Food and water security via viable business models

Convener: Salme Timmusk, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Consodyne Mukama Buzabo, Centre for Development & Outreach (SOHA)

Contact: salme.timmusk@slu.se

Agriculture faces several unexpected challenges at global level but in low income countries these challenges are particularly acute as the agriculture represents the dominant part of their economy. Food and water shortages can lead to further unrest and wars. There is significant international consensus around the set of normative goals for food and water security in the changing climate. Yet the visions materialization calls for bridging to local practices and conditions. In order to reduce vulnerability of the countries to climate change agricultural technologies should be environmentally friendly (i), ensure high productivity (ii) and be suitable for small-holder farmers adaptation (iii). These goals can only be achieved via development of innovative interdisciplinary technologies. Agriculture is imbedded in a political and socio-economic environment and any innovative technology has to be scaled for local environment. Favourable policy environment should be established (iiii) to bring in the wide scale change to the food and water security situation in the targeted countries. The innovative programs should engage in a sustainable way, which means increase of yield in the context of scarcity of natural resources and threats against fragile livelihoods, and at the same time, facing constraints linked to climate change, competing energy chain values and dwindling natural resources. The innovations should be linked to capacity building, in terms of human, institutional competence development and infrastructure establishment.

Research and development projects focused on sustainable intensification i.e. increased production on the area of existing agricultural land are invited. The socio–economic and biophysical environments are extremely diverse across the low income countries. As a consequence, the solutions need to be built and adapted to local context. The cutting edge technology innovations should understand the local enabling environment, promote user centred design and have sustainability built into the fabric of the program. Projects focused on youth and women involvement in the targeted countries and with the likelihood of commercialization are invited.

African regional organisations such as Association for Agricultural Research Strengthening in East and Central Africa (ASARECA) represented by natural resource management and biodiversity, economy and marketing specialists as well as ECA national research and business organisations will participate on the panel.

22 Aug., 16:00–17:30, William-Olsson Lecture Hall

• Application of rhizobacteria for improving agricultural water productivity. Diriba Muleta, Institute of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Sunny Felix, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria; Lawrence Behers, Novawest Technologies & Communications AZ, USA and Salme Timmusk, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden
• Sustainable Agricultural Water Productivity Enhancement for Improved Food and Nutrition Security in the Eastern and Central Africa. Francis Wachira and Hezron Mogaka, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)
• Farmers field school training model. Apollo B. Orodho,  Farmers Association Agronomy for Just Earth, Kenya
• Farmers field school training in Uganda. Herbert Nsubuga, The Kingdom of Kooki, Uganda
• Magnetic adsorbents for complex water cleaning and remediation. Gulaim A. Seisenbaeva, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden
• Agro-biodiversity: the key link for ensuring food and water security. Rodomiro Ortiz, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden
• Food and water security in Kenya: untapped potential of youth. Anthony Muraya, Nyakahura Secondary School, Kenya
• Favourable policy environment and user centred design for food and water security in Uganda. Julia Muthoni Macharia, Centre for Development & Outreach (SOHA)

Abstracts

Application of rhizobacteria for improving agricultural water productivity. Diriba Muleta, Institute of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Sunny Felix, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria; Lawrence Behers, Novawest Technologies & Communications AZ, USA and Salme Timmusk, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden

Drought with low nutrient efficiency is a major agricultural problem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) leading to poverty as agriculture is a mainstay for the countries.  Owning to climate change the problem will harden in near future.   We have studied application of beneficial native soil bacteria to increase crop drought tolerance and nutrient use. The bacteria were isolated from harsh environments in Israel and Arizona and developed for field application in Ethiopia.  Our studies reveal five time’s greater survival and 78% higher biomass in inoculated plants under drought stress using the bacterial consortia from the harsh environments. To the best of our knowledge, such a strong improvement of drought tolerance by bacterial inoculation has not been reported before. In frame of the proposed project we have prepared legal documents and optimised the bacterial beneficial effect via development of formulation strategies using crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles for encapsulation of microorganisms. Coalescence of nanoparticles self-assembling on the surface of cell membranes leads to formation of dense and stable shells able to improve survival and function of rhizobacteria. The research project deals with the major cereals in SSA. The developed products and precision management strategies which ensure reproducible performance, are designed as  tools for sustainable intensification in Association for Agricultural Research Strengthening in East and Central Africa (ASARECA) lead water productivity program in East and Central Africa.

Sustainable Agricultural Water Productivity Enhancement for Improved Food and Nutrition Security in the Eastern and Central Africa. Francis Wachira and Hezron Mogaka, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).

The low input agriculture widely practiced by farmers in the Eastern and Central Africa (ECA) cannot meet the growing demand for food and cash income whilst the high risk associated with the variable weather conditions acts as a major constraint to increased uptake and utilization of production technologies that have the potential to increase productivity by several folds while maintaining or improving the resource base. ASARECA has been implementing a project on “Improving Agricultural Water Productivity” that seeks to reverse this by increasing the adoption and scaling up of market driven agricultural water management (AWM) technologies and innovations in ECA. The project is implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Eritrea and Sudan using the innovation platform and climate smart landscape approaches. So far, 6,500 households in Kenya are now food secure compared to less than 1,000 at project inception, due to adoption of project interventions such as weather-based agro-advisories and in-situ water harvesting technologies. Similar results have been posted in Madagascar where most households are now over 80% food secure with onion productivity having been boosted from less than 10 ton/ha to well over 25 tons/ha. A total of 11 graduate students have successfully completed their studies with support from the project and another six are finalizing their studies in various universities in the region.

Farmers field school training model. Apollo B. Orodho, Farmers Association Agronomy for Just Earth, Kenya

The main objective of a Farmers’ Field School (FFS) is to bring small-holding farmers of poorer communities together to empower them in rendering their farming profitable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. The Cornerstone of FFS methodology is Agro-Ecosystem Analysis (AESA) which is the interaction between crops/livestock and their biotic and abiotic factors. Learning lasts for up to three years, with farmers covering a curriculum that develops them holistically through all aspects of their farming, family, business and community activities. Learning occurs weekly on shared community based demonstration plots and is hands on and discovery based. Lessons are transferred by FFS farmers to their own farms, and then in turn to neighbouring farms who show great interest. Farmers develop financial and marketing skills and opportunities through creating strong, coherent registered Microfinance groups. Just Earth empowers whole farming families and their communities through partnering FFS with local Churches. Church communities are engaged with as stake holders in providing locations for learning, and boosting group morale and unity. In Kenya, FFS training models have proven highly successful with small-scale farmers increasing crop yields and living standards, with one of 2,000 such trained farmers (female) receiving the award for ‘Kenya Small-Scale Farmer of the year.’ It is estimated, through FFS members training neighbouring families, that over 70,000 family members in total have been impacted positively. Opportunities and support for FFS expansion are being sought in other regions and nations as the need for empowerment and development of poorer communities increases globally.

Farmers field school training in Uganda. Herbert Nsubuga, The Kingdom of Kooki, Uganda.

Here we propose a model village project on our Kingdom provided land. The work will be performed in cooperation with    Dr Apollo B. Orodho leaded  farming  school in Kenya, Dr. Salme Timmusk research group in Uppsala, Sweden and with Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). We promote efficient agricultural technologies suitable for smallholders through increased investment in agricultural biotechnology and precision management, crop breeding and livestock research. The main objective is to empower small-holder farmers from poorest communities in rendering their farming profitable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. Special attention is paid to local enabling environment and promotion of user centred design as well as methods communication to Ugandan   private sector and integration of additional stakeholders. The farming school training models have been highly successful in Kenya. The model village in our Kingdom would offer appropriate knowledge and strategies for sustainably intensified farming under the changing climate in Uganda.

Magnetic adsorbents for complex water cleaning and remediation. Gulaim A. Seisenbaeva, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden

The warming climate leads globally to increased acidity and increased organic and biological pollution of freshwater sources. The augmented acidity is associated additionally with enhanced release of heavy metals from the mineral bed in rivers and lakes, challenging the environmentally friendly enzymatic means for removal of organic pollution, in the first hand, medicines and urea. Urea is the most important byproduct of protein metabolism and major organic component of the urine. The major goal of the present project is set in development of adsorbents, possessing a principally new broad spectrum of action, for rapid cleaning of water. The developed materials are multifunctional and are bearing both functions binding to heavy metals and also immobilized enzymatic functions for splitting urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. The enzymes are biological tools for transformation of organic molecules. Formulation of an enzyme on a designed adsorbent permits using it for complex cleaning procedures in one step and avoid the otherwise practically inevitable poisoning of the enzymes by heavy metals. Adsorbents are also provided with magnetic components to make them easily removable. This simplifies technically the cleaning and remediation procedures. The process has been verified by studies of water remediation from pathogenic concentrations of urea and typical heavy metal pollutants such as Hg and Cu. The developed adsorbents bearing the urease enzyme were rather stable in the presence of heavy metal impurities. The enzymatic activity of the produced adsorbent was at least 65 %.

Agro-biodiversity: the key link for ensuring food and water security. Rodomiro Ortiz, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden

Many people live in environments affected by water scarcity, drought intensity and declining ground water aquifers, which affect farming productivity. Agro-ecosystems need to emphasize improvements in system productivity by enhancing water use–efficiency. Agriculture is the largest water consumer and has the greatest impact on water pollution. Intensifying agriculture –because expanding to new areas is limited– requires more water and may lead to more water contamination. Water productivity (WP) is the net return for water use or the ratio of biomass with economic value (edible yield) versus the amount of water transpired. WP can be accomplished by breeding water–efficient crops that match the prevailing climate. Waterlogging (ensuing from flood or sub-emergence) is a harmful abiotic stress causing yield loss and whose importance will increase due to climate change. Adaptation to waterlogging is a complex trait but plant breeding seems to be an effective and economic way for developing cultivars that grow successfully under complete submergence. Water contamination from agriculture results from excess of inputs such as nutrients –due to large amounts of chemical fertilizers– and pesticides that may end on streams and aquifers, which calls for developing cultivars with improved input use efficiency and host plant resistance. Genomics facilitates plant breeding aiming cultivars bearing several target genes, while genetic engineering provides innovative methods for developing cultivars with enhanced adaptation to drought. Their adoption varies according to biophysical and socio-economic factors. Smallholders may not benefit from plant breeding if barriers for adopting cultivars, which are often political, are not overcome.

Food and water security in Kenya: untapped potential of youth. Anthony Muraya, Nyakahura Secondary School, Kenya

Kenya is one of the countries in Africa, which is highly vulnerable to climate change. It is primarily due to its reliance on rainfed agriculture, high population growth rates that average 3.7 percent, and endemic poverty that affects more than 50 percent of the population. Although Kenya is gradually shifting from agriculture to industrial, construction, and service sectors, agriculture still looms large as the economic driver and is hence vulnerable to climate change. Many challenges in the country have to be addressed simultaneously before the efforts will result in sustainable economy. Due to lack of motivation, challenging opportunities most of youth in Kenya is not interested in agricultural activities.

The next generation must have the education and tools to rise up and meet the challenges that face our society, to transform and overcome poverty and hunger. We propose a project scaling up primary and secondary school curriculum such as biology, chemistry, medicine to challenge and motivate youth.  We plan to clarify novel management strategies for food and water security adapted for local conditions. These activities will provide opportunities of achievement, leadership and personal growth for individual students to achieve level of success in agriculture. Together with local business farming organizations and research organizations we will establish demonstration trials and business models at Muranga County which is located in Central Kenya.

Favourable policy environment and user centred design for food and water security in Uganda. Consodyne Mukama Buzabo and Julia Muthoni Macharia, Centre for Development & Outreach (SOHA)

Recent trends and the current performance of agriculture in Uganda show that the country is progressively less able to meet the needs of its burgeoning population under the changing climate. With agriculture looming so large in the economy of the country, sluggish growth in agricultural productivity translates into sluggish overall growth and generally low per capita income levels. In the face of climate change, adaptation is essential for sustained economic growth.  SOHA together with the Farmers Field School at Kingdom of Kooki aims to address marginal groups of society. Effective policies and technology interventions are applied, aiming  to encompass student  careers, health and environment  for sustainable  improvement human well-being. Children are provided with education and opportunities. We aim to strengthen the  local enabling environment, increase access to markets and improve rural infrastructure.