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Workshops |
Programme Number : NK 731-306-00ex
Title : Ecofarming in Africa
Programme Type : Follow-up event
Region : African countries south of Sahara
Location of implementation : Bamenda
Country of implementation : Cameroon
Date : 30 October to 10 November, 2000
Language : English
Number of participants : 25
Previous programme : TK 731-950-98ex
Further follow-up : open
Superior objective is the improved implementation of concepts and programmes of an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable land management in rural development projects and programmes, extension, applied research and education of employing organizations of former participants from Africa. This will be achieved through :
Qualified former participants of previous DSE events in leadership and multiplication functions in governmental and non-governmental organizations of rural development, agriculture and agroforestry engaged in research, education, planning and extension. It is expected from all participants that they
Details of contents of the follow-up workshop will be defined after written consultations with former African participants of previous courses. In general contents comprise:
exchange of experience of deficits and successes of previous implementation of ecofarming programmes and projects within ( or without) the employing organizations of participants, detailled presentation and discussion of case studies
field visits and visits of relevant projects and programmes in the surrounding of the workshop site in Cameroon
extended mediation of knowledge in specific deficit areas to be defined by the participants
elaboration of recommendations directed to DSE with regard to further training and support needs in ecofarming promotion and development.
This is quite an open frame. It is also posible to include up to 5 persons as participants which have not been participants of former DSE courses, but which are important for the further development of NECOFA.
Thank you for all your efforts.
With kind regards
Hartmut Gast
DSE/ZEL
Wielinger Str. 52
D-82336 Feldafing, Germany
Phone : (+49) 8157 - 938 303
Fax : (+49) 8157 - 938 315
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As stated in the introductory text "About NECOFA", an international workshop on "Ecofarming: Ecologically and Socially Sustainable Land Management," has been conducted from November the 16th through December the 11th, 1998 in Ethiopia.
The workshop took place at various locations in Addis Ababa, Debre Zeit, Sodere, Dodola and Awassa, where close by projects, research stations and farmers' communities were visited during the event.
The workshop joined together 24 senior agricultural experts, coming from Ethiopia, Cameroun, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanazania and Uganda, who work in governmental and non-govrernmental organisations involved in rural development, planning, research, education, and extension. Ethiopian scientists based at Debre Zeit, Melkassa, Alemaya, and Awassa substantially contributed to the worshop, highlighting specific Ethipian experiences.
Unlike the so-called "modern," or conventional farming, which relies on a high level of inputs, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, Ecofarming is based on intensive research work done world-wide in the last decades. However Ecofarming technologies incorporate indigenous farmers' knowledge and their own ways of experimentation to achieve locally appropriate, sustainable and economically viable solutions adapted to their specific farming conditions.
Based on their own experiences at home and results elaborated together, the participants of the workshop were convinced that Ecofarming is a modern, most convenient and sustainable way of farming in tropical and subtropical environments. There is proof from many countries and farming communities around the world that Ecofarming is at least as productive, or even more, than conventional farming. It is capable of supporting food security at a high level, with fewer risks and costs involved. Ecofarming allows rural people to maintain their natural resource base and improve soil fertility. It can be assumed, that Ecofarming technologies are even capable of offering solutions to Africa's large tracts of marginal lands, which could be brought back into production at a reasonable level of intensity and limited costs. Farmers from south of Awassa, who were applying an intensive Ecofarming system to their garden coffee, supported this during the workshop when they stated: "our soils are growing".
Basic elements of Ecofarming technologies comprise the use of green manure and multipurpose plants in site-appropriate crop rotations and crop mixtures and the application of organic manure. Other elements are soil retention and recuperation technologies, the use of locally adapted stress- and disease-resistant varieties and the use of alternative plant protection methods. The integration of animal husbandry and plant production at farm level is a decisive factor.
In conclusion, Ecofarming works with nature, within the sustainable ecosystems, rather than against nature. Ecofarming, thus, offers a chance, as well as an alternative particularly to small scale farmers with scarce resources.
Programs of Ecofarming in many parts of the world have proved to be very successful, especially where researchers, extensionists and farmers worked together closely, developing appropriate technologies that matched the site specific ecological, social and cultural conditions. For this reason, the workshop participants have decided to group and promote Ecofarming within their institutions and organisations, as well as at the national level. With regard to this task the network has been established and respective national associations to promote Ecofarming will be founded.
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Main objective is the further support of former DSE/ InWEnt participants from Africa and members of NECOFA regarding the implementation of Ecofarming concepts leading towards sustainable farming systems, which are ecologically sound, economically viable and socially appropriate and just. The workshop shall also strengthen the efficiency of NECOFA tasks and programmes at international and national levels.
The number of participants is limited to 25 persons. The established NECOFA country groups (Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia) should be presented by an authorized board member and by one additional active member, who did not participate in an international event of NECOFA before. Ghana as host country may be presented by four members. Countries with not fully established country groups may send one member (Benin, Malawi, and Namibia). All country groups are asked to nominate 3-4 members with a priority ranking latest till end of may, 2004.The nomination list has to be sent to the International Coordinator, Dr. Sahle Tesfai. Nominations of persons who have not yet participated in a previous international NECOFA workshop have to be accompanied with detailed informations regarding their employers, professional tasks, fields of specialization including a short C.V. InWent and Dr. Tesfai are in charge of the final gender balanced selection (at least 40% women!) considering the needed diversity of experiences and the preferences of the country groups alike. Country groups who are too late in nominations will not be presented; their places will be given to other countries. In order to obtain economic air fares, reservations of tickets should be done as early as possible. Due to limited funds, all country groups should try to find some financial support from their employers or donor organizations for international travel in order to reduce the enormous costs of that item.
Unlike in previous workshops, time for presentations of participants will be limited to allow more time for discussions and workshops. All participants are invited to send their proposals of own contributions, which fit in the main topics proposed below, to Dr. Tesfai well in advance. The papers will be placed under documents in the virtual workspace of NECOFA in the Global Campus of InWEnt. All participants should download these papers prior the event and read them carefully. During the workshop, these contributions will than in most cases just be discussed. This is another reason why the list of participants should be closed well in advance of the event. Invited resource persons will present on the main topics proposed below followed by workshops. The country reports at the beginning should also reflect achievements and problems in the implementation of the national action planes elaborated during the last workshop in Uganda. Future strategies and actions of NECOFA will be discussed and decided during the last two days of the workshop. As in the last workshops, some time will be provided to learn from local experiences in Ghana.
The selection of the main topics and suggested methodology will be decided in a chat session in early April . The chat session (day and exact time) will be announced by Dr. Tesfai on the pin board of the virtual forum of NECOFA within the Global Campus 21 and by Emails to the national coordinators. Based on the chats hold in November and December last year and further suggestions of members, the following main topics and activities are proposed:
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Day |
Activity / Topic a.m. |
Activity / Topic p.m. |
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Sunday, 26.09 |
Arrivals |
Transfer to Kumasi |
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Monday, 27.09. |
Opening session |
Country reports |
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Tuesday, 28.09. |
Country reports |
Local Seed |
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Wednesday, 29.09. |
GMO |
Workshop on seed issues and GMOs |
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Thursday, 30.09 |
Food Security |
Workshop on Food Security |
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Friday, 01.10. |
Extension & Lobbying for Ecofarming |
Workshop on extension issues |
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Saturday, 02.10. |
Professional excursion (local experiences) |
Professional excursion (local experiences) |
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Sunday, 03.10. |
Cultural excursion |
Cultural excursion |
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Monday, 04.10. |
Evaluation of the excursion/ open space |
Information management |
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Tuesday, 05.10 |
Ecofarming and health issues |
Forest use by farmers/ agroforestry Alternative: half day local excursion |
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Wednesday, 06.10. |
Marketing and certification of organic food |
Marketing and certification of organic food |
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Thursday, 07.10. |
Workshop on marketing and certification issues |
Strategies of NECOFA |
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Friday, 08.10. |
Final decisions/ closing |
Transfer to Accra |
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Saturday, 09.10. |
Departures |
Departures |
During the last NECOFA workshop in Jinja, Uganda, the national NECOFA group of Ghana has kindly agreed to host this workshop. The responsibility for the local organization and the excursion programme is upon the responsibility of all NECOFA members of Ghana.
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Main objective is the further support of former DSE participants from Africa and members of NECOFA regarding the implementation of ecofarming concepts leading towards sustainable farming systems, which are ecologically sound, economically viable and socially appropriate and just. The workshop shall also strengthen the efficiency of NECOFA tasks and programmes at international and national levels.
All established NECOFA country groups should be presented by its national coordinator or by another board member and by one to two additional active members. At least one person of each national delegation should be a women; the group of about 25 participants shall be equally balanced of men and women.
The NECOFA country network groups are kindly asked to nominate their delegates in time and to send their list of potential participants to the international coordinator of NECOFA, Mr. Sahle Tesfai, latest till end of April 2002. The list of nominates should reflect the main topics of the workshop and shall contain a priority ranking. Nominations of NECOFA members who have not yet participated in a DSE event should be supported by a letter of recommendation of the national network coordinator and by a personal C.V. with detailed description of work tasks and their relation to the activities of the network.
The final selection of participants will be done by DSE/ZEL and the international coordinator of NECOFA.
The workshop will comprise presentations of invited resource persons and participants related to the main topics "Gender" and "Management of small-scale projects in Ecofarming" (about 5 working days), excursions to "best practice examples of ecofarming" (about 2-3 days) and further discussions and decisions about NECOFA activities, structures and communication instruments including the elaboration of a medium-term plan of action (2-3 days). In detail:
As in the workshop in Cameroon, participants should learn from good to outstanding examples of ecofarming in the host country of the event.
During the last NECOFA workshop in Bamenda, Cameroon, the national NECOFA group of Uganda has kindly agreed to host this workshop. The responsibility for the local organization and the excursion programme is upon the responsibility of all NECOFA members of Uganda.
The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany has approved this workshop and assured its financiation.
However, the asigned funds are limited and do not allow luxurious accommodations and lucrative daily allowances to participants.
To relive budget limitations, participants are asked to check with their home institutions/organisations whether the international travel costs to Entebbe/ Uganda could be fully or partly paid by their employers or by another donor like e.g. GTZ.
All NECOFA country groups are asked to submit further suggestions and comments regarding the suggested contents of the workshop.
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