One of CCAFS over-arching objectives is to assess and test pro-poor adaptation and mitigation practices, technologies and policies for food systems, adaptive capacity and rural livelihoods. Conservation agriculture (CA) is one of the promising climate-smart agriculture options as it allows benefiting from the synergies between adaptation and mitigation while also improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. As such, CA promotion needs to be tapped into the general framework for a sound and widespread adoption of evidence-based technologies in West Africa. Getting the big pictures to insure millions of farmers will require sound scaling-up approaches of successful CA options for the semi-arid West Africa.
Conservation agriculture in the context of climate change in West Africa
1. Development of Conservation Agriculture based cropping systems for sustainable soil management in West Africa, 05 Feb 2014, Ouagadougou
Promoting Conservation Agriculture in
the context of the CCAFS Research
Program in West Africa
Dr Robert Zougmoré
CCAFS Regional Program Leader West Africa
2. Outline
1. Major constraints in West Africa
2. Key challenges
3. CA: a proven climate-smart
agriculture option
4. Way forwards
2
4. WEST AFRICA REGION
70% rural populations
– natural resources
Poverty
Desertification
Rain-fed
agriculture
Chronic Food
High climate
variability
(droughts,
flooding)
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5. Population and income
1. A significant increase in the population of all countries except
Cape Verde – pessimistic: population of all countries will more
than double except Cape Verde
2. Income per capita in the optimistic scenario could range from
US$ 1,594 for Liberia to US$ 6,265 for Cote d’Ivoire.
3. Income per capita does not improve significantly in the
pessimistic scenario.
6. Rainfall
Despite variations among models, there is a clear indication of:
1.changes in precipitation with either a reduction in the heavy-rainfall
areas, particularly along the coast,
2.or an increase in areas of the Sahel hitherto devoid of much rain.
3.Southern parts of Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria will be dryer
Change in average annual precipitation, 2000–2050,
CSIRO, A1B (mm)
MIROC, A1B (mm)
7. Changes in yields (percent), 2010–2050, from the DSSAT crop
model: CSIRO A1B
MIROC A1B
Maize
Groundnut
Sorghum
10. Length of growing season
is likely to decline..
Length of growing
period (%)
To 2090, taking 18
climate models
Four degree rise
Thornton et al. (2010) Proc. National Academy Science
>20% loss
5-20% loss
No change
5-20% gain
>20% gain
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13. Agriculture must become
“climate-smart”
• contributes to climate change adaptation by
sustainably increasing productivity & resilience
• mitigates climate change by reducing greenhouse
gases where possible
• and enhances the achievement of national food
security and development goals
17. “Climate-smart villages”
• Approach where CCAFS in partnership with rural
communities and other stakeholders (NARES, NGOs,
local authorities…), tests & validates in an integrated
manner, several agricultural interventions
• Aims to boost farmers’ ability to adapt to climate
change, manage risks and build resilience.
• At the same time, the hope is to improve livelihoods
and incomes and, where possible, reduce greenhouse
gas emissions to ensure solutions are sustainable
19. Conservation agriculture is an
effective Climate-Smart
Agriculturethat contribute to
• CA: farming practices option
the three key principles of: reducing soil
disturbance, maintaining soil cover and
practicing crop rotation
• We adopt a broader view of CA (than its
current definition): concept for natural
resource-saving that strives to achieve
acceptable profits with high and sustained
production levels while concurrently
conserving the environment (FAO, 2009).
• CAWT, where a woody perennial is used as
a technological element within the practice
(Bayala et al., 2013)
Slide from J. Bayala
20. CA potential: Soil C sequestration seen as
#1 priority (IPCC 2007), has vast potential
for climate change mitigation
Mitigation options Mt CO2-eq. yr-1
21. CCAFS CA work
• Measuring C sequestration from CA and
assessing as a low-emissions agriculture option
(Ghana, Burkina, Benin, Senegal, Mali)
• Meta-analysis of crop responses to Conservation
Agriculture (Ghana, West Africa)
• SAMPLES Program for GHG quantification,
• CA for adaptation and risk management in maizelegume systems (SIMLESA)
• Identifying incentives for adoption of CA (IndoGangetic Plains, East Africa)
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22. Parklands
•
•
•
•
•
•
Parklands of preserved trees from natural
vegetation: F. albida, V. paradoxa, P. biglobosa…;
Some species are regularly pruned for fodder
healthier livestock;
FMNR consists in selecting & thinning stems which
sprout from indigenous tree and shrub stumps;
Adoption rate may be as high as 63% like in Maradi
region where tree density varies from 60 to 374
individuals ha-1 (Adam et al., 2006);
Plantation on communal lands: A. macrostachya, A.
nilotica, B. rufescens, E. camaldulensis, F. albida, L.
leucocephala, M. indica, P. aculeata, P. biglobosa, P.
juliflora, Z. mauritiana;
Plantations on individual lands: A. occidentale, A.
indica, Citrus spp., M. indica, P. guayava, P.
africana, etc.
Slide from J. Bayala
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23. Coppicing trees
• Trees/shrubs leguminous species planted
at high density as fallows or in
associations with crops for biomass
production to be used for soil fertility
replenishment. Trees are regularly cut to
ground level and allowed to re-grow.
• Woody species: Acacia senegal,
Sclerocarya birrea and Acacia raddiana,
Acacia seyal, A. raddiana, Pterocarpus
erinaceus, Prosopis africana, Parkia
biglobosa, Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia
mangium, Albizzia lebbeck, Gliricidia
sepium, Leucaena leucocephala;
• Sometimes associated with annual
legumes: Stylosanthes hamata or Mucuna
spp.
23
Slide from J. Bayala
24. Green manure
• Green manure is the biomass from
herbaceous cover crops grown to be turned
under soil as soil amendment and nutrient
sources for subsequent crops. Usually the
cover crop is established through relay
cropping with the staple food crop
• Some tested species: Stylosanthes hamata,
Mucuna spp, Crotalaria sp., Tephrosia
vogelii, Indigofera astragalima, Tithonia
diversifolia; Mucuna spp., Dolichos lablab,
Canavalia ensiformis, Cajanus cajan;
Calopogonium mucunoides, Lablab
purpureus, Macroptilium atropurpureum,
etc.;
• Cover crops are used in rotation or in
association with crops.
Mucuna spp
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Slide from J. Bayala
25. Mulching
Mulching consists of covering the ground with a layer of plant materials
in order to conserve soil water, to stimulate the activity of soil biota
(e.g. termites) and to reclaim a degraded soil for crop production
Tree/shrub prunings
•
•
•
Crop residues
•
The two most widespread species in farmed
fields are G. senegalensis and P. reticultaum
(Lufafa et al., 2009);
This practice exits alone through biomass
•
transfer (northern Burkina) or associated
with FMNR (Niger, Mali, Burkina);
Tested species: Cassia sieberiana, C.
lecardi, G. senegalensis, P. reticulatum.
Protecting soil surface using
crop residues reduces water
erosion, run off, soil T° and
soil evaporation;
Main constraints are: low
availability of the straws and
their fraudulent collection and
uses for other purposes (feed,
building materials, sales, etc.)
Slide from J. Bayala
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26. Rotations/Associations
• Legumes (e.g. cowpea, groundnut) are frequently
•
•
•
•
intercropped or rotated with cereals in the
drylands
Most common association is legumes-cereals
(sorghum or millet-cowpea).
Other types of associations are: peanut-cereals,
millet+sorghum+cowpea, Mucuna-cereals,
cereals-pigeon pea;
Rotations vary: cotton-maize-sorghum, peanutcereals and other legumes-cereals
Types of fields (homestead, bush fields) and the
types of soil (sandy, loamy, clay) or
toposequence.
26
Slide from J. Bayala
27. Soil and Water Conservation practices
Traditional practices such as zaï, half-moon,
stone and earth bunds and grass strips.
Increased infiltration, soil moisture retention,
SOM content and improving soil structure
besides reducing soil erosion.
•
•
•
•
•
Technique for recovering encrusted soils that
consists in digging pits of 20 to 40 cm in diameter
and 10 to 15 cm of depth in order to collect surface
waters and to increase infiltration;
Production increase can go up to 428% in some
cases (Reij et al. 2009).
A basin of half-circle shape with the excavated soil laid
out in a semicircular pad;
Dimensions: 2 to 4 m in diameter, 15 to 25 cm depth and
spacing 2 to 4 m;
Increase in yield of 49 to 112% (Belemviré et al., 2008).
Slide from J. Bayala
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28. Scaling up and out
Climate-smart villages
Climatesmart
technologies
Local
knowledge &
Institutions
Climate
information
services
Local
adaptation
plans
Scaling up
•Policy
•Private sector
•Mainstream
successes via
major initiatives
• Learning sites
• Multiple partners
• Capacity building
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30. WEST AFRICA
SAHEL
Water harvesting boosts
yields in the Sahel
oSahel – Droughts common and
farming difficult with sparse rainfall.
oChanges in land management – stone
bunds and zai pits.
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31. WEST AFRICA SAHEL
Success at scale
oContour bunds established on
200,000 to 300,000 ha.
oYields double those on unimproved
land.
oTree cover and diversity increased.
oGroundwater levels rising.
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32. WEST AFRICA
SAHEL
Benefits for food production,
adaptation and mitigation
oFood production:
predicted that the improved land will
produce enough to feed 500,000 to
750,000 people.
increased diversity of food, health
benefits.
oAdaptation:
contour bunds able to cope with changing
weather.
oMitigation:
land management prevents further
worsening of soil quality.
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33. How do we scale up CA to
Landscapes?
• What works?
• Where does it work?
• When does it work?
• Why does it work?
• Who does it work for?
• How does it work?
34. The broad framework:
Determinants of adoption of CA: Adoption (A) is conditioned by its technical
performance (P), subject to the opportunities and tradeoffs (T) that operate at farm
and village scales and constrained by different aspects of the context (C) in which
the farming system operates including market, socio-economic, institutional and
policy conditions
35. CSA research & development
in West Africa: way forwards
Low adoption rate of CA in West Africa
•Cost-effectiveness of CA options
•Enabling environment of existing technologies
•Participatory testing of CA options
•Tools for defining the potential of CA options in various
regions
•Incentives needed to promote CA and bring it at scale
(institutional arrangements and policy measures)
•Bring policy and science together to support
farmer-led innovations and options in order to achieve
outcomes and impacts at national level
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Why focus on Food security
Climate change has to be set in the context of growing populations and changing diets
60-70% more food will be needed by 2050 because of population growth and changing diets – and this is in a context where climate change will make agriculture more difficult.
The second challenge for agriculture relates to climate change adaptation. And if there is a single graph to show this challenge then it is this one for SSA.
Thornton from ILRI uses a four degree temperature rise scenario, which based on current commitments to reduce GHGs is a distinct possibility.
By 2090 vast areas of Africa will have experienced >20% reduction in growing season length. And huge areas 5-20% reduction. Almost no areas have rises in growing season. This illustrates the magnitude of potential impacts on agriculture from climate change.
The third challenge for agriculture relates to its environmental footprint. Recent compilations suggest that food systems contribute 19-29% of global greenhouse gasses, including those through land cover change.
Excuse the complicated title.
In a few words I have tried to capture how we approach research.
We vision with our partners where we want to go; we then work backwards as to what we must do, with whom, when and how.
And we work from farmers fields at the one extreme up to the global negotiations on climate at the other extreme.
I will explain further. It is a new era for research.
I am xxxxxxxxxx, from the CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
Excuse the complicated title.
In a few words I have tried to capture how we approach research.
We vision with our partners where we want to go; we then work backwards as to what we must do, with whom, when and how.
And we work from farmers fields at the one extreme up to the global negotiations on climate at the other extreme.
I will explain further. It is a new era for research.
I am xxxxxxxxxx, from the CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
CCAFS is focusing on climate change adaptation and mitigation, and its role in food security – and especially the synergies and trade-offs amongst these.
Not just agricultural practices, but interested in the whole food system – from production to consumption
In terms of adaptation, interested in the challenges poses by variability/extremes and longer term progressive changes.
Interested in not only incremental changes (e.g. changing practices) but also transformational options (e.g. switching farming systems)
Excuse the complicated title.
In a few words I have tried to capture how we approach research.
We vision with our partners where we want to go; we then work backwards as to what we must do, with whom, when and how.
And we work from farmers fields at the one extreme up to the global negotiations on climate at the other extreme.
I will explain further. It is a new era for research.
I am xxxxxxxxxx, from the CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
For example, there is great potential for conservation agriculture as a strategy for long-term adaptation, short term risk management, and also to reducing GHG emissions from agriculture
The column on the right is biophysical potential
Soil carbon sequestration contributes 89% of the technical mitigation potential from agriculture
(Smith P, Martino D, Cai Z, Gwary D, Janzen H, Kumar P, et al. Agriculture. In: Metz B, Davidson OR, Bosch PR, Dave R, Meyer LA (eds). Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 2007.)
The question is: how realistic is this, and can we do it in Africa?
CCAFS is addressing some of these issues through its research
Most of CCAFS Theme 3 work on conservation agriculture is the work that is supported through the CGIAR centers and regional program leaders, (CIMMYT, ICRISAT, CIAT, ICRAF, Robert)
SIMLESA is an example of this- will be presented later
SAMPLES is testing some of this
ML Jat and Ivan Ortiz-Monasterio from CIMMYT are participating
We (CCAFS overall) is a program that has opportunity to look at broader issues with conservation agriculture- gender, social impacts, etc.- lots of potential
The concept of climate-smart village is used to capture the desire to take integrated approaches to climate adaptation – but not doing everything – doing what is needed in a specific context to enhance adaptation.
This shows some of the activities that may be conducted in a community.
CSVs are learning sites, where multiple partners come together to innovate with communities, to build capacity to innovate
Our eyes must be constantly on scaling up – feeding lessons into policy processes, working with the private sector so they can stimulate uptake, or mainstreaming successes into the work of major initiatives or agencies.
Stone bunds = effective way of reducing runoff. Capturing topsoil and allowing rainfall more time to soak into the soil.
Zai pits = shallow bowls filled with compost or manure in which crops are planted.