1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

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1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

13/03/2018

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Northern Rangeland Trust works across the rangelands of northern Kenya to improve market access to pastoral communities across 20,000 km2. The program improves local revenue generation, incentives to reduce herd size, and channels funding into improved rangeland management across the conservancies.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) is a non profit organisation established in 2004. It works with communities to develop community conservancies, to transform peoples lives, secure peace and conserves natural resources in northern Kenya. NRT works cross 20,000 km2, with 33 conservancies.

NRT established NRT Trading to identify, incubate, and pilot, and scale sustainable business across the NRT conservancies. The help to incubate and run business that encourages conservation ethics, while improving livelihoods.

The Livestock to Market Program (LTM) was established in 2006 as a partnership between NRT, NRT affiliated conservancies, and two private conservancies - Ol Pejeta and Lewa. The program was funded by Flora and Fauna International and The Nature Conservancy. The program was designed to: to build resilient livelihoods for local pastoralists through providing a local, equitable, reliable, fair market for a large number of cattle; provide incentives to increase production viability of cattle, reduce herd size and avoid losses during droughts; build conservation momentum; directly benefit individual conservancies through sale levies.

The model works to first buy cattle from NRT affiliated conservancies, these cattle are sold on weight and grade, and tries to embrace a more market-driven approach. Once bough cattle is quarantined and vaccinated on Lewa. They are then fattened and sold on to different markets depending on size and age.

The program aims to benefit local people through providing an equitable market with similar or better rates than available and through revenue generation for each conservancy - to provide health and education benefit. A key goal of this benefit system is through channeling conservancy levies and behavioral change into improved rangeland management. Improved management, implemented by conservancies, will lead to improved productivity of the rangelands, increased livestock quality, increased revenue for pastoralists, and ultimately contribute to the goals of NRT - Peace and security; resilient livelihoods; productive rangelands; stable wildlife; and growing enterprise.

NRT has a fully fledged grazing management team working across the conservancies to enhance pasture and land management is upheld by all members, this working by involving alienation of dry season and wet season grazing corridors in order to guarantee animal –wildlife sustainable grazing. Several technologies are implemented under this approach to improve rangeland management. Strategic destocking and cattle bunching in conservancies is one method. Supplementary feed is also provided to increase the weight gain of cattle before sale.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

Assist pastoralists and families in the NRT Conservancies to build resilient livelihoods by providing a local, equitable, reliable, fair market for large numbers of cattle.
Provide incentives to pastoralists to manage cattle for ready markets and over time reduce herd sizes to avoid loses due to drought among other factors, in an effort to improve rangeland health and productivity.
Gain conservation leverage by linking market access to conservation outcomes.
Directly benefit Conservancies through purchase and sale levies.
Involve a complete value chain model i.e. involving pastoralist producers, disease control actors & quarantine, designated fattening ranches, slaughter, and marketing.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	interactive	NRT conservancy model creates independent units that have strong leadership and governance structures. These conservancy boards and management are involved and are the drivers at each stage.
planning	interactive	Conservancies are involved in planning stages.
implementation	external support	NRT-LTM runs the markets and livestock fattening with support from both local and private conservancies.
monitoring/ evaluation	passive	Monitoring is done through the NRT monitoring systems.

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• all relevant actors, as part of a participatory approach

Explain:

The NRT grazing management teams work with the community conservancies officials and board to establish grazing management plans and implement restoration of degraded rangelands.

Specify on what basis decisions were made:

• evaluation of well-documented SLM knowledge (evidence-based decision-making)
• personal experience and opinions (undocumented)

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users

If relevant, specify gender, age, status, ethnicity, etc.

NRT governance department conducts effective leadership and management training to conservancy leadership across the board.

Form of training:

• public meetings

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields

Describe/ comments:

Some support is provided by county government extensions services. NRT also provides support.

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, greatly

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• local

Describe institution, roles and responsibilities, members, etc.

Community conservancies have gained funding to implement projects and strengthened their knowledge on livestock production systems and rangeland management.

Specify type of support:

• financial
• capacity building/ training

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

Monitoring and evaluation are annually conducted through the mandatory annual statutory audit by contracted reputable audit firms.
Internal production monitoring is done through the monthly internal tracking systems.

If yes, is this documentation intended to be used for monitoring and evaluation?

No

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• economics / marketing

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

The research formed the basis of choosing to scale up the programme and recommendations to run the programme as a business.

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

The program is supported by a loan from The Nature Conservancy, that is repayable in 10 years.

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Yes

If yes, specify type(s) of support, conditions, and provider(s):

Financial support comes in the form of improved livestock markets.

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• none

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• no

If no or uncertain, specify and comment:

NRT - Trading is a central actor in the LTM system, and controls the purchasing and movement of cattle, and manages the finances of the sales. The landowners do not purchase, fatten or sell livestock, they rely on NRT.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Access to a reliable, close, and equitable weight and grade based market for cattle.
Opportunities to restore and prevent landscape degradation through funding provided to communities, support from NRT, and through the shift towards higher quality beef, which requires improved rangeland management to meet demands.
Funding for community projects through conservancies.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Strengthening institutions of grazing management, which should improve the ability to implement sustainable rangeland management technologies.
Creating a shift to a production based focus on livestock management, which should increase livestock quality, and the underlying rangeland productivity.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Unfair or inequitable pricing of livestock.	Clarity on revenue sharing from NRT - Trading. Prices per weight and grade clear and fair.
Some pastoralists do not want to sell cattle, and are not motivated by increasing revenue through market-based systems.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Lack of ownership and participation in the NRT LTM may isolate community members and create friction over finances and project ownership.
Land and resources on the fattening ranches are limited and land invasions have complicated this.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

NRT - LTM Website

URL:

http://www.nrt-kenya.org/livestock/