Presentation by Geoffrey Onyango from Session 1, learning event number 2, room A. Agriculture and Rural Development Day (2011). Care International Western Kenya SACC Project.

1. CARE
Interna,onal
western
Kenya
SACC
Project

2. AgLife
• Started
3
years
ago
and
involved
2250
farmers
• Planted
337,241
trees
• Interven,ons
used
1. Conserva,on
agriculture
(crop
rota,on,
Mulching
and
erosion
control
through
the
use
of
grass
strips)
–
60%
2. Agroforestry
(Casuarina
equise,folia
,
G.
robusta,
M.
lutea)
–
100%
3. Marke,ng
of
crop
produce
–
30%
• Nothing
to
do
with
mi,ga,on
and
carbon
finance

3. Benefit
accruing
to
farmers
from
AgLife
project
• Most
significant
benefits
– Save
$7-­‐14/month
for
firewood
aZer
3
years
(mainly
women)
– Free
tree
seedlings
and
knowledge
on
nursery
management
(G.
robusta,
T.
brownie,
Casuarina
spp.,
M.
lutea)
– Experimental
samples
of
high
quality
seeds
of
crops
and
trees
• Other
benefits
– Extension
services
– Linking
producers
to
markets
– Farming
diverfica,on
(dairy
farming
and
crop
produc,on)
– Aesthe,c
values,
shade
and
wind
break
benefits
• An,cipated
benefits
– Boosted
soil
fer,lity
and
food
produc,on
– Other
tree
products:
poles,
,mber
(women
as
well
as
men)

4. Barriers
to
adop,on
of
agroforestry
and
conserva,on
agriculture
in
western
Kenya
• Availability
and
affordability
of
quality
seedlings
and
seed
• Knowledge
of
silvicultural
and
agronomic
prac,ces
(e.g.
plan,ng
prac,ces
and
,ming)
• Fear
that
trees
will
reduce
crop
produc,on
• Labour
shortages
–
no
cash
to
hire
labour
• Drought
–
dry
period
are
longer
• Floods-­‐
during
the
long
rains
(March-­‐May).

5. Cultural
barriers
• Taboos
(owls,
some
trees
causing
death)
• Trees
tradi,onally
owned
by
men
(not
women
and
youth)
• Free
grazing
by
livestock
Previous
personal
experience
has
been
discouraging
need
to
“see”
tree
growing
and
benefits
in
person

6. Incen,ves
and
other
enabling
ac,ons
needed
to
address
these
barriers
• Extension
services
to
provide
informa,on
on:
– benefits
of
trees,
and
avoiding
problems
(allaying
fears)
– tree
plan,ng/management
(e.g.
weather
forecasts,
silvicultural
&
agronomical
prac,ces,
quality
seed/seedling
technology,
etc)
• Training
on
water
harves,ng
• Facilita,ng
community
ac,on
to
control
free
grazing
(e.g.
byelaws
and
enforcement)
• Facilita,ng
farmers’
financial
management
and
access
to
seeds,
other
inputs,
markets
• Establishing/strengthening
inclusive
community
governance
structures
for:
– Farmer
to
farmer
learning
– Community
empowerment
– Project
ownership

7. Extent
to
which
there
is
a
need/jus3fica3on
for
cash
payments
to
farmers
• Incen,ves
and
enabling
ac,ons
do
not
necessarily
need
to
include
cash
payments
BUT
• Some
cash
payments
may
be
jus,fied:
– to
give
a
token
to
individuals
involved
in
rela,on
to
input.
– Par,cipants
need
to
feel
recognized
for
providing
a
service
with
benefits
at
na,onal/global
levels