The document discusses the significance of farming systems approaches for sustainable intensification in Africa, highlighting the necessity of understanding farm household decision-making amidst challenges like low productivity and food insecurity. It identifies three scales of knowledge essential for decision-making and outlines strategies for improving livelihoods through intensification, diversification, and better market access. Conclusively, it emphasizes the need for institutionalizing farming systems knowledge in policy-making and enhancing educational efforts to build capacity across the continent.

1. Farming Systems
Approaches for Sustainable
Intensification
Science and Policy Implications
Dennis Garrity
16 July 2013, AASW6, Accra, Ghana

2. Approach: why a farming systems lens?
• Low productivity and rural food insecurity and poverty
persist after many years of interventions
• Strong diversity and complexity of farming systems and
farm-households’ potentials and needs
• Understanding farm household decision-making is
essential for fostering innovation and accelerating
adoption

3. Farm household decision-making:
Connecting resources, production, consumption and investment

4. Three scales of knowledge
that can help decision-makers
• 1st, the larger trends and drivers that are in motion at the
continental level, providing a backdrop at the macro level.
• 2nd
, the level of the farming system and subsystems,
where the drivers play out in unique ways in the local context. And
• 3rd
, the household level, and how it responds to internal and
external forces, including policy interventions.

5. The drivers of farming systems change
• population, hunger and poverty
• natural resources degradation and climate change
• markets and trade
• technology and science
• energy
• information and human capital
• institutions and policies

6. Background on classification approach
• Farm systems classified on broadly similar
patterns of livelihood and consumption
patterns, as well as constraints and
opportunities
• Policy-making relevance: Similar
development strategies and interventions
apply.
• Classification based on:
– Agroecology (LGP), production
constraints
– Key commodities
– Socio-economic parameters
(demography, market access, etc)

7. The farming systems of Africa

8. The density of undernourished people
by farming system

9. Land degradation: Trend in biomass productivity
by farming system

10. The soil fertility conundrum
Estimated marginal value product of nitrogen fertilizer
(Kshs/kg N) is dependent on soil carbon content

11. Sustainable intensification through EverGreen Agriculture. Niger.

12. Tree cover on agricultural land by farming system

13. Highland Perennial farming system and subsystems
Central Highlands Western Highlands
Population density +++ ++++
Farm size +++ ++
Market infrastructure ++ +
Poverty 30% poor >60% poor
Crop area 35% maize
17% tea
17% coffee
More high value crops
42% maize
8% tea
10% coffee
% of improved cattle 95%
22% of crop area in fodder
Zero-grazing increasing
67%
11% in fodder
Value of production 102K KSh/household 44K KSh/household
Use of fertilizers 122 kg/ha
74 manure bags
51 kg/ha
26 manure bags
SYSTEM LEVEL
High population density
High agricultural potential
Permanently cultivated systems
Market-orientation as a way to intensify systems
SUBSYSTEM LEVEL
Need for differentiated interventions

14. Cereal-Root Crop Mixed Farming
Systems: Africa’s Future Breadbasket?

15. Five main strategies to improve
farm household livelihoods
• intensification of existing production patterns
• diversification of production and processing
• expansion of farm or herd size
• increased off-farm income
• exit from agricultural production.

16. Conclusions & Policy Implications
1. Rural populations have now reached critical levels
• Highland perennial systems: Strong rural-urban labour
market integration occurring in some subsystems. This can be
accelerated through education, business development, and
education
• Agropastoral systems have strong labour migration, which
can be strengthened by improving labour market information
and education.

17. Conclusions & Policy Implications
2. Tackling the decline in soil fertility
Governments can pursue a number of paths to support land
regeneration:
• Maize-mixed systems: In high-population subsystems target
fertilizer subsidies transitioning to tree biofertilisers; in low
population density subsystems expand area farmed through more
efficient tillage and conservation agriculture on smallholdings.
• Agropastoral: Continue regreening with massive upscaling of
farmer-managed natural regeneration along with fertilizer
microdosing and more efficient fertilizer input markets.

18. Conclusions & Policy Implications
3. Agricultural trade and markets
The key growth potential in lies at home, in the expanding
domestic and regional markets within Africa, where demand in
some areas already far exceeds supply. Enhancing these
markets, improving infrastructure, removing barriers and reducing
transactions costs.
Market development is important in all systems, but a priority
in systems with strong agricultural potential but poor market
access (e.g. Cereal root and tuber systems).

19. “The work on the Farming Systems of Africa provides
concrete substance that can be streamlined into the
CAADP work.
“The Dublin process can pick up and use the Farming
Systems work in a continuing process.
“The work can start by developing guidelines to use
the FS materials. CAADP can collaborate in
developing and implementing an action plan in that
area.”
-- Martin Bwalya
NEPAD Coordinating & Planning Agency

20. Way Forward
• Institutionalization of the farming systems knowledge and
approach into regional and national policy making and
planning
• Building of systems research capacity in research,
extension and policy making to complement existing
disciplinary expertise
• National efforts to apply farming systems analysis through
the CAADP process
• Reinvigorate education and training in farming systems
approaches throughout Africa