KIGALI, RWANDA (27 October 2011)—The polarized debate over the use of
organic and inorganic practices to boost farm yields is slowing action
and widespread farmer adoption of approaches that could radically
transform Africa’s food security situation, according to a group of
leading international scientists meeting in Kigali this week.
“The ideological divide over approaches to farm production are a
distraction from the actions needed to address food security now and
ensure it in the future,” said Nteranya Sanginga, director general
designate of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA). “Persistently high food prices and low farm yields are
weakening Central Africa’s food security and putting the region’s
fragile stability and economic growth at risk.”
“Climate change, rapid population growth, and intense land pressure
are major challenges for the region. It’s time to focus on practical,
evidence-based solutions that will forever end the cycle of hunger,
poverty and civil conflict,” he added.
Over 200 leading African and international scientists met at the first
conference of the Consortium for Improving Agriculture Based
Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA) in Kigali, Rwanda, this week.
Participants identified several practical solutions that would help
move the region towards a food security. These include scaling up
farmer adoption of new technologies that improve degraded soils
through more efficient use of inorganic fertilizers, new
higher-yielding varieties of staple crops that improve nutrition, and
mixed farming and intercropping approaches for crops like banana,
coffee, and grain legumes.
“For many, fertilizer is a dirty word,” said Bernard Vanlauwe, acting
director of the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility research area at
the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). “We have to
focus on approaches that improve livelihoods.”
“It does not have to be a choice between organic or inorganic; both
approaches can work well together at different stages in agricultural
development,” said Vanlauwe.
Participants at the CIALCA conference reached consensus that
agricultural research and development efforts should focus on the
middle ground, increasingly referred to as sustainable
intensification, which combines the most effective and sustainable
approaches to improving farm yields.
“Sustainable Intensification is the best way to tackle rural poverty
and hunger in regions with huge land and population pressures,” said
Vanlauwe.
Fertilizer use in Africa is by far the lowest in the world. On
average, African farmers apply about 9 kg per hectare of fertilizer
compared to 86 kg per hectare in Latin America and 142 kg per hectare
in Southeast Asia.
“African agriculture is already organic. It’s not working,” said
Sanginga. “We need to focus on practical things that help, not
ideology.”
Agricultural researchers have found ways to dramatically reduce
fertilizer use – while boosting crop yields. These include
site-specific recommendations, partly based on detailed satellite
images of African soils, and a technique known as micro-dosing, which
involves the application of small, affordable quantities of fertilizer
during a crop’s growing period.
New research by CIALCA scientists has shown that intercropping banana
and coffee can benefit both the environment and farmers’ incomes
compared to growing each crop separately. Banana—a food staple for
millions across the region—provides a shaded canopy for coffee plants,
which results in higher yields, less soil erosion, and more money for
the farmers. Scientists also noted that this approach is ‘climate
smart’ because the shade could buffer heat-sensitive coffee crops
against the predicted impacts of climate change.
Improved climbing bean varieties being grown by thousands of farmers
in the region have been particularly well-received, producing three
times the yield of ordinary bush beans. On tightly-packed, small
farms, the new bean varieties make valuable use of limited space by
growing upwards instead of sprawling outwards. They also improve soil
fertility through nitrogen fixation, and when grown in rotation with
maize – another crucial African staple – maize yields have increased
substantially, and the need for fertilizer reduced.
At the close of the CIALCA conference today, participants will
recommend the priority actions for agricultural research and
development efforts in Central Africa. For outcomes and updates,
please visit http://CIALCAconference.org.
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Since 2006, CIALCA, which is led by International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Bioversity International, and Tropical
Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of the International Center for
Tropical Agriculture (TSBF-CIAT), has been working with public and
private sector partners to make improvements to farm production,
market access, and child nutrition in Central Africa’s Great Lakes
region.
For stories, interviews and updates on discussions at the conference,
please visit: www.cialcaconference.org and join the conversation on
Twitter using #CIALCA. More information can be found at
www.cialca.org.