Crop residue tradeoffs in crop-livestock systems: SLP project overview

Bruno Gerard

SLP Project Review and Planning Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia9-10 Dec 2010

“Improving livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in smallholder crop-livestock systems in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: regional case studies”

What is the Systemwide Livestock Programme (SLP)?

• One of the 15 CGIAR Systemwide and Ecoregional programmes (SWEPs) to favor collective action between CGIAR centers

• First SWEP created in 1992 (ASB)

• SLP created in 1995

Consortium of 12 CGIAR centers

Systemwide Livestock Programme‘raison d'être’

Building and strengthening links between the crop-, agroforestry-, natural resource-, policy- and livestock-oriented CGIAR centres and programmes, their partners and other stakeholders, to develop integrated and coherent strategic and applied research on livestock feed development and related natural resource management and policies.

TOPIC

Ranking summary

Total weight/ Grade

Competitive (No. of persons)

Commissioned (No.

of persons)

1.1Optimizing livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in smallholder crop-livestock systems in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: regional case studies and their strategic lessons

71 6 4

2.1Targeting interventions to benefit vulnerable groups in intensifying smallholder crop-livestock systems 62 4 5

2.2Alleviating poverty in intensifying smallholder crop-livestock systems: methods for setting R&D priorities 48 1 8

3.2Enhancing soil nutrient and water management for the sustainable intensification and diversification of smallholder crop-livestock systems in extensive areas

46 5 1

4.1Assessing energy options from renewable sources for poor households in crop-livestock systems 41 8 1

5.1Overcoming barriers to market access for smallholder crop-livestock systems in extensive areas 38 6 2

3.1Institutional options for improving soil health in smallholder crop-livestock systems 25 5 2

Ranking by LPG of Proposed Research Topics for SLP 2008 Funding

Background

Smallholders in mixed crop-livestock: very large fraction of farming enterprises in developing countries, crop residues (CR) being a strategic production component (multiple use).

Mixed crop-livestock systems are very dynamic, responsive to external drivers such as demographic pressure, development of urban markets and increased demand for crop and livestock products, climate variability and change.

In addition, the recent interest for bio-fuel production exacerbates further the pressure on biomass in production systems.

Background (cont)

The major tradeoff in most systems is the short term benefits of using crop residues to feed livestock versus leaving the crop residues in the field to improve soil productivity (nutrient balance, erosion control, and soil health).

The study focuses on the decision making processes at the farm/household level and will capture the diversity/contrasts and recent changes in CR uses at various scales in order to better target technical, institutional and policy options to improve livelihood without compromising long term system sustainability.

Research Questions

What determines the decisions about crop residue use (current crop management, agro-ecology, markets/institutions, resource endowments, dynamics,…)?

What is the impact of those decisions on livelihoods and system sustainability?

What are the technological, institutional and policy options that would enhance livelihood and environmental benefits?

Research Approach

Combination of village and household surveys and modelling (tradeoff, productivity)

Households surveyed in the four regions using stratified sampling, based on intensification level and market access.

Village group survey to capture: i. Drivers and market access;ii. Communal feed resources;iii. Systems evolution in term of feeding strategies

and soil productivity.

Thematic household survey to capture:i. Decision making for the allocation of crop residues;ii. Identification of soil fertility management practices

and feeding strategies;iii. Retrospective questions to understand farm

evolution/trajectories.

Collection (primary and secondary data) of key bio-physical parameters (minimum data set) to address sustainability issues.

Contrast and trend analysis at household, village, system scales and identification of potential solutions (tradeoff analysis) under a range of scenarios.

SLP site/blogwww.vslp.org