POLICY NEWS

Ecosystem Policy Support.

Unleashing Value chain Addition in Africa

Policy and Legislation to Incentivize Investments.

PROJECT NEWSLake Chilwa basin Adaptation Project (Malawi)

Roles of Ecosystem in Eastern & Southern Africa

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AFRICA

June - July 2015 | Issue 12 www.aaknet.org

EVENTS &CLIMATE WARNINGS 7

Climate Adaptation

• “Youthing” the Value chain.

• Agriculture, Food Security & Inclusive Economies.

• Funding Small scale Farmers.

• Support of a Greener Revolution

The EbA for food security in Africa is providing the practicality of actualizing adaptation as a business in the continent considering that Agriculture employs 60% of the labor in the continent. This paradigm brings with it a multiplicity of benefits that are enhancing sustainable and inclusive growth in the continent. It not only enhances food and nutritional security but also climate resilience, promote ecosystem productivity and links to agrovalue chains to unleash numerous income & job opportunities…….

Download Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EbA) for Food Security Report

http://www.afsac2.aaknet.org

2nd Africa Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EbA) for Food Security Conference July 30 - 31 | Nairobi, Kenya

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POLICY NEWS

The  2014 Africa Progress Panel report presents the two faces of Africa: robust economic growth and continuing poverty. But the report suggests Africa could change this duality by asking: how can resources make a positive impact on development? While impressive headline growth figures are reported, incomes do not trickle down to improve livelihoods of the majority of the population. 

Diversifying sources of growth, to include a strengthened agriculture sector that works with nature and not against it, will go a long way to improving livelihoods, considering that the sector currently employs about  60% of Africa’s labor force, most of it rural. Going forward, it’s imperative to look at whether relying on oil or soil could provide the most feasible pathway to enhance food security and job creation for the youth,  currently at 200 million and rising to 400 million by 2040.

With  60% of Africa’s  workforce directly dependent on agriculture for survival - and growing poverty and food insecurity  according to the World Bank - it is where the food is grown that should be the focus. Africa’s soil should be its next “oil” in a changing climate. The continent had a  food import bill of over $35bn in  2011 (excluding fish) and

imports of food exceed exports by 30%.

In addition, growing urban populations and the middle class are demanding more nutritious, varied and processed food, creating opportunities for income generation from agriculture.

Going forward, African agriculture and agribusiness is estimated to be worth $1tn by 2030. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in African agriculture is projected to grow from  less than $10bn in 2010 to more than $45bn in 2020. This demonstrates the potential of agriculture to generate significant income for Africa.

In addition, considering that existing oil and mineral reserves will run out, but Africa’s soil and its ecosystems, including rivers and forests, will remain, agriculture offers a sustainable source of income. Oil revenue should be reinvested into agriculture to ensure food production and employment creation well into the future.

FARMING MUST BE SUSTAINABLE, NOT INDUSTRIAL

Intensified conventional agriculture, that focuses on expanding production only, rather than ensuring the resilience of the entire food system, will have a negative impact on smallholders as well as the environment

Conventional approaches such as deforestation and overuse of fertilizers to increase yield  undermine the ecosystem that food production depends on. Less damaging approaches are necessary to safeguard future food security. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) approaches offer  an alternative. For example, maize rotated with soybean  increases yields by 5–20% more than continuous maize monocultures.  Rotating peas with wheat increases soil nitrogen levels by 6–14 kg/ha, and with this,  an 8% increase in wheat yields.

Sustainable farming approaches are easily adaptable in most rural communities, since they involve traditional agricultural practices. A recent  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) publication  shows how it is possible to invest in EBA with case studies from eight African countries. Also work done by NGOs Futures Agriculture  and  Canadian Food grains Bank  provide examples of EBA-driven agriculture in Africa ...Read More

Soil: the sustainable alternative to oil income in Africa THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURAL SOILS AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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POLICY NEWS

OPERATIONALIZING THE ECOSYSTEM BASED AGRICULTURE PARADIGMS

The Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EbA) for Food Security Report has done a review of relevant literature and presentation of empirical findings that has challenged the current food insecurity scenario in Africa by laying a case for a paradigm shift from current conventional agricultural approaches that destroy ecosystems through unsustainable practices like deforestation, overgrazing, mono cropping on a lower level and a focus on substituting natural processes like soil formation, and biodiversity with artificial ones reliant on overuse of external inputs like energy intensive high emitting mechanized tillage, agrochemicals and overuse of fertilizer to increase food production at a higher level, without considering the sustainability of the ecosystems that underpin food production and without considering the food value chain as a continuum.

This approach it has been argued, will not build an economically and environmentally sustainable food system in Africa in the long run especially under the changing climate .As an alternative, the new paradigm of holistic agriculture, that considers productivity and efficiency of the entire food value chain by integrating

ecological on farm productivity using ecosystem based adaptation techniques like conservation agriculture, agroforestry etc. with value addition enterprises supported by appropriate technologies and business models on and beyond the farm gate so as to build sustainable food systems for Africa has been proposed.

To this end, two components, one - upscaling this new paradigm both vertically in terms of influencing policy toward this approach and horizontally in terms of wide scale replication of successful application of this paradigm or its components and two - investment by various actors involved in Africa’s food security in this new paradigm to facilitate adoption have been suggested as the way forward to safeguard Africa’s food security, adaptation and sustainability of its ecosystems under a changing climate while simultaneously creating income and job opportunities for millions in the continent. Considering the substantial influence appropriate policies have on ensuring positive change, this document has recommended a number of policies that will contribute toward attracting investment at country level as well as regional and continental. In addition, a number of measures have been recommended to achieve scale.

Unleashing value chain addition in africa through Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EbA) Agriculture

EBA-DRIVEN APPROACH

The strategic framework addresses the operational requirements needed to facilitate

successful implementation of these components the policy measures to attract investment as well as measures to achieve scale.

It is based on pillars that include appropriate institutions to embed policies in both public and private sector; resources, including financial support and human capacity to facilitate implementation of requisite strategies; knowledge management frameworks to guide development and implementation of strategies; and appropriate metrics to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of implementation activities for both public and private sector.

Institutions are the foundation that embeds good policies in both the public and private sector, to ensure policies are grounded and sustainable over time. As discussed in the report, commitment by private, nongovernmental and public players is required to ensure continued investment in this paradigm shift. . ....Read more

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POLICY NEWS

A number of policies can be recommended in creating a conducive environment to facilitate investment in the new agricultural paradigm by actors within a country. This paradigm takes a holistic view of agriculture to ensure sustainability and increased productivity from on farm production and efficiency and waste reduction at and beyond to post-farm gate value addition.

FINANCING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

It involves application of ecological agriculture practices at the farm level to ensure sustainable crop productivity hence food and livelihood security while simultaneously enhancing ecosystem productivity and ensuring climate resilience and integrates value chain enhancement strategies and technologies along the entire food value chain to prevent food loss and create opportunities for off farm livelihood activities. This is in contrast to conventional food systems that focus on increasing production through excessive use of external inputs, mainly energy through mechanization, agrochemicals

and fertilizer that jeopardize the long term productivity of ecosystems and does not incorporate value addition chains as a continuum.

A number of groups, within a country can be targeted with enabling policies to facilitate investment at their respective levels. From rural small holder farmers, vulnerable groups such as rural poor engaging in agriculture, to women and the youth, community based organizations, non-governmental organizations, private sector – both large enterprises and SMEs, donor community, educational and research institutions and local governments, all these can be enabled, through appropriate policies, to invest in and effect this new paradigm at their level within a country.

Generally it is widely agreed that land rights are essential in motivating short and long-term fixed investments in agriculture by diverse groups, from small holder farmers to larger investor groups in the private sector...Read more

ENABLING POLICY AND LEGISLATION TO INCENTIVIZE COUNTRY INVESTMENT

To realize the value chain potential, there is need to enhance the capacity of African youth to engage in agribusiness, hence ensure they generate incomes while feeding Africa. The African Development Bank highlights the need to build the capacity of youth through entrepreneurship training to enable them take advantage of agribusiness value-chains and enable them create livelihoods.

As practical demonstration of youth engagement, in Uganda, a project – teens Uganda - is engaging the youth by creating an enabling environment with better education, exposure and linkages to markets, and in the process, making the community food secure and creating employment opportunities for the youth.

In addition, the master card foundation has partnered with SNV to facilitate access to secure jobs, financial services and skills for young people to grow their own businesses, making the case for agriculture as a business that offers several pathways to steady employment or entrepreneurship through the Opportunities for Youth Employment project (OYE). From this project, it is envisaged that 20,500 disadvantaged young people will acquire improved skills training in agribusiness and biogas and at least 80% of those young people will be employed or will start their own business in high-growth agriculture and biogas sectors...Read More

YOUTHS “YOUTHING” THE VALUE CHAIN?

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PROJECT NEWS

MasterCard Foundation Launches $50 Million Fund to Help Smallholder Farmers in Africa The MasterCard Foundation on the 20th of January 2015 launched a US$50 million challenge fund to improve the lives of smallholder farmers in Africa by enabling businesses to begin or expand financial services in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Over the last decade, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have enjoyed substantial economic growth but much of this growth has not benefitted the rural poor, especially smallholder farmers who are mostly women and who depend on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods,” said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. She further went on and said, “This new Fund will stimulate private sector organizations to provide  affordable and accessible savings, credit and insurance products. These services are essential to enable African farmers to increase productivity and incomes and, ultimately, grow rural economies.”

The MasterCard Foundation Fund for Rural Prosperity  will support innovative ideas that have the potential to grow to scale and also have a deep social impact on the lives of rural people living in poverty throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The Fund will operate under two broad categories:...Read More

The Lake Chilwa Basin Climate change Adaptation project – Malawi

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The problem: unsustainable land use practices over the years re-sulted in the degradation of eco-systems in the project site. This included degradation of forest catchment areas that resulted in impacts such as increased soil eros-ion leading to increasing siltation in water bodies, receding lake, which was close to drying in 2012, and hydrological regulation problems of droughts and floods.

Techniques: EbA technologies that included CA; and Reforestation; as well as capacity building /training of local and district institutions on natural resources management to enhance community capacity to implement adaptation actions and introducing alternative liveli-hoods (animal and fish farming) and drought resistant crops enhanced food security and built the commu-nities resilience to climate change effects especially drought, while si-multaneously restoring the ecosys-tem and enhancing its productivity and ensuing services such as hydro-logic regulation to control flooding

RESULTS:

• Capacity building for climate adaptation at local and dis-trict level

• Food/nutrition security en-hanced.

• Climate adaptation / resilien-ce building.

• Ecosystem productivity en-hanced.

• Incomes / jobs created

The project proved that a com-prehensive strategic framework for EbA can well be achieved and it has more opportunities to com-munal challenges

Read more

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AFRICA

June - July 2015—

Issue 12

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF A

GREENER REVOLUTION IN AFRICA

In Malawi, a subsidy programme for

nitrogen fertiliser and improved maize

seed has been heralded as a triumph

for input intensification of rain-fed

cereals. Over 1 million farmers have

benefitted annually since 2006, with

increased maize yields doing much to

address food insecurity in the country.

But the team, which undertook the

field research on which Malawi’s

current programme, is based also

recognised that crop diversity would

be sacrificed by a system entirely

based on maize.

In response, two members of that

team initiated a country-wide trial,

to compare monocultural maize

production with a more diversified

system. In particular, the research

team wanted to test the hypothesis

that a diversified system would offer

improved ecosystem services, and that

these would contribute to enhanced

food security among a broad base of

Malawi’s rural poor.

This trial developed into a five year

programme of participatory research

at sites in northern and southern

Malawi, which was then expanded into

a country-wide study involving around

1,000 farmers. .. Read More

POLICY NEWS

The Role of EcoSystems in Adapting to Climate Change in Eastern and

Southern Africa

Climate variability and change are expected to compromise agricultural production and food security severely in many African countries. In East and Southern Africa, the effects of climate change will be compounded by the region’s high poverty levels, weak infrastructure, poor natural resources management and dependence on rainfed agriculture.

As a result of climate change, the region could see net reductions of more than 10 per cent in the production of maize and other major crops such as sorghum, millet, sugar cane and wheat. While commercial livestock activities may marginally improve as the result of increased rainfall, traditional communal livestock activities may be disadvantaged because of increased erosion and the incursion of woody weeds in some areas.

Water-related problems, already serious in the region, are likely to worsen as a result of climate change. Intense rainfall events will increase the incidence of flooding in many areas. At the same time, reduced run-off will exacerbate water stress and reduce the quality and quantity of water available for domestic and crop and livestock use. Experts predict that Southern Africa will become drier, and that rainfall will increase in parts of East Africa. Drought-prone areas of Botswana, Ethiopia, the Sudan and Zimbabwe are likely to become more vulnerable to climate change than more humid areas of the United Republic of Tanzania or Zambia.

There are already signs that drought is becoming more common and more prolonged in the drylands of Southern Africa, and drought incidence is expected to increase as a result of higher temperatures and reduced rainfall

The ability of people to adapt to climate change is inextricably linked to their access to basic human rights and to the health of the ecosystems they depend on for their livelihoods and wellbeing. If adaptation policies and programs are to be effective, they must integrate efforts to sustain and restore ecosystem functions and promote human rights under changing climate conditions. ..Watch Video for more

EVENTS

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AdaptationNewsletter

AFRICAJune - July 20

15—Issue 12

15 NEW YORK CITY, US

Third Drafting Session on Outcome Document of Third Conference on FfD

17 YAOUNDE, CAMEROON

15th Meeting of Partners (MoP) of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership

18 VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Vienna Energy Forum 2015

22 NEW YORK CITY, US

Intergovernmental Negotiations on Post-2015 Development Agenda – Sixth Session

02 PRAGUE, CZECH

26th International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly

07 PARIS, FRANCE

Our Common Future Under Climate Change

13 ADDIS , ETHIOPIA

Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD

30 NAIROBI, KENYA

Second EBAFOSC Conference

8 NAIROBI, KENYA

Climate change in the post-2015 framework – views from East Africa

24 HONOLULU, US

Asia Pacific Resilience Innovation Summits and Expo

31 BONN, GERMANY

ADP 3

JUN

EJU

LYA

UG

UST

CLIMATE WARNINGSA recent UNEP study looked at historical damage to food crops from high temperatures during the growing season alongside projections of future warming. It suggests that unprecedented heat during the growing season could threaten food security in many regions and especially Africa will be greatly affected.

EVENTS & WARNINGS

AdaptationNewsletter

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AFRICA

June - July 2015—

Issue 12

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Coordinating EditorRichard Munang, PhDAfrica Regional Climate Change Coordinator, UNEP

SecretariatMr. Kouadio Ngoran

Mr. Robert Mgendi

Mr. Moses Ako

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