Pius Sawa

Storing feed for year-round milk production

Moses Amai, a smallholder dairy farmer from Kenya, has increased his year-round milk production by storing grass and crop residues for use as feed during the dry months. Instead of burning crop residues like maize and bean stalks, he stores them in his barn, which can hold up to 100 tonnes of feed. Another farmer, Jennifer Kilach, grinds green maize stalks, Napier grass and desmodium, to make a nutritious cattle feed for the dry season. With good availability of drinking water for their cattle, both farmers are managing to cope with more frequent periods of drought associated with climate change.

published: September 2012

FAO/Riccardo Gangale

Cassava - surviving in the face of climate change

Cassava has been described as a survivor crop, capable of withstanding long periods of dry weather. In the context of climate change in Africa, this makes cassava a valuable insurance crop, a source of food and income when other crops fail. At the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), crop breeders are developing new varieties of cassava which are even more tolerant to long periods of drought. East African director for IITA, Dr Victor Manyong, explains to Wambi Michael about the importance of cassava in the context of climate change, and why new varieties of the crop are only likely to be adopted by farmers if they can find markets for their crop surpluses.

published: September 2012

Matthew Muspratt/Waste Enterprisers

Unleashing the energy in waste

At the Dompoase landfill site, a renewable energy project is processing human toilet waste into biodiesel and solid fuel pellets. The biodiesel can be used to power engines and generators, while the fuel pellets can be burned in industrial kilns and boilers, as well as solid fuel power plants for electricity generation. A second income generating project is using organic waste to make compost, a valuable resource for crop farmers. Both these projects, as well as reducing the quantity of waste and creating wealth, are also good for the environment, reducing the output of harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

published: August 2012

FAO/Steve Terrill

Bee-keeping for income and forest protection

In Katoba, to the east of the Zambian capital Lusaka, felling of trees for charcoal making provides the only available source of income for many households. To address the problem, the Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre is supporting the adoption of bee keeping as an alternative source of income. Donald Zulu explains the double benefits of bee keeping, both for income generation and environmental protection. We also hear from Japhet Seulu of Community Markets for Conservation, about a pricing system for crop production which is helping to reduce slash-and-burn agriculture, another major cause of deforestation in the area. And lead farmer, Peter Chabola, explains why he prefers keeping bees to making charcoal, as a means to raise his family.

published: August 2012

Noah Phiri/CABI

Coffee leaf rust - spreading to highland areas

Coffee leaf rust, caused by a fungus, is a damaging disease in coffee farms around the world which can reduce harvests by 40 per cent or more. Until recently, the disease was not commonly found in highland areas, as it favours a warmer climate. However, with rising temperatures as a result of global warming, coffee growers in highland areas of countries such as Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, are increasingly finding their crop attacked by the disease, with a significant impact on both the quantity and quality of their yields. In response, the research organisation CABI is working with national coffee institutions to identify varieties of coffee that are resistant to the disease, and train farmers in other methods of protecting their crops.

published: July 2012

Anthony Tabbal/GreenTech

Fuel briquettes from groundnut shells

In The Gambia, Anthony Tabbal has established a business making fuel briquettes from groundnut shells. He was inspired to do this by his concern over deforestation in the country, with many trees being felled for firewood and charcoal making. With support from the Gambian Groundnut Company he obtains the waste shells for free, which enables him to keep the price of the briquettes down, costing less than charcoal while also being much cleaner and more efficient. This also helps him reduce the costs of fuel in his restaurant kitchen; cook Fatou Kamara also explains why she prefers to use the new fuel.

published: July 2012

Neil Palmer (CIAT)

Agroforestry for climate resilience

In Sinjela, to the east of the Zambian capital Lusaka, felling of trees for charcoal making has left the land bare and farmers in the area are struggling to cope with reduced rainfall. But some, like Moses Moonga, have begun to adopt agroforestry on their farms, planting a variety of trees and shrubs that offer multiple benefits, both to the farmers and to the environment. Moses explains to Friday Phiri about the trees he has planted and the benefits they give, while extension officer Austin Chilala from the Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre, explains how agroforestry trees can improve soil fertility and provide an extra source of food, as well as poles for building.

published: June 2012

Trees for the Future

Deforestation - causes and effects

Forest areas, or farmland with large numbers of trees, offer many benefits to people and the environment. At a global level, trees remove carbon dioxide from the air, helping to control the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and prevent global warming. And at a local level, forest areas trap cool, moist air near to the ground, thereby reducing temperatures and protecting people, crops and animals from excessive heat. But despite these and other benefits, in Kenya, uncontrolled felling of trees continues, including from protected areas. In response, the Kenyan government aims to achieve 30 per cent tree cover by 2030 through support for tree planting.

published: June 2012

FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Climate change brings cultural change

Maasai farmers in Kajiado County to the south of Nairobi, reflect on the changes that have happened to their livelihoods in recent years. In the past they were almost entirely dependent on livestock. Now, while keeping cattle continues to be an important part of their culture, they are also supplementing their food and income by growing crops. They have invested in a range of technologies, including drip irrigation and greenhouses, in order to get maximum yield from small amounts of land. Audrey Wabwire speaks to four farmers and a local extension officer to hear how and why their lives have changed.

published: June 2012

USAID UGP Ethiopia

Shifting from livestock to crops

In Kenya’s semi-arid Isinya district, a number of livestock farmers have shifted to irrigated crop production in order to supplement their food and income. With boreholes to tap into groundwater reserves, the farmers are using drip irrigation to grow a range of high value vegetable crops, including tomatoes, potatoes and spinach. Emmanuel Okella meets farmers to find out how successful this change has been, and also speaks to Noah Lusaka of the Arid Lands Information Network, an organisation that provides practical information to help people cope with the increasingly challenging climate.

published: June 2012