Another Kind of Green Revolution in Drylands

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Presentation by Chris Reij (Senior Fellow, WRI) at the May 15, 2013 event "Natural Resource Management and Food Security for a Growing Population". For more information visit: http://www.wri.org/event/2013/05/natural-resource-management-and-food-security-growing-population

Education Technology

Chris Reij
ESTABLISHED 1982
ANOTHER KIND OF GREEN REVOLUTION IN
DRYLANDS

THE CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURAL
MODERNISATION PARADIGM IN
ACTION: NOT SUSTAINABLE, NO
RESILIENCE,NO EQUITY
AGROFORESTRY IS THE PILLAR OF AGRICULTURE
IN DRYLANDS AND SUBHUMID REGIONS

RE-GREENING = INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
ON-FARM TREES PRODUCES MULTIPLE IMPACTS
☺ SOIL ORGANIC MATTER/SOIL FERTILITY
☺ FODDER FOR LIVESTOCK
☺ FOOD SECURITY
☺ HOUSEHOLD ENERGY
☺ COMPLEX FARMING SYSTEMS
☺ VALUE CHAINS
☺ NUTRITION
☺ ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
☺ CARBON SEQUESTRATION
☺ BIODIVERSITY

NIGER: 5 MILLION HA OF NEW
AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND

SENEGAL: ? MILLION HA OF PARKLAND
IN THE PEANUT BASIN

MALI: 6 MILLION HA OF PARKLAND IN SOUTHERN MALI

NEW AGROFORESTS ON MALI’S
SENO PLAINS (450,000 ha)
GRAIN SURPLUS IN 2011: about 50,000 tons

BURKINA IS GRADUALLY TRANSFORMED INTO
AN AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND

FOOD DEFICIT IN NIGER IN 2011 -2012:
600,000 TONS

Grain surplus Kantché District (Zinder/Niger).
350,000 inhabitants; high on-farm tree densities
• 2007 + 21,230 ton
• 2008 + 36,838 ton
• 2009 + 28,122 ton
• 2010 + 64,208 ton
• 2011 + 13,818 ton
Source: National Committee for the Prevention and Management of
Food Crises and FEWS
Quoted by: Yamba and sambo (2012)

Village
Degree
of
vulnerability
Kouka
Samou
Doukoum
Doukoum
Kirou
Haussa
Zedrawa Daré
Least
vulnerable
200 40 140 125 135
Medium
Vulnerable
110 37 120 70 63
Very
vulnerable
80 83 26 40 100
Extremely
Vulnerable
104 50 116 80 45
AVERAGE ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME
FROM NEW AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND (US $)
Source: Yamba and Sambo (2012)

1990
AGROFORESTRY AS CO-BENEFIT OF WATER HARVESTING
2004
Demi lunes
Combretum glutinosum
Zaï
Simple techniques
Piliostigma reticulatum
Big impacts

Rainfall, WH techniques and cereal yields in Niger
(1991 – 1996)
Rainfall
Badagui
chiri
Illéla
1991
726 mm
581 mm
1992
423 mm
440 mm
1993
369 mm
233 mm
1994
613 mm
581 mm
1995
415 mm
404 mm
1996
439 mm
440 mm
Average
1991 –
1996
Zaï
T0
T1
T2
----
520
764
0
297
494
0
393
659
0
969
1486
0
347
534
0
553
653
0
513
765
Half moons
T0
T1
T2
0
655
1183
0
293
538
0
416
641
0
912
1531
0
424
615
0
511
632
0
535
857
Average
Illéla
district
386 241 270 362 267 282 301
T0 = before situation; T1 WH technique + manure
T2 WH technique + manure + urea

Group of
Villages
SWC technique Grain yield
(kg/ha)
Dry
matter
(kg/ha)
Ziga
Average region 434 2472
Zaï 772 3471
Stone bunds 574 2843
Zaï+ stone bunds 956 3798
Ranawa
Average region 376 2375
Zaï 804 3822
Stone bunds 531 2964
Zaï+ stone bunds 922 3968
Source: Sawadogo, H. (2008)
IMPACT OF WH TECHNIQUES ON CEREAL YIELDS
IN 2007 (NORTHERN CENTRAL PLATEAU, BURKINA FASO)

Water harvesting Agroforestry Micro-dosing
+ +
Agroforestry Niger 500 kg/ha
Agroforestry + micro-dosing 900 – 1000 kg/ha
Without water harvesting 0 kg/ha
Water harvesting 500 kg/ha
Water harvesting + microdosing 800 – 1000 kg/ha

SOME DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR
SMALLHOLDER INTENSIFICATION AND
RESILIENCE BUILDING IN DRYLANDS
INCREASE ON-FARM TREE DENSITIES IN
EXISTING PARKLANDS
MICRO DOSING + IMPROVED VARIETIES
IN EXISTING PARKLANDS (MILLIONS OF HA)
DIVERSIFY TREE SPECIES
REJUVENATE OLD PARKLAND
BUILD NEW AGROFORESTS

Another Kind of Green Revolution in Drylands

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