Agroforestry practices developed by land user's initiative but complemented by training, technical support and supplies of seedling by development actors. (GERBA LETA)
The integrated agroforestry system was independently initiated by land users during the Derg regime (1974-91). During the regime, farmers were failed by two distinct and polar development approaches: socialist and the mainstream local approaches. The earlier one involved the communist approach of communal production and sharing the output according to contribution. The latter ones employed a conventional approach and included non-members of the so-called Farmers Producer Cooperatives. As a non-member of the earlier one, the land user had to develop his farm alone. The solitary agroforestry initiative described here has gradually evolved to a fully-fledged system that currently serves as a model SLM practice for scaling up across similar agroecological and farming system. Thus, there was little participation involved during the early intensification of agroforestry in Ethiopia. Rather, it is considered an indigenous practice that now receives publicity as a form of “regenerative agriculture” with ecological, economic, and social benefits. As it has global significance in terms of emission reduction and sequestration of carbon, it is the favourite technology among the government and other development practitioners.
The farmer started agroforestry by planting enset and coffee. Over time, with emerging technical support, access to training, and supply of coffee seedlings by the agriculture and coffee improvement project offices, the land user has continued intensification of the agroforestry around the homestead by adopting the correct planting space for coffee and enset, and other companion fruit, fodder crops, and shade trees. The former Ministry of Coffee and Tea, and the current Ministry of Agriculture have had an immense contribution by supplying technical support, training, and inputs (notably coffee and tree seedlings), and by ensuring access to fertilizers. The latter was supplied to the farmers on a credit basis through the then Service Cooperative.
As the initiative was the farmer's own, the tendency to plant incompatible crops was not uncommon. Even so, the agroforestry trees and shrubs still had immense ecological and economic value. They ameliorate the extreme temperature experienced during the dry season, improve the microclimate, recharge the surface and groundwater via improving water infiltration, and reduce runoff losses. Improving soil fertility and soil health are among other benefits. Despite the substantial benefit the technology confers on land users, the lack of a participatory approach in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation at the community level restricts the adoption and scaling up of this beneficial approach. Despite the achievements of the land user, earlier engagement of other smallholders and institutionalizing the approach decades ago might have positively influenced the design as well as wider-scale adoption and application of the technology. However, regardless of any limitations, the technology is evidence-based and inspirational.
สถานที่: Shoye kebele (Kebele - lower administrative level)., Sidama, เอธิโอเปีย
วันที่ริเริ่ม: 1980
ปีที่สิ้นสุด: n.a.
ประเภทของแนวทาง
| ผู้มีส่วนได้เสียหรือองค์กรที่นำไปปฏิบัติใช้มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องกับแนวทางนี้อย่างไร | ระบุผู้มีส่วนได้ส่วนเสีย | อธิบายบทบาทของผู้มีส่วนได้ส่วนเสีย |
| ผู้ใช้ที่ดินระดับท้องถิ่นหรือชุมชนระดับท้องถิ่น | Land users and local communities | Plan and implement the technology, and sharing labor, skills and knowledge. |
| ผู้เชี่ยวชาญ SLM หรือที่ปรึกษาการเกษตร | Development agents (DAs) and district experts | Provide training, and technical support, facilitate land users' access to inputs such as seedlings and fertilizers, monitor and evaluate, and documentation of successful practices for pervasive application and use. |
| นักวิจัย | Regional Agricultural Research Institute, and under/graduate students. | Generate supportive specific and relevant technologies, learn the lesson, and recommend best-fit technologies/practices. |
| รัฐบาลระดับท้องถิ่น | District administration and colleagues | Acknowledge the farmers/technology adopters as a model to showcase their experience and encourage the scaling out of the initiative. |
A flow chart depicting the evolution of practice from self-initiative indigenous coffee planting practices to a multistorey agroforestry system with the participation and support of public organization agents and farmers' primary cooperative.
การตัดสินใจถูกทำโดย
การตัดสินใจถูกตัดสินอยู่บนพื้นฐานของ
Coffee production and management such as preparation of planting pits, refilling the soil back to the pit, planting space, fertilizer application, weeding, mulching, planting shade trees, etc.
In the past, the government import and supply fertilizer on subsidized basis. The trend was changed over the last a couple of decades.
แรงงานของผู้ใช้ที่ดินคือ
The approach was mainly based on self initiative. The assistance that came in later on was top-down where farmers were urged to plant coffee and companion tree crops. However, later it has evolved into agroforestry and SLM that empower local land users to join.
It is not entirely the approach but the outcome of intensifying the technology that eventually enables land users and other stakeholders to make an evidence-based decision.
The prevailing system compels farmers to integrate land management practices such as soil bunds, food and non-food tree species into the farm that enable land users to adopt and uphold SLM technology.
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Through public meetings and social learning from peers and better-off farmers, land users' knowledge and skills to implement the technology have been improved.
Virtually through social learning and labor sharing.
It was a solitary approach but later adopted by numerous land users.
It doesn't deliberate about gender disparity and equity as it was an indigenous initiative in the long past.
The established technology built youths trust in SLM.
Actually, implementing the agroforestry improved food and nutrition security of the family farmers.
Harvest from the integrated system improved farmer's access to market.
Through promoting biogas technology in mixed tree-crop-livestock system.
Again, it is not the approach but the applied technology has improved farmers adaptation to climate change/climate variability.
It creates all year round employment opportunity for family labor and other casual laborers.
Despite the implementation approach employed by the land user, the technology is highly commended by the land users and the public at large. The income generated from the sale of crops adequately supports the livelihoods of family farmers as well as effectively finances the maintenance of the system. However, the new beginners need external support to make sure the technology is properly implemented and scaled out for wider application and use.
