the economy and secure people’s livelihoods. This is why the session forum facilitated by FAO will showcase a variety of initiatives based on agro-ecological approaches to agriculture, forestry and fisheries management that address several facets of the needs of society. South-South and triangular cooperation have the potential to trigger, accelerate and facilitate the process of technology development, transfer, and the capacity-building necessary for their expansion and up-scaling.

1. CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE:
TRIANGULAR COOPERATION
IN EAST AFRICA
Mr. Saidi Mkomwa, Executive Secretary of African Conservation Tillage
Network (ACT)

2. OUTLINE




Background and Objectives
Why Conservation Agriculture in Africa
Introduction of CA technologies to EA
Linkage to Brazilian private sector
suppliers
 Main outputs
 Main outcomes

3. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
 3 year project, German funded-project
(USD 2.5 million)
 10 project sites in Kenya and Tanzania
 Objectives:
 Expanded adoption of profitable
conservation agriculture (CA) practices
 Enhanced supply/availability of CA tools
and equipment to farmers
 Stregthen knowledge sharing and foster
government support for up-scaling CA in
East Africa

4. WHY CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE
IN AFRICA?







The number of undernourished people in SSA
Africa swelled from 170 million in 1991 to 236
million in 2007 (FAO STAT).
To improve crop yields – if we are to cope with
the rising population growth
Adaptation (& mitigation) to climate change
To reduce production costs albeit the rising inputs
(seeds, fertilisers, water, etc) prices
To overcome shortages of labour & farm power
Smallholder farmers and Africa are net importers
of food
The need to stop environmental degradation
arising from poor farming and tillage practices

5. INTRODUCTION OF CA TECHNOLOGIES
 Farmer Field Schools (FFS)
 Innovator farmers
 Other interventions



Participatory M&E
Farmer exchange visits/field
days
Support to local manufacturers
for the testing and
development of CA equipment

6. LINKAGE TO BRAZILIAN PRIVATE SECTOR
SUPPLIERS
BRAZIL
EAST AFRICA
 Innovators of small equipment
and machinery developed for
CA
 Conservation Agriculture:
 Reduces soil erosion and
runoff
 Improves productivity,
labour and energy efficiency
 Increases incomes
 In need of CA equipment
 Need to transform farming to
feed burgeoning populations,
and resilience to climate
change
 No expertise and capacity to
design and manufacture CA
equipment

7. MAIN OUTPUTS
 227 Farmer Field Schools established and
practicing CA
 7,000 farmers directly involved with 35,000
beneficiaries
 80 private animal-drawn and tractor hire
service providers trained on CA
 16 East African equipment manufacturers,
dealers, researchers and officials went on
study and business tour to Brazil in 2008
 Six technicians went for a longer term, one
month, on-the-job training to Brazil in 2010

8. MAIN OUTCOMES
• Demand for ox-drawn rippers, sub-soilers and
shallow weeders, in East Africa satisfied by
local artisan production
• Eight local manufactures/artisans empowered
by the project produced 8000 units of a range
of CA implements by 2011
• Equipment supply chains continue to be
strengthened through ACT establishment as a
Pan-African Network
• Farmers in Tanzania and Kenya continue to
practice CA, mobilizing greater productivity
benefits, and support from the Government

9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• ACT acknowledges the financial support
of the German Trust Fund - Government
of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations for introducing
Conservation Agriculture to East Africa
• National Governments of Kenya and
Tanzania for hosting and in-kind support
to the CA SARD project.