This document summarizes a presentation on farming systems analysis in Ghana and Mali. It discusses entry points for sustainable intensification like reducing yield gaps in crops and livestock. It emphasizes the need for integrated, context-specific analysis done through on-farm testing and engagement with local communities. Methodologies discussed include creating structural and functional typologies of farms through surveys and rapid characterization. Case studies from Ghana and Mali analyze differences in farm resources, production orientation, and income sources to group farms into types. Systems modeling and trade-off analysis are used to explore alternatives to current farm configurations.

1. Farming systems analysis—Ghana and Mali
Jeroen Groot (Wageningen University)
Africa RISING West Africa Review and Planning Meeting,
Bamako, Mali, 3-4 February 2014

2. Introduction
 Entry points for sustainable intensification:
• Farm components: crop and animal yield gaps
• Farm yield gaps: configurations of components and inputs
• Interactions with social-ecological and economic environment:
networks, markets, resources
 Integrated farming systems analysis needed:
• Context-specific
• On-farm testing
• Embedded in communities

3. Introduction
 Relations with farmer- and community-oriented, on-farm
and on-station research:
• Basket of technologies: local research on crops, animals, etc.
• Quantification of input-output relations
• Engage in an inform stakeholder / community discussions

4. Methodology
Structural
typology
Survey
Extrapolation
Potential
impact
Functional
typology
Rapid
characteriz.
Systems
(re)design
Farm
innovations
Farm
diagnoses
Detailed
description
Exploration
innovations
Tradeoff
analysis

5. Where?
 Ghana
• Northern, Upper West and Upper East
 Mali
• Bougouni and Koutiala with ICRISAT
 Malawi
• Dedza and Ntcheu with MSU
 Tanzania
• Babati and Kongwa & Kiketo

6. Mali typology
 Villages in Koutiala and Bougouni districts
 Three different groupings in total
 Farmer types grouped on basis of:
• Livestock numbers: tropical livestock units, TLU
• (Active) farm family members
• Farm area, and fallow area for Bougouni

7. Mali typology (example Koutiala)
Type 1:
Large, high TLU
yes
TLU
>21
Type 2:
Large, avg. TLU
yes
no
Actives
>9
no
Land
>5.8
Tools
>2
TLU
>2.2
yes
Type 3:
Medium sized
no
Type 4:
Small sized farms
Falconnier 2013

8. Ghana typology
 3 regions (North, Upper West, Upper East)
 25 intervention communities
 80 HHs surveyed per region, grouping per region
 Farmer types grouped on the basis of:
• Resource endowment (land, livestock, assets)
• Production orientation (subsistence, consumption, market)
• Source of income (on-farm vs. off-farm)

9. Ghana typology
Wealth
indicators
Resource
endowment
Production
orientation
Source of
income
Type 1
LRE
Arable land
Livestock
HH size
Assets
MRE
HRE
Subsistence
On-farm only
Type 2
Consumption
> market
On-farm
> off-farm
Consumption
= market
On-farm
= off-farm
Type 4
Consumption
< market
On-farm
< off-farm
Type 5
Type 3

10. Mali
Ghana
Farm area
Koutiala
Boug 1
Boug 2
North
Upper West
Upper East
Koutiala
Boug 1
Boug 2
North
Upper West
Upper East
Livestock (TLU)
Persons/area
Koutiala
Boug 1
Boug 2
North
Upper West
Upper East

11. Income sources Ghana

12. Food insecurity Ghana

13. Example farm in model (Ghana)

15. Exploration of system alternatives
Green = reconfiguration of the original farm components
Orange = after adding Maize + Soybean and Maize + Cowpea

16. Entry points at system level

17. Entry points at system level

18. Sustainable development
Source: www.thenaturalstep.org

19. Discussion
 Continue and underpin the evaluation of entry points
 Compare findings between countries, incl. Tanzania and
Malawi
 Strengthen relations with farmer- and community-oriented,
on-farm and station research
 Plans for continuation of systems analysis with two PhD
students

20. Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
Thank you for your attention
africa-rising.net
jeroen.groot@wur.nl
The presentation has a Creative Commons licence. You are free to re-use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI.

21. Sustainable development
Source: www.thenaturalstep.org

24. 100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
Category 4

25. Acknowledge partners here:
project partners WA

26. Acknowledge partners here:
Project partners ESA

27. Acknowledge partners here:
Project partners Ethiopia

28. Thank You
Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
africa-rising.net
The presentation has a Creative Commons licence. You are free to re-use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI.