Addressing the global challenges of climate change (CC), food security and poverty alleviation requires enhancing the adaptive capacity and mitigation potential of land use systems. To this end, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) aims to identify land use practices that sustainably increase productivity, enhance climate change (CC) adaptation and contribute to CC mitigation. A transition towards CSA requires technical, but also socio-institutional changes, for improved smallholder agricultural systems. Such changes may be triggered by stakeholder participation processes that stimulate social learning and collective action. This article evaluates whether a role-playing game (RPG) is an effective participatory tool to encourage social learning and collective action among local stakeholders towards adoption of CSA strategies. We designed and implemented an RPG with three groups of farmers in Apuí (Southern Amazonas), evaluating the game’s impact on social learning by interviewing each farmer before and after the RPG. Our findings show that the RPG induced not only technical learning, but also socio-institutional learning and engagement for collective action, though outcomes varied between different RPG sessions and among farmer participants.
Tag: agriculture
Local incentive-based policy for Vegetable-Agroforestry. A locally-appropriate adaptation and mitigation action (LAAMA) to climate change
As global attention turns to international negotiations to deal with climate change, an equally important task is turning to local communities whose decisions on the land impacts the environment. Scientists at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) are working to understand the linkages and interaction between LAAMA and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), and between NAMA and Globally Appropriate Mitigation Action (GAMA), and in developing strategies to resolve scientifi c, institutional and economic challenges surrounding carbon mitigation at different levels. Articulation on these linkages includes recognition of efforts of international institutions in designing multi-national incentive system for carbon mitigation, with individual countries developing institutional frameworks required at the national level, and analyzes and development of various reward mechanisms at the implementation level. We argued that NAMA, as part of international agreements (GAMA), should be based on locally-accepted, endorsed, and supported actions on the ground (LAAMA).
Action research with local forest users and managers: global lessons from CIFOR’s research on Adaptive Collaborative Management
Carrying out action research with forest dependent communities calls for special attention to their tenure arrangement, power relations, heterogeneity and the governance arrangements of the forests they use or manage. This is what over four years of CIFOR s research on adaptive collaborative management (ACM) of forests in eleven countries reveals. Using examples from three of those countries we show how important it is to address passiveness, power relations and social and institutional capitals during a process of action research, and participatory action research, aimed at improving livelihoods, equity and forest systems. The ACM research also shows that processes of change tend to be slow, and four years is barely enough to bring about observable changes. The most sensitive livelihood capitals to the action research, possibly because they were primary foci of the research, were human and social capitals. The ACM research shows the importance of shared or social learning as a driver of change in the action research. We conclude that using action research with forest dependent people, groups and organizations is a viable approach to generating both change and understanding about the people and the forest systems.
Bamboo for enhancing rural economy- a case study
Useful trees and shrubs in Eritrea: identification, propagation and management for agricultural and pastoral communities
Eritrea is located in the north-eastern part of Africa, covering a land area of 124,432 km2. Altitudes range from 60 metres below sea level to 3,180 m above sea level. Some areas at higher altitudes are shrouded in mist for extended periods and this enables moisture-demanding species to grow there. Temperatures are low and the vegetation is lush, whereas lowland areas are generally hot and arid. Along the coast, the climate is hot and the vegetation is influenced by the salinity of the soils and water. The depression in the Bada area is well below sea level, very hot and the soils are saline. This wide range of ecological conditions provides the environment for many species of plants and animals, and Eritrea has a wide diversity of trees. Traditions among the people of Eritrea vary significantly from one part of the country to another. There are a number of ethnic groups with their own languages. Land-use practices also differ a great deal, not only because of different ecological conditions but also because of socio-cultural differences. In the past, there was little literature or recorded information available on the indigenous or exotic trees and shrubs of Eritrea. In fact, there are almost no books dealing with tree growing or other forms of land use specifically related to Eritrea. Now that the era of mismanagement and the liberation war have come to an end, painstaking afforestation activities are going on. Thus it was felt that a comprehensive handbook would be useful for a large number of people such as extensionists, teachers, students and land-use managers of various kinds. The Ministry of Agriculture therefore requested support from the Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU) to produce this manual. The book is based on material collected during field trips made to all parts of the country during which local people were consulted. The information gathered in this way was complemented by the authors’ knowledge and information from the reference sources used.
Segregate or integrate nature and agriculture for biodiversity conservation? Criteria for agroforests
Human use of biotic resources (‘agriculture’ in its widest sense) and biodiversity (‘nature’ in its widest sense) are both needed by society at large, but there are generally conflicts between these two aspects of ‘land use’. conflicts between ‘nature’ and ‘agriculture’ can be solved by segregating nature and agricultural land (maximizing agricultural production on relatively small part of the land for nature as it is possible ) or by integrating nature into agricultural land through the adaption of production system that allow sufficient agricultural production while ensuring conservation of considerable parts of biodiversity of the natural system. Multi functional forests and agroforests are examples of the ‘integrate’ option, intensive agriculture plus nature reserves are an example of the segregate pathway.Mixed strategies are feasible where nature reserves coexist with pure agricultural production systems for some commodities and where production system integrate nature and agriculture for the commodities. All three options have strong advocates, and it is not clear which solution is optimum under which conditions.Objective criteria are needed for distinguishing which solution may best meet the multiple goals formulated under different circumstances.A simple model is used to derive a decision scheme. It distinguishes ‘internal’ biodiversity of land use system and ‘external’ biodiversity, by requiring only a part of the area for agriculture. If two production systems are compared, biodiversity conservation will be maximized if the system is chosen with the highest agricultural productivity per unit biodiversity loss. If agricultural intensification is treated as a continuous process, a similar criterion can be used to distinguish between situations where ‘segregation’ or ‘integrate’ forms the best solution. Further research is needed to check the assumptions behind the proposed equations, to quantify the scaling function of biodiversity in order to assess the effectiveness of both ‘ internal’ and ‘external’ biodiversity conservation, and to determine the feasibility of implementation of opinions in the ‘real world’.
Limits to environmental planning in a world of structural adjustment: the case of Burkina Faso
A national environmental action plan; known in French as “Ie.Plan d’Action National pour “Environment”. (PANE); was published in a final version by the Ministry of the Environment (and tourism) in Burkina Faso in 1994. This 200 page document was the culmination of a five year consultation process which aimed to identify the main environmental problems facing the ten million people of this “least developed country” in the West African Sahel and come up with solutions in the form of “implementation strategies.” Similar documents have been drafted in numerous other African countries as part of an effort: “to provide a framework for intergrating environmental concerns into a county’s economic and social development, and to embed that framework in the fabric of the government and peoples so that it is their process” (Falloux & Talbot, 1993: 19).
Integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture and forestry: opportunities and trade-offs
Although many activities can jointly contribute to the climate change strategies of adaptation and mitigation, climate policies have generally treated these strategies separately. In recent years, there has been a growing interest shown by practitioners in agriculture, forestry, and landscape management in the links between the two strategies. This review explores the opportunities and trade-offs when managing landscapes for both climate change mitigation and adaptation; different conceptualizations of the links between adaptation and mitigation are highlighted. Under a first conceptualization of ‘joint outcomes,’ several reviewed studies analyze how activities without climatic objectives deliver joint adaptation and mitigation outcomes. In a second conceptualization of ‘unintended side effects,’ the focus is on how activities aimed at only one climate objective -either adaptation or mitigation- can deliver outcomes for the other objective. A third conceptualization of ‘joint objectives’ highlights that associating both adaptation and mitigation objectives in a climate-related activity can influence its outcomes because of multiple possible interactions. The review reveals a diversity of reasons for mainstreaming adaptation and mitigation separately or jointly in landscape management. The three broad conceptualizations of the links between adaptation and mitigation suggest different implications for climate policy mainstreaming and integration.
Cattle, broadleaf forests and the agricultural modernization law of Honduras: the case of Olancho
The broadleaf forests of Honduras are among the most extensive in Central America and have been subject to rapid deforestation. Among the important factors in the process of deforestation has been the growth of cattle farming. Structural adjustment policies enacted in 1992 have been directed at overcoming grave economic problems. The authors of the adjustment plans have assumed the same policies will help protect the natural resource base of the country, including its forests. Field research conducted in August – November 1994 sought to understand the effect of the 1992 Agricultural Modernization Law (AML) on the cattle sector and on the management of broadleaf forests in eastern Honduras. The research found that the cattle sector may have benefited from reforms introduced through the new policies (this remains to be proven), while state capabilities in forest conservation and management have clearly declined. The recommendations of this report are to: (1) strengthen the capacity of the state to enforce existing laws aimed at protecting broadleaf forests; (2) revise and amend the provisions of the AML to include provisions aimed specifically at the protection of broadleaf forests; (3) strengthen efforts to harmonise policies among various eco-nomic sectors; (4) conduct a national cadastral survey and implement national land-use planning; and (5) strengthen official support and the policy environment for community-based forest management. There are three further research questions in need of attention: (1) Would intensification of the cattle sector assist efforts to reduce deforestation?; (2) Is halting of road construction in the vicinity of forests a promising way of lowering rates of deforestation?; (3) To what extent is broadleaf deforestation alleviated through attention to the cattle sector alone?
National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation in Ethiopia, 2026 to 2040
Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood and employment in Ethiopia, as well as the country’s main generator of foreign currency. Smallholder farmers, pastoralists and agro-pastoralists are responsible for approximately 95 percent of the nation’s agricultural output. However, the sector faces numerous challenges, including climate change, limited access to modern technology, pests and disease outbreaks, soil degradation, land fragmentation, post-harvest loss, and inadequate institutional services and infrastructure.
Cognizant of Ethiopia’s dependence on agriculture and its vulnerability to food insecurity and climate-related risks, agroecology has emerged as a promising pathway to transform the country’s food system. It leverages ecological principles and local knowledge to promote sustainable farming, making it particularly relevant in contexts with diverse ecosystems and socioeconomic challenges. It has a multitude of benefits, including enhancing soil health and fertility, increasing biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, improving food security and nutrition, empowering smallholders and preserving traditional knowledge, minimizing reliance on external inputs, and improving rural livelihoods. Recognizing the potential of agroecology in transforming food systems, there is a growing interest among the government, NGOs and other development partners in Ethiopia. Despite its potential, the widespread adoption of agroecological practices was hindered by barriers such as limited political support, insufficient investment, low technological capacity, lack of community engagement, environmental pressures and gaps in legal and policy frameworks.