Presented by Bruno Gerard at the SLP Mind the Gaps’ Meeting, Naivasha, Kenya, 27-29 April 2011.

1. Crop residue tradeoffs in crop-livestock systems
“Improving livelihood and environmental benefits
from crop residues in smallholder crop-livestock
systems in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia:
regional case studies”.
Bruno Gerard
CGIAR Systemwide Livestock Programme
‘Mind the Gaps’ Meeting
Naivasha, Kenya
27-29 April 2011

2. Background
Smallholders in mixed crop-livestock: very large fraction
of farming enterprises in developing countries, crop
residues (CR) being a strategic production component
(multiple use).
Mixed crop-livestock systems are very dynamic,
responsive to external drivers such as demographic
pressure, development of urban markets and increased
demand for crop and livestock products, climate
variability and change.
In addition, the recent interest for bio-fuel production
exacerbates further the pressure on biomass in
production systems.

3. Background (cont)
The major tradeoff in most systems is the short term
benefits of using crop residues to feed livestock versus
leaving the crop residues in the field to improve soil
productivity (nutrient balance, erosion control, and soil
health).
The study focuses on the decision making processes at
the farm/household level and attempt to capture the
diversity/contrasts and recent changes in CR uses at
various scales in order to better target technical,
institutional and policy options to improve livelihood
without compromising long term system sustainability.

4. Ranking by LPG of Proposed Research Topics for SLP 2008 Funding
Ranking summary
Commissio
TOPIC Total Competitiv
ned (No.
weight/ e (No. of
of
Grade persons)
persons)
1.1Optimizing livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in
smallholder crop-livestock systems in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: 71 6 4
regional case studies and their strategic lessons
2.1Targeting interventions to benefit vulnerable groups in intensifying
smallholder crop-livestock systems 62 4 5
2.2Alleviating poverty in intensifying smallholder crop-livestock systems:
methods for setting R&D priorities 48 1 8
3.2Enhancing soil nutrient and water management for the sustainable
intensification and diversification of smallholder crop-livestock systems in 46 5 1
extensive areas
4.1Assessing energy options from renewable sources for poor households in
crop-livestock systems 41 8 1
5.1Overcoming barriers to market access for smallholder crop-livestock systems
in extensive areas 38 6 2
3.1Institutional options for improving soil health in smallholder crop-livestock
systems 25 5 2

5. Research Questions
What determines the decisions about crop residue use (current crop
management, agro-ecology, markets/institutions, resource endowments,
dynamics,…)?
What is the impact of those decisions on livelihoods and sustainability?
What are the technological, institutional and policy options that would
enhance livelihood and environmental benefits?

9. Research Approach
Combination of village and household surveys and modelling (tradeoff, productivity)
(4 regions, 9 countries, 11 village clusters)
Households surveyed in the four regions using stratified sampling, based on
intensification level and market access.
Village group survey to capture:
i. Drivers and market access;
ii. Communal feed resources;
iii. Systems evolution in term of feeding strategies and
soil productivity.
Household survey to capture:
i. Decision making for the allocation of crop residues;
ii. Identification of soil fertility management practices
and feeding strategies;
iii. Retrospective questions to understand farm
evolution/trajectories.
Collection (primary and secondary data) of key bio-physical parameters (minimum
data set) to address sustainability issues.
Contrast and trend analysis at household, village, system scales and identification of
potential solutions under a range of scenarios.

10. From Dec 2009 meeting
- progress on village level surveys and finalization of the household survey
instruments
- Workplan (conducting household survey, collecting secondary data,…)
- Systems evolution/trajectories and scenario
- Expertise on SA/Modelling missing (videoconference only)
-> Need to conduct a workshop to bring together regions and system analysts
(expertise from inside and outside the project)
- Review approaches (combination socio-economic characterization and modelling)
- Confirm we have the right tools to answer the project questions
- Identify methodological, scale and data gaps and how to fill those gaps
- Refine indicators
- Develop collective workplan for analysis
- Link this work with other on-going and future research (ie SLF, CRPs, new projects)
- Follow-up project (Solution)
-Publications….

11. This project (2010-2011)
What determines the decisions about crop residue use (current crop management, agro-
ecology, markets/institutions, resource endowments, dynamics,…)?
What is the impact of those decisions on livelihoods and sustainability?
Follow-up project (2012)
What are the technological, institutional and policy options that would enhance
livelihood and environmental benefits?