1) The document describes land degradation issues in several regions and initiatives to address them. 2) In Northwest Zimbabwe, overgrazing has led to soil erosion, inability to hold water, and increased drought and flooding. The African Centre for Holistic Management mimics grazing patterns to reverse degradation. 3) In Eastern Cape, South Africa, lowered water tables caused soil loss and food insecurity. The Living Lands initiative restored land through tree planting, river restoration, and sustainable practices.

1. 2014 FINALIST SNAPSHOTS

2. land degradation

3. Northwest Zimbabwe:
Desertification:
• soil eroded
• unable to hold water
• droughts and floods erode soil even more
•Overgrazing has been THE ”Explanation”

4. AFRICAN
CENTRE FOR
HOLISTIC
MANAGEMENT
mimics the
behaviour of
grazing animals
and predators
that once created
savannahs

6. HERDS IN SMALL SPACE FOR SHORT TIME
Hooves
• break up hard ground
• air and water penetrate
• trample down old grass
Dung and urine
• fertilise
Grazing
• keeps perennial grasses healthy

7. Before and after

8. Sometimes yeilds increase 5-fold

9. Livestock can reverse land
degradation and improve
lives in Africa on the massive
scale needed

10. poverty
Food shortages

11. USA, Milwauke:
• 65% children in poverty
• 82% schoolchildren lunch subsidy
• Overweight
• Food desert

12. GROWING POWER
• Transform useless properties to highly
productive community food centers.
• Integrate multi-level greenhouses,
vermiculture, composting, aquaponics, bee-
keeping, livestock

14. PRODUCES AND DISTRIBUTES TO food insecure
neighborhoods
• Baskets
• Farm stands
• Sustainable Farmers cooperatives
• Serving snacks to 40,000 Milwaukee Public School students
• health clinics and hospitals
EDUCATES THROUGH DEMONSTRATION
• Composts waste
• Generates electricity from sun
• Recycles heat energy
• Raise fish chemical free
RUNS
• Youth programs, training and outreach

16. Food insecurity in urban
areas can be reversed, when
community organises and
combines available solutions
like aquaponics for protein.

17. land degradation

19. Eastern Cape of South Africa the
Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve
• Erosion flow diversion and
drainage from the 80’s lowered
the water table
• Soil unproductive
• Food insecurity
EROSION

20. Eastern Cape of South Africa the
Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve
• Lowered the water table
• Soil lost, unproductive
• Food insecurity

21. LIVING LANDS
Brought together landowners,
researchers, squatters, experts to
learn together and start pilots

22. • Spekboom planting
• 1 000 ha of land has
been reforested
• Restored 5 river and
alluvial fan sites

23. Community glimpses the future:
• Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES)
• Carbon credits
• Eco-tourism
• Restoration
• Sustainable food production.

24. Creating a holistic and
collective understanding of
the area as a living landscape
opens up a sustainable future

25. Food shortages

26. Kenya:
Hunger and poverty is
multidimensional:
• lack of education
• famine and food insecurity
• poor health care
• no clean water
• living in miserable conditions

27. SEANET is working with
education:
• E-learning internet training
• school gardens that feed students
• demonstration plots for whole
community stimulate entrepreneurship

29. To date, via the 11 schools participating,
thousands of pupils, parents and local
people have been involved. The gardens
have shown improved productivity which is
helping from the ground up. Students
nutrition is improved, as well as the spread
of knowledge to the local neighborhoods.

30. Schools can play a key role
in supporting the community
to transition to a sustainable,
food secure future

31. Food shortages

32. INDIA: Tamil Nadu and Odisha
Climate change, poor soil, high
immigration, were all contributing to
low productivity and poverty.

33. The M.S Swanminathan Research
Foundation (MSSRF)
• Brings people together with scientists in various
water user groups/associations, paddy and pulse
farmers groups, women’s self-help groups, and well
water users
• Teaches holistic farming, community based equity
approaches and helps with enterprise development

35. Some 5000 people have been involved in the
project sites
• increased land productivity
• improved water harvesting structures,
• increase in local enterprise.

36. Science-based initiatives
combined with a people-centred
and process-oriented approach
can restore productivity and
enterprise