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Forward from the Editors

By Mr. H. Gast and Mr. S. Tesfai

 

Delegates from eight African nations have concluded a two-week seminar on ecological land management in Bamenda, which included visits to various communities and agricultural project sites in the North West Province of Cameroon

 

Under the sponsorship of the German government, the Food and Agriculture Development Centre (ZEL) of the German Foundation for International Development (DSE), in cooperation with the German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL) and the national Cameroon group of the Network for Ecofarming in Africa (NECOFA), conducted an international follow-up workshop entitled, "Ecofarming in Africa; Ecologically and Socially Sustainable Land Management", which was held from the 30th of October through the 10th of November, 2000.

 

The workshop gathered together 24 senior agricultural experts, coming from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, who work in govermental and non-governmental organizations involved in rural development, planning, research, education, and extension. Mr. Hartmut Gast of DSE and Mr. Sahle Tesfai, of DITSL, both of Germany, were respectively, the general coordinator and moderator of the workshop. Mr. Roland Bunch, an internationally recognized advisor in ecofarming technologies, participatory technology development, and extension methodoology, living in Honduras, Central America, served as the main technical lecturer. Two Cameroonian agronomists, Mr. Ndenecho Emmanual Neba of the University of Yaounde I, and Mr. Nuza Sixtus, the Provincial Delegate of Agriculture of the North West Province, also substantially contributed to the workshop, highlighting some of the Province's experiences in ecological agriculture.

 

The ecofarming workshop held in Bamenda was a follow-up event to a similar workshop held in Ethiopia during November of 1998. At that workshop, the idea emerged of establishing an Africa-wide network of agricultural experts interested in promoting an ecological approach to agricultural development. That network, now called NECOFA, was subsequently established, and is now operating with seven national affiliates, and is attracting more and more applicants.

 

The Cameroonian affiliate to NECOFA includes 20 Cameroonian agronomists, and is centered in Bamenda. The coordinator of the national affiliate is Moki Princewill Ogen, who works in the Phytosanitary Base of the Ministry of Agriculture in Bamenda.

 

As part of NECOFA, the participants in the Ethiopian workshop, have been experimenting with ecofarming technologies in their respective countries. In the process, they have discovered a number of important new technologies, as well as many opportunities of applying to African agriculture technologies previously validated in Latin America, Asia, and other African nations. These experiments, carried out by the NECOFA members, proved that ecofarming technologies are at least as productive or more here in Africa, than are those of conventional farming.

    

These successful experiences provided the primary technical information for the present workshop in Bamenda.

The so-called modern, or conventional farming, relies on a high level of increasingly expensive inputs, such as chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides. Ecofarming, in contrast, employs technologies based on local resources, such as plants that fertilize the soil or control weeds and natural products such as neem leaves or cow urine that can control pests and diseases. These technologies, which are locally appropriate, sustainable, and economically viable, are based on intensive research work done worldwide in the last twenty years, in addition to villager farmers' knowledge and their own way of experimenting.

 

Ecofarming allows rural people to maintain their natural resources in good condition, while also improving soil fertility. Applying ecofarming technologies, even Africa's large areas of wasteland can be brought back into intensive production at sur[risingly low costs. For instance, farmers near Bamenda are using the leguminous plant called "tephrosia" as an improved fallow, making infertile land capable of growing good crops after only one year of fallowing. This contrasts with the traditional fallows, which required leaving the land unproductive for five to ten years in order to acieve the same return of fertility.

 

Ecofarming technologies include the use of animal manure and green manures (plants that fertilize the soil and do many other things), cover crops (plants that control weeds), crop rotations and mixtures, contour live barriers that prevent soil erosion, natural products made from local sources to control pests, water catchments to help irrigate crops, and simple improvements in villager farming systems. One striking example from the Bamenda area is the night paddock system in the village of Babanki, which efficiently uses animal manure to produce many vegetables and food crops, including high-quality black huckleberry which are marketed in southern Cameroun and even exported to Gabon. Ecofarming also advocates extension approaches, such as farmer-to-farmer training and particiatory technology development, by which villager farmers experiment and develop their own technological innovations.

 

The success of the experiences around Bamenda, as well as those of the participants in their respective nations, have supplied moreand more evidence to substantiate the already ample evidence that ecofarming constitutes a viable and extremely important possibility for considerably increasing Africa's food production, at costs well within the reach of traditional farmers. The participants of the ecofarming workshop, armed with this additional technological information and approaches, will continue through NECOFA, to promote this important alternative for Africa throughout the continent.

 

On this occasion, the editorial board gives a great priority to the findings of the international workshop and issues a special publication on the objectives and perspectives of the network NECOFA.

 

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Summaries from the Workshops Closing Forum, November 8th to 10th,2000

National Activities of the NECOFA Group so far (a general overview)

• Some countries have established a NECOFA Secretariats and others are in the process of establishing theirs.
• Some have a constitution and an interim executive.
• Sensitisation and mobilisation
• Networking
• Promotion of small scales projects
• Lobbying and advocacy
• School gardens
• Conducted national agricultural show and festivals
• Conducted national workshops and trainings
• Information dissemination
• Demonstrations

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I. Ecofarming: Definitions, Rationale and Visions

Question: Why Ecofarming ?

Green revolution or conventional agriculture is characterised by heavy dependence on external inputs (agro-chemicals). This type of agriculture leads to environmental degradation (damage to soils, pollution of underground streams and surface rivers, river entrophication, etc). It does not take social aspects into consideration. Green revolution agriculture has not benefited the small scale farmers because they cannot afford to buy the inputs. Moreover it is an unsustainable agriculture because more and more inputs are required in the long run to maintain the same production level - which means increasing costs.

Since green-revolution based agriculture is unsuitable to farmers, an alternative one, which takes the environment and people into account, should be presented to farmers. It must be productive enough to be able to support an improved livelihood of the people. Ecofarming has the capacity to give high yields while being socially, economically and ecologically sound. It is also environmentally friendly.

Unlike the green-revolution type of agriculture, ecofarming gives equal attention to long term as short term, to increased production as natural resource management.

 

Ecofarming is ecologically appropriate agriculture, which involves a comprehensive management of natural resources in a sustainable way. It is oriented towards the long term and stresses the human being as a factor in the ecosystem, thus allowing for conservation and replenishment of these resources. It uses appropriate, economically viable and socially just technology and emphasises the use of local resources. Ecofarming systems are holistic types of farming systems:

 

Vision (Ambition)

• Geared towards achieving sustainability of the agricultural sector, wise utilisation and management of the natural resource base.
• Targets the maintenance of the quality, enhancement of vitality of the entire agro-ecosystem.
• Is humane, it is directed towards respect for all forms of life
• Works towards the preservation of cultural and spiritual integrity of the society.
• Enables the farming community to utilise local resources in a way that minimises losses of nutrients, biomass and energy, and is directed towards the avoidance of pollution.
• Capacitates the rural community, to adjust to constantly changing conditions and with stand risk.

The philosophy of ecofarming is that the main actor of agriculture is man. That the farming community, especially the marginalised and resource poor farmers should be empowered and should be given the right to decide on their affairs.

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II. NECOFA Networking perspectives

Question: What are the necessary strategies and actions of National NECOFA groups towards more self reliance ?

After a lot of brainstorming among members, the following strategies/actions were considered to support more self reliance for the National NECOFA groups. They include:

1. Awareness creation; this could be done through school environmental clubs, use of media and role play.
2. Membership drive; members of NECOFA could themselves act as catalysts towards the self-reliance of the group through personal commitments.
3. Registration of NECOFA; Once the NECOFA group is being official recognised by registering it with the government, there is all assurance for its self-reliance.
4. Membership fees; This is a specific agreement which all members are obliged to pay for the running of the group.
5. Annual Dues; Members be them corporate, individual or life (categories of members) have to pay every year some amount of money to keep the group self-reliance.
6. Organise Workshop; workshops can be organised where participants pay in participation fees.
7. Run small projects; Small projects for production of seedlings, seeds and planting materials could be carried out.
8. Consultancy; to keep the group self-reliance, the group could carryout some consultancy services whereby money paid for is used to run the group.
9. Sales of publications; Money coming in from the sales of publications, news letters etc could keep the group self-reliance.
10. Organise/participate in Agric Shows; the group can organise or participate in agric shows or trade fairs during which time, money collected is used for the smooth running of NECOFA.
11. Writing of articles in Newspapers; Good articles could be written in agricultural news papers and money paid for such articles is used for the success of NECOFA.
12. NECOFA National offices with Secretariat facilities; To have the group remain self-reliance, there must be a permanent office and secretariat were normal activities of the group could be carried out.
13. Communication and transport facilities; These are very essential aspects that could be keep NECOFA group self-reliance.
14. National Committee with Chairman from NECOFA; A national steering committee is very important for keeping the NECOFA group self-reliance.
15. Have NECOFA Representative in every Region; Representatives from every region will assist in the promotion of the activities of NECOFA thus keep the group alive.
16. Collaboration with other Institutions; Collaborating partners with whom experiences can be shared as a very good tool for keeping the group self-reliance.
    

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Question:

1. Is it desirable that NECOFA should be extended to more African Countries ?
2. How to address new members of other countries (e.g. through conferences and meetings ) ?
3. How to support neighbouring new country groups by already established country groups ?
4. How to link NECOFA with other groups and networks sharing similar objectives ?
5. Please give a feed-back to the proposed application form for membership.

Question 1: Is it desirable that NECOFA should be extended to more African countries ?

 

Answer: Yes; but care should be taken to scrutinise the applicants. The applicants should be interested in agreement and understand the NECOFA's vision and objectives etc.

 

Question 2: How to address new members of other countries (e.g. through conferences and meetings) ?

Answer:

1. All should be accepted and given an observer status.
2. Selection of a country co-ordinator should be according to merit. He/she should act as an interim co-ordinator at the beginning.
3. New members should mobilise other members
4. New members should be oriented through workshops.
5. The International co-ordinating office should regularly update member countries on membership
6. All members should be given membership cards developed at country level but must have NECOFA logo.
7. Country NECOFA groups should come up with an official stamp.

    

Question 3: How to support neighbouring new country groups by already established country groups.

Answer:

• Promote inter country visits
• Members in already established groups should conduct orientation workshops for new country groups. International NECOFA to facilitate.
• Established country groups to initiate communication network

Question 4: How to link NECOFA with other groups and networks sharing similar objectives ?

Answer:

• Relevant groups should be invited to NECOFA workshops.
• Undertake common projects and activities
• Exchange of bulletins/publications
• NECOFA members to become associate members

Question 5: Please give a feed-back to the proposed application form for membership.

Answer: Please add:

• Indicate other professional bodies you belong to ?
• Do you practise ecofarming yourself ?
• Do you have access to internet services ?

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Question:
NECOFA groups should try to initiate concrete projects and look for corresponding donors.

1. How to assure that basic NECOFA principles and philosophy is respected ?
2. How to document experiences of Ecofarming to make them available to members and others ?
3. How to avoid failure which is contradictory to the corresponding NECOFA group and NECOFA movement in general ?

NECOFA Principles and Philosophies

1. Motivate and teach farmers to experiment
2. Use rapid recognisable successes
3. Use appropriate technologies
4. Begin with a limited number of technologies
5. Train village farmers as extensionist
6. Document findings
7. Avoid failures

Answer 1: How to assist that basic NECOFA principles and philosophy are respected:

a) Motivate and teach farmers to experiment

(i) State project benefits to farmers

(ii) Spell out famers roles

(iii) Train farmers and set up school demonstration plots

(iv) Involve farmers in project planning.

b) Use rapid recognisable successes,

e.g. (i)use of vetiver grass technology, (ii) night paddocking, (iii) cover crops.

c) Use appropriate technologies

(i) They should be cheap easy to implement and economically viable

d) Begin with limited number of technologies

(i) One technology at a time.

e) Train village farmers as extensionists

(i) Farmer to farmer extension

(ii) Establish farmer field schools.

 

Answer 2:How to document experience of ecofarming to make them available to members and others.

1. Reports
2. News letters and articles
3. Data bank (take inventory of local knowledge and improved technologies to be at strategic places like institutes).
4. Internet, posters, video etc.

Answer 3: How to avoid failures which are contradictory to the corresponding NECOFA group and NECOFA movement in general.

1. Continous monitoring and evaluation
2. Review the progress of the project
3. Impact assessment studies
4. Meetings with farmers to give their feedbact.

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Question: Under the current/existing technical infrastructure, how can the international dialogue between national groups and individual members be enhanced ?

1. Regarding exchange of experience, research, cooperation, projects
2. Regarding quick response to questions and problems.

The group identified the following existing infrastructures - inventory:

• We have International Secretariat with a part time coordinator based in Germany
• We have a home page and saver in Germany
• There are country groups (6), and some of them have established offices
• A newsletter is in existence at International office.
• To encourage working with existing extension wing in governments and NGOs.

1 Intra-country dialog

The following were identified as being necessary to improve/enhance dialogue within each country group.

• National Secretariat (office space) run by full time staff (prepared by National co-ordinator with his Assistant.
• Office equipment
• Destop computer with printer , scanner
• Fax
• Copier
• Office furniture - basic
• Video camera
• Video Recorder/player
• TV
• Geographical positioning system - GPS for easing mapping and data field collection
• The group emphasised the need for networking amongst country members. Therefore members to have e-mail facility and other communication links.
• Regular meetings and reports to the coordinating National office.
• A country newsletter is necessary and that members must contribute articles. Some of the articles may be submitted for publication to international news letter.
• Feature articles in daily/weekly local newsletters.
• Ecofarming can further be propagated by use of television interviews and radio.

2 Intra-country dialog

• To enhance country to country dialogue of NECOFA member countries should explore possibilities for inter-country visits.
• Need for exchange of expertise in areas of ecofarming e.g. Alemu's (from Ethiopia) vetiver programme in Cameroon.
• Exchange of project documentation and experience for capacity building and consolidation of requests for funds from potential donor that may exist in other member countries. This exchange includes research work as well.
• There is need too, to have country delegate conferences, meetings at least once a year.
• Each country to attempt organise capacity building amongst its members.

3 International Co-ordinator

• For member countries to succeed in project implementation and streamlining dialogue, the international coordinator should visit individual countries and participate in their activity and programmes.
• The international office/secretariat to have a full time coordinator on full time basis. The international office to facilitate soliciting for funds from donors either bilateral and multilateral
• The international office to assist organise capacity building programmes especially on the use of electronic applications and technical and management training.

4 Quick response

At all levels use of electronic use should be of standard tool to respond to questions and problems. It is also necessary to have well documented data base for easy access and transmission of information. Country members must therefore have the own offices.  

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Question:

Main duties of the international NECOFA co-ordinator and duties on national level:

1. Main duties of the international NECOFA co-ordinator:

• Co-ordinate national NECOFA groups
• Production and distribution of NECOFA newsletter
• Creation of capacity building and Institutional framework
• Looking for appropriate co-operation partners
• Setting-up of data bank
• Production and distribution of International workshops
• Popularisation of NECOFA at international level.
• Sponsoring important international fora.

2. Duties which will also be done at national level include:

• Creation of capacity building and institutional framework
• Looking for appropriate cooperation partners
• Setting up data bank.

NB. There should be a full time worker for successful coordination.

 

Question:

Specify the kind of follow-up follow-up workshop to be planned:

• Asses progress of new and diversified successful Ecofarming technologies and extension methodologies
• Sharing of experiences from new NECOFA countries.
• Invite authorities of technologies and extension methodologies that are relevant to  

Ecofarming including such area as:

• Weed management
• Watershed/ catchment management
• IPM
• IPN
• etc

Next venue - Uganda.

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III. NECOFA presentation scheme

Question: Please eleborate a plan for a presentation of NECOFA, its visions, objectives and future activities as agreed to the guests of the closing Forum as a sample scheme for sensitization and NECOFA / Ecofarming promotion

 

NECOFA: Network for Ecofarming in Africa.

SET UP: It is made up of:

• An International Coordinator
• Two Advisers
• Country Representatives

FOUNDED: 1998

 

WHAT IS ECOFARMING ?

Ecofarming is an ecologically appropriate agriculture which entails comprehensive management and the use of the available natural resources. With the aim of promoting sustainable livelihood systems e.g.

• Maiximium utilization of locally available resources
• Providing cheap alternatives for farmers

WHY ECOFARMING ?

How was conventional farming carried out ?

• High yields
• High external inputs
• Food security
• Heavy subsidies
• Massive mechanisation
• Environmental degradation/pollution due to leaching, erosion of biodiversity
• The use of growth promoters etc.
• Very unsustainable system.

How was organic farming carried out ?

• No negative effect
• Very expensive
• Low yields.

All these two systems had defects and consequently the solution to meet the agricultural reproduction is through Ecofarming because of the following lessons;

• Optimises production using limited external inputs
• It is environmentally friendly
• Within reach of our farmers.
• It is economically viable
• It is sustainable.

WHY NECOFA ?

There was a need to provide a forum to gather, exchange, disseminate, share and facilitate diffusion of ecofarming information and practices. E.g. institutions, individuals, governments and farmers.

 

VISION:

Our vision is to have efficient, profitable and ecologically sustainable agriculture systems in Africa.

OBJECTIVES:

NECOFA will provide a continuous platform of experience exchange and will promote rapid diffusion of latest findings, information and news in research, implementation strategies and extension methodology in Ecofarming.

To access internal and external resources for the purposes of promoting Ecofarming activities.

 

ACTIVITIES:

To strengthened and consolidate the already existing groups.

• To sensitise policy makers and other stakeholders.
• To facilitate the institutionalisation of ecofarming
• To organise different forums (workshops, symposiums etc) for the promotion of Ecofarming activities
• To train farmers in Ecofarming technologies.
• To encourage researchers to engage in the participatory development of Ecofarming.
• To strengthened national and international networking.
• To promote small-scale projects on Ecofarming at grass root level.
• Document existing information and knowledge on Ecofarming.

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Question: 1. What is Ecofarming and

2. How can the visions and objectives be shared by new members ?

 

Definition

Ecofarming is an ecologically sound, economically viable and socially accepted type of farming system that promotes sustainability of agricultural production and stability of an agro-ecosystem through minimal use of external inputs (especially the toxic ones) and maximum use of local resources. Ecofarming considers man and woman as part of the ecosystem.

 

The following is a definition of terms and phrases found in the general definition.

 

Sustainability: This means that the ecofarming technologies and extension methodologies are socially acceptable, ecologically sound and economically viable. Socially acceptable means that they fit well in a particular society. Ecologically sound means that the balance in the ecosystem is maintained where it is stable and where it has been disturbed, restored. Economically viable means that they should be able to improve the livelihood and well being of an particular people.

Minimum use of external inputs: The external inputs referred to include chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc. it does not mean, on the main , organic input transfers.

Maximum use of local resources: people do have knowledge and skills which they got from their elders. These should be used as a first priority. People should be allowed to be use the highest possible extent the resources that abound in their area.

Man-centred: Previous approaches took technical know-how as a solution to rural problems and man was left out of the picture. Man should be given a more central role.

 

Vision and Philosophy of NECOFA: NECOFA as a network has a vision and its own philosophy is as far as Ecofarming is concerned. NECOFA would like to see that agriculture and the natural resource base are respectively conducted and utilized in a sustainable way. It should lead to peoples' empowerment. That is people should be able to take their future into their lands; look for ways to solve their problems and actually take a leading role in solving them. It should see to it that food security is achieved; that the threat of hunger is no longer significant.

 

How can the visions and objectives be shared by new members ?

This can be done through:

• Sensitisation - using mass media, seminars, workshops, NECOFA newsletter
• Networking - through ordinary mail, fax, e-mail, internet, etc.
• Committing member using drawing up a constitution complete with details on how to meet the vision and objectives of NECOFA to increase the number of members.