Pdf developing sustainable agriculture in southern africa. We will shortly announce a call for collaborative proposals to address research challenges related to the sustainable intensification of agricultural systems in subsaharan africa. Subsaharan africa ssa is a region that is facing acute food crisis and needs not only sustainability in agricultural development but also in food security. A farm that is able to produce perpetually, yet has negative effects on environmental quality elsewhere is not sustainable agriculture. The goal of the project is to reduce poverty among outofschool youths by growing commercially viable agrienterprise livelihoods. Nifa promotes sustainable agriculture through national program leadership and funding for research and extension, offers competitive grants programs and a professional development program, and collaborates with other federal agencies.
Agricultural transformation in africa food and agriculture. Inorganic fertilizer may cause acidification and loss of land. On the list of 20 top agricultural and food commodity importers in 2004, 60% are from subsaharan africa. The africa agriculture status report of 2019 by agra highlights the trends and progress, as well as challenges and constraints of private sector firms in the upstream and midstreamdownstream offfarm components of the agrifood system. South africa s agricultural policies and regulations 14 3. Creating sustainable agricultural impact for smallholders. The workshop on adoption of technologies for sustainable farming systems, hosted by the netherlands ministry of agriculture, nature management and fisheries, was held in wageningen on 47 july 2000. While there is more than one definition of sustainable agriculture, this report utilizes the oecd definition referenced above. Pdf relevant issues for sustainable agriculture in subsaharan. Agriculture is the main source of income for 90% of rural population in africa. The quest for sustainable agricultural transformation in africa under a changing. Agriculture represents a great part of the africas share in world trade. Food security and sustainable agriculture the challenges of climate change in subsaharan africa side event. Sustainable agriculture for subsaharan africa sassa bbsrc.
Site includes the legal definition of sustainable agriculture and a list of common farm and ranch practices. Adenle and others published relevant issues for sustainable agriculture in subsaharan africa find, read and cite all the. The following short papers summarise farm africas approach to. Sustainable agriculture alternative farming systems. Agriculture, sokoine university of agriculture sua, morogoro, united republic of tanzania nomathemba mhlanga agribusiness officer, subregional office for eastern africa sfe, fao, addis ababa, ethiopia mark kofi fynn agribusiness advisor, department of rural economy and agriculture drea of the african union commission auc. Climatesmart agriculture pdf 957kb technology pdf 864kb. Sustainable land management slm an essential component of such policies will help to ensure the productivity of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and hydrology. The purpose of this chapter is to identify the financial tools most likely to support sustainable agriculture practices in developing countries. It recognizes that biodiversity is an integral part of agriculture and is committed to working with governments and other key actors to mainstream biodiversity as a vital element of sustainable agriculture. However, in response to recent skepticism, this paper examines whether the conventional wisdom about agricul. The sustainable land management sourcebookprovides a knowledge repository of tested practices and. Sustainable farming as a viable option for enhanced food and nutritional security and a sustainable productive resource base a field report prepared by asset research under contract from the an initiative of the development bank of southern africa and the department of environment affairs deliverable 4. Sustainable agriculture from common principles to common practice edited by fritz j.
The principle of sustainability is the same all over these sectors. Globally, agriculture and cattle production accounts for 25% of global ghg emissions. Slm will also support a range of ecosystem services on which agriculture depends. Improving statistics for food security, sustainable. Widespread rural poverty in africa and the success of asias green revolution suggest that agriculture is a key sector for african development. Lead farmer extension and training guide on sustainable. Drivers of sustainable technologies and approaches in agriculture 12 3. Dedi cated stewardship is the first step toward sustainable agriculture. Promoting sustainable agriculture in africa through. Promoting sustainable agriculture in africa through ecosystem. Five pillars of sustainable agriculture adapted from khwidzhili, 2012 figure 1 graphically depicts the elements of sustainable agriculture. Agriculture in africa 3 our continent has enormous potential, not only to feed itself and eliminate hunger and food insecurity, but also to be a major play. The concept of sustainability has become central to all sectors all over the world, from agriculture to environment to business, engineering and industrialization. Khwidzhili and others published evaluation of policies promoting sustainable agriculture in south africa find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.
The achievement of sustainable agriculture in south africa is hindered by numerous factors like poor rural infrastructure, globalization, natural resource constraints, shortage of skills, climate change, etc. Sustainable farming as a viable option for enhanced food. The following section outlines sustainability theory and how this has progressed over the last four decades. Shifting cultivation was sustainable in zambia when or where population density was still low. We work with various partners in the agribusiness sector to ensure we provide cost effective solutions with long term benefits to our members. Africa and a major player in the worlds economic and political affairs of which their 202020 plan is their guideline. Sustainable agriculture and food security in africa.
The workshop drew together participants from agriculture and environment ministries. This is part of the global challenges research fund which requires projects to meet official development assistance criteria alongside their scientific objectives. We work with them to plan for the long term, especially for climate shocks, like flooding or drought. Our mission is to expand the status of farming in africa beyond the current level of subsistence and subsubsistence farming to a production system that creates sustainable commerce, thereby producing jobs and improving the health of communities for generations to come. Sustainable agricultural mechanization food and agriculture. Identify the constraints to improvements of the systems.
The promotion of the rural economy in a sustainable way has the potential of increasing employment opportunities in rural areas, reducing regional income disparities, stemming premature ruralurban. Sustainable farming services africa sfsa is an advisory, training and consulting firm working within the agriculture sector in kenya and elsewhere in africa. The challenges of agriculture and rural development in. Matf innovative partnerships and approaches dear guest of honour, mrs phoebe odhiambo, grant holders of matf, representatives of the media, ladies and gentlemen, it is a special day today as we as we are about to start the 4th grant holders. Sustainable agriculture for subsaharan africa sassa. Jul 19, 2017 sassa attracted considerable attention from researchers in both africa and the uk. The challenges of agriculture and rural development in africa. For sustainable agricultural finance, loans and fees predominate.
In this context, potentially sustainable methods based on seawater and solar energy will be discussed here toward increasing agriculture surfaces and enhancing food production systems in drylands. Herren proceedings and outputs of the first symposium of the international forum on assessing sustainability in agriculture infasa, march 16, 2006, bern, switzerland. Drawing on available literature, this article presents an overview of the challenges facing sustainable food production in subsaharan africa. While agriculture is the sector most vulnerable to climate change, it is also a major cause, directly accounting for about 14 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, or approximately 30 percent. The series aims to highlight key topics in the field of sustainable. It is time for the african sustainable green revolution. Sustainable intensification in african agriculture jules pretty1, camilla toulmin2 and stella williams3 1 university of essex, wivenhoe park, colchester, essex, co4 3sq, uk 2 international institute for environment and development iied, 3 endsleigh street, london wc1h 0dd. Sustainable food security in a world of growing population and changing diets is a major challenge under. Burkina faso mixed cropping of maize and mucuna for soil fertility improvement and weed control. It does not include the mainly pastoral, semiarid areas that cover much of the region. Its focus is on the less arid areas of eastern and southern africa, where sustainable agriculture approaches have achieved most success.
To become a developed nation, nigeria needs to speed up its economic. Despite the important roles it plays, some of the modern farming practices adopted by most farmers pose a threat to the environment 1, 2. Rural development in subsaharan africa policy perspectives for agriculture, sustainable resource management and poverty reduction bulletin 370 royal tropical institute kit amsterdam kit development, policy and practice. Finally, the paper discuses the application of sustainable agriculture to south africas agricultural development agenda. However, under the right conditions, agriculture can provide a multitude of environmental services that can help mitigate against climate change. This 2019 sustainable agriculture market intelligence report mir discusses the economic impacts of external factors on the sector, particularly the western cape drought 2015 2018. The challenges facing this country are grouped into the three pillars of sustainable development. The report start by revealing that although 7080 percent of people in rural africa work on their own farms. In 1970 most countries in africa, asia and latin america were still characterized by high levels of undernourishment, heavy dependence on agriculture for employment and low productivity. Some traditional tools, such as government and corporate subsidies, are not as relevant for sustainable agriculture, since by definition, the goal is to have closed loops, operating without regularly. The african union commission auc and the food and agriculture organization of the united nations fao view agricultural mechanization in africa as an urgent matter and an indispensable.
To contribute more decisively to sustainable change in the african agricultural sector, the caadp must draw on several fundamental principles and guidelines. The role of agriculture in african development xinshen diao international food policy research institute, washington, dc, usa peter hazell university of london, uk and james thurlow international food policy research institute, washington, dc, usa summary. This includes carbon sequestration, watershed protection and biodiversity conservation. Role by hah eswaran, national leader, world soil resources, soil conservation service, usda, washington, dc sustainable agriculture demands new efforts in research, develop ment, and implementation. The type of farming practices employed within an agroecosystem have some effects on its health and sustainable agricultural production. Pdf promoting sustainable agriculture in africa through. Food security and sustainable agriculture the challenges of. Therefore, creating a sustainable agricultural development path means improving the quality of life in rural areas. In developing countries, the government is often too scattered or too ineffective to actually create change.
Sustainable agriculture is a type of agriculture that focuses on producing longterm crops and livestock while having minimal effects on the environment. South africa as a country faces a number of challenges that affect its sustainable development. Building a resilient and sustainable agriculture in subsaharan africa. Worldwide, there are already numerous examples of sustainable agriculture practicesapproaches that have been taken to scale. For africa to reap the potential benefits csa, concrete actions must be taken to. Thus, it is important to encourage farmers to make use of ecosystemfriendly farming practices if. This study focuses on the possibility of developing sustainable agriculture at a local level in southern africa. Efforts towards sustainable agriculture in south africa. Improving farmer learning in and for sustainable agriculture in southern africa 1 the gatekeeper series of the natural resources group at iied is produced by the food and agriculture team. By the year 2020, the world will have to support some 8. Jan 30, 2018 sustainable agriculture in south africa is on the rise. Saharan africa, and 11 times more effective than other sectors in sub. Policy on agriculture in sustainable development 8th dra.
Southern africa is the hub of african agriculture and could be utilized for. Latin america and parts of north africa, while subsaharan africa has not experienced the same growth. Issuesclimatechange sustainable agriculture network. Sustainable development can take many forms, but it always requires financial support that often comes from nonprofit organizations or the government.
Through training and capacity building, peace corps tanzanias sustainable agriculture project promotes food security, sustainable livelihoods, and increased resilience. The comprehensive african agricultural development programme caadp is an integral part of the new partnership for africa s development nepad and the sectors prominence in the region is evident in. Consequently, achieving agricultural devel opment is a necessary condition for reducing food insecurity, but. Sustainable agriculture 2019 market intelligence report. Lead farmer extension and training guide on sustainable agriculture ii acknowledgements this lead farmer training and extension guide is an outcome of a yearlong and concerted effort by farmers, agricultural and programme. Agricultural production and economic growth in nigeria. The loss in africa could be 1728 percent cline 2007. Developing a common understanding for modernization of agriculture in africa. A framework for africa vii sustainable agricultural mechanization can redeem africa from perpetual food insecurity. Sustainable intensification in african agriculture jules pretty1, camilla toulmin2 and stella williams3 1 university of essex, wivenhoe park, colchester, essex, co4 3sq, uk 2 international institute for environment and development iied, 3 endsleigh street, london wc1h 0dd 3 iju isaga, agege, lagos state, nigeria over the past halfcentury, agricultural production gains have provided a.
Climate change is an additional challenge to effective farming in africa. Sustainable agriculture takes many forms, but at its core is a rejection of the industrial approach to food production developed during the 20th century. South africa s agricultural policies and regulations 14. Sustainable agriculture volunteers introduce improved technologies to maximize crop production, diversify farming, encourage appropriate agricultural practices, and create new opportunities for farmers. Sustainable agriculture depends on replenishing the soil while minimizing the use or need of nonrenewable resources, such as natural gas or mineral ores. Sustainable intensification and the african smallholder farmer. Because of this, we provided some additional guidance and a webinar with brian harris bbsrc head of agriculture and food security. To promote sustainable agricultural production in ghana and.
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