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ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE in Ethiopia<br />Sue Edwards, DerejeGebre Michael, Hailu Araya and ArefayneAsmelash<br />Institute for Sustainable Development, Ethiopiahailuara@yahoo.com<br />

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<ul><li>Area about 1.12 million square Km

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A rugged and mountainous country

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High population about 80 million.

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It is the water tower’ of eastern Africa - providing over 85% of the waters of the Nile and some to Kenya (Omo) and Somalia (Juba)

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A country of smallholder farmers</li></li></ul><li>The challenge of over-grazing and gullies in Tigray<br />

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The key components of the Tigray Project<br /><ul><li>Promote and strengthen existing local bylaws - government accepted restoration of control and use by local communities

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Biological and physical Soil & Water conservation including planting multipurpose trees e.g., Sesbaniasesban

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Women support based on environmental sustainability

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Promoting Innovator farmers bringing local solutions

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Connecting the new generation to the Sustainable Dev. Program and their elders

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Promoting controlled grazing especially access to vulnerable land

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Restoring soil fertility through low external inputs mainly compost, and helping farmers avoid debt paid for chemical fertilizer</li></li></ul><li>Why Tigray (sustainable development) project?<br />High attention was given to mineral fertilizer and High Yield Varieties<br />The prices of mineral fertilizer is/was beyond the purchasing power of smallholder farmers<br />High cost of production<br />Low market price of agricultural production<br />High pressure on smallholder farmers<br />

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Ecological agriculture<br /><ul><li>It is ‘in tune’ with the local ecology

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It builds on and enhances the traditional knowledge, practices and innovations of the farming communities

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It uses low external inputs, which are readily available and affordable by the farmers

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Ecological practices have spread throughout the country</li></li></ul><li>Soil fertility improvement<br />The project come up with a low external input i.e. compost – farmers to choose<br />It reduces expenditure and stress<br />Yield of grain and straw is equal or more than the production of mineral fertilizer<br />This transformed farmers from high external input into low external input agriculture<br />B/c local authorities were convinced that farmers can produce enough with compost<br />Its residual effect serve longer especially after continuous use of compost for 2-3 years<br />Improves soil moisture especially the duration of rain is shortened <br />

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Farmers’ practice - Results from over 900 samples from farmers fields over 7 years<br />

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The net income of the three crops (ETB/ha)<br />

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Plant protection<br />The introduction of HYV was supported with pesticides<br />Pesticides – retard plant growth e.g. 2.4.D delayed teff 10-15 days compared with no application <br />Kills and then reduce the size of bee colony<br />Reduce the production of honey<br />Then transforming from pesticides into traditional plant protection – <br />- reducing use of pesticides. <br />- Communities are banning use of pesticides<br />

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Natural resource conservation<br />Physical and biological soil and water conservation improved watersheds<br />Gullies reclaimed <br />Catchments are occupied by beekeeping<br />Landless and unemployed youth are organized in bee keeping development<br />Plant cover is improved<br />Beekeeping development generate higher incomes, <br />Springs re-appeared – micro-irrigation started<br />

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AdiNefas- All components being used<br />Pond<br />Rehabilitated gully<br />Sesbaniatrees and long grasses<br />Composted fields of tef, wheat and barley<br />

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Agricultural diversification<br />Number of crops grown per family or farm increased<br />Agriculture created complementarities<br />Increase intensive way of production like inter-cropping, double-cropping, <br />Production and income per unit area increased<br />

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Reconnecting the new generation into local practices<br />Students are increasing their awareness through their environmental clubs<br />Students implement environmental conservation at school compounds and family lands<br />They respect and participate in their family activities<br />

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Promoting innovator farmers<br />Innovator farmers start a technology from local problems and local resources<br />Local innovations are cheap and easy to understand<br />Open for other members<br />

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Bee forage<br />

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Water-lifting innovations<br />

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Easy to be copied<br />

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Energy and labour saving<br />

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Water use efficiency<br />

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Harmonizing the extension approach<br />Connecting the gap between farmers and extension workers<br />Improve dialogue<br />Experience sharing events<br />Train farmers as Training of Trainers (TOT) to train other farmers - <br />Develop trust between farmers and extension workers<br />

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Introducing a system of crop intensification (SCI)<br /><ul><li>Based on System of Rice Intensification developed in Madagascar 25 years ago

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In Ethiopiafinger millet – average 4 – 6 t/ha compared to about 2 t/ha normal practice. In 2003, an old woman got 7.8 t/ha.

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Tried in 2009 with tef at a research station, and wheat, finger millet, sorghum, maize and lentil with farmers

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2010 – preparations in 3 research stations and 10 districts with farmers</li></li></ul><li>Cont.<br />SCI helps:<br />Compensates the delay of the on-set of rain – putting as seedling at the beginning<br />Easy to the efficient use of compost<br />Easy to weed and harvest<br />Help crops to increase tiller per plant and then production (grain and straw)<br />

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Summary<br /><ul><li>Compost managed the challenge of difficult weeds in a win-win approach e.g. using Parthenium as compost

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Avoidance of debt and delays in getting chemical fertilizer

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Aquifers recharged – springs reappeared

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Family income increased very much

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Double cropping, i.e. 2 crops per year with access to harvested water

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Farmers diversify production and introduce perennial crops

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Families better fed and clothed and children able to attend school

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Local by-laws are respected – to control and use their resources under their own choices</li></li></ul><li>The way-forward<br />Support farmers in promoting their own skills and practices than pushing them to be recipient<br />Farmers’ CC adaptation works well – needs to be promoted<br />Environmental conservation and making and using of compost has been incorporated as part of the standard extension package<br />Climate Change negotiations should be the start of support for “the Tigray Project” to be adapted / adopted in Sub-Saharan Africa and other countries around the world<br />

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Agroforestry as local practice<br />

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A farmer of the future<br />