CRA process presentation | Mahlathini Development Foundation

Promoting collaborative, pro-poor agricultural

innovation

2003-2023

Climate Resilient Agriculture and innovation system

development: Forsustainableandproductiveuseoflandand

water

The smallholder farming

system

Smallholder

farming

system

Dryland cropping

of staples on small

patches of available

land (0,1-1ha)

Extensive

grazing of

livestock on

stover and

veld

Intensive

homestead food

production;

vegetables, fruit,

small livestock

Feed

biomass

mulch

Manure

mulch

Fodder

manure

stover

Cover

crops,

non

staples

OM and

soil

fertility

Little to

no soil

cover

Principles ‘translated’

DSS Guiding principles

CRA

learning

group

VSLAs

Marketing

committees

Water

committees

Livestock

associations

Youth

groups

CCA impact

assessments

Adaptive

strategies and

planning

Innovation and

practices

Implementation

Monitoring,

cyclical review

and evalution

Government

departments

Traditional

authority

Wardcommittees

Local

Municipality

Business

community

Academia

Civil

Society

Innovation

platforms –

clusters of LGs

Associations

and

organisations

Multistakeholde

r platforms

CRA learning groups: Process for development of social agency

PRESENT SITUATION

INTERVENTIONS AND PROCESSES TO BUILD

SOCIAL AGENCY

IMPROVED DECISION MAKING AND

GOVERNANCE OUTCOMES

Actions

Joint analysis

(Outcomes) Actions/Outcomes

learning (Outcomes)

Actions/Outcomes

Joint decision making

(Outcomes)

Focus group discussions and mapping:

socio

-ecological patches

Present situation in land use and

management, including needs and

issues (emerging from discussions)

Focus group discussions/ Thematic workshop:

CC, resource issues (erosion, alien invasion,

wetlands and rivers, water access, grazing

management)

Socio

ecological mapping: Impact

of human interventions and

climate on the environment

Adaptive planning workshop using

layered socio ecological maps (expert and

community combined)

Management plan for water and land

resources

Village walks for detailed resource

discussions and mapping (key

informants)

Community workshops on CC impact (social,

economic, farming, resources). Adaptive

strategies (communities and stakeholders

combined)

CC impact and adaptive

strategies

Expert ecological mapping (GIS)

incl

EIA, Veld assessment, water resource

survey etc. (with key informants)

Prioritization of adaptive measures, and

practices

Village based learning groups

Further social organisations develop (

including markeintg, microfinance,

water livestock etc.)

Linked youth groups in resource

management and enterprise development

Experimentation with new practices and

innovations in Climate resilient agriculture

(Individual smallholders and support

organisations)

CRA experimentation and

implementation

Iterative experimentation with CRA

practices to tackle more complex issues,

Improved land use and coordination at

community level

Seasonal review and re

-planning

Stakeholder engagement

- innovation

platforms and multi stakeholder forums

etc

Focus group discussions,individual

interviews

Local structures and decisions

made by them, including factors

that influence individual and

community decision making

(emerging from discussions)

Thematic focus areas: water access and

management , livestock and grazing

management, natural resources management,

Marketing committees , VSLAs

Learning group discussions and

prioritization of urgent issues

Committees discuss, plan and

implement (with support) prioritized

actions in thematic areas

Community level structures develop for

improved governance

with broader and

equitable community involvement linked

to local and traditional authorities

Further engagement with stakeholders for

expanded implementation options around

water and resource management

LGs, committees and community

structures engage in resource

management projects with a range of

stakeholders

OUTCOMES

Improved participatory decision making

to support implementation and innovation

Improved governance

- new community

based structures

Improved governance improved rules and

logistics within community based

structures .

Improved governance

- coherent

collaboration with stakeholders and role

players.

Collect and

analyse

information

Identify

options and

implement

Build improved

systems and

social agency

Activities:

(48 villages in EC, KZN and Limpopo)

Governance:

INSTITUTIONAL

GOVERNANCE

Paradigms strongly commodity

focused within agro-industrial

complex.

Implementation for governance

and support virtually zero –

Corruption now almost

completely systemic.

The few actions undertaken, often

counterproductive

Conservation Agriculture

Local farmer centre for input supply and salesSummer cover cropsWinter cover crop mixDolichosbeans CA plot

Strip cropping perennial fodder with short season maizeMaize and cowpea intercropped plotLate bean planting alongside short season maize and other CA

plots

Intensive homestead food production practices

Shade cloth tunnels pics

Livestock integration- Fodderproduction

Sunflower Turnips LesepdezaSorghum, Sun Hemp Tall fescue Radish, oat,

rye

Livestock integration – Grazing,fodder, manure

Local Water access: Spring protection and boreholes

Slotted pipe

Digging offtake

for slottedpipe

covering with

bidem, stones and

soil (Ezibomvini,

Bergville)

V-box, header

tanks and

communal tap –

Stulwane

(Bergville)

Appropriate tech and low cost options

~R255 /

farmer/

month saved

Village Saving and LoanAssociations (VSLAs)

Bulk Loan

Funds- new

innovation:

larger savings

and longer

term for greater

loan potential –

specifically for

production

LocalMarketingOptions: Appropriate for smallholder farmers

Presently

the best

option

Improvement of livelihoodsand incomes

Commodity

Averagemonthlyincome/participant

Annual income

potential

Broilers

025

R12

294

Layers (eggs)

R641

692

Field crops:

Maize

Beans

R210

R238

713

850

Vegetables

R247

964

All commodities

Averagemonthlyvalueof

food/participant

Estimate based on interviews

R700

R8 400

Commodity for a selection of

participants only

Averagemonthlyincome/participant

Annual income

potential

Green Maize

300

R15

600 to R24 000

Stall fed calves

R750

000 to R50 000

Totalvalueofproduction(

excl

the selection)

060

R36

713

Averagedfrom

production records. From

further individual

interviews actual averages

Between R1 000-R3 300.

More than doubled

production and

incomes over a 2 -

year period.

Shows what is

possible but much

broader support

required (more

people, more villages)

Resilience indicators

Increase for EC (21)

Increase for KZN (45)

Comment

Increase in size of farming

activities

Gardening; 231%

Field cropping; 0%

Livestock: 8%

Gardening: 18%

Field cropping: 153%

Livestock: 6%

Cropping areas measured, no of livestock assessed

Dryland cropping has reduced significantly due to drought

conditions and infertile soil

Increased farming activities

Yes

All involved in gardening, field cropping and livestock management

Increased season

Yes

Forfieldcroppingandgardening

- autumn and winter options

Increased crop diversity

Crops: 31 new (Ave11)

Practices: 24 new(Ave10)

Crops: 21 new (Ave 7)

Practices: 20 new (ave8)

New crops are ones not previously grown in the area

Management options include; drip irrigation, tunnels, no

-till

planters, JoJo tanks, RWH drums,

Increased productivity (per

season)

Gardening: 116kg

Field cropping:

-218kg

Gardening: 167kg

Field cropping: 506kg

Based on increase in yields (mainly from tunnels and trench beds

for gardening).CA for field cropping

Increased water use efficiency

Access, RWH, water holding capacity, irrigation efficiency and

water access rated

. Scale:0= same or worse than before; 1= somewhat better than before, 2=

much better than before x 4 criteria (values of 0 to 8)

Increased income

R1 031

R1 801

Increase in average monthly income (Rands): Mostly through local

marketing and small businesses.

A number of participants have lost employment and

grant incomes and replaced these with farming. Around 10% of participants have not improved their

incomes

Increased household food

provisioning (Kg/week)

Vegetables:23kg

Dryland crops:10kg

Poultry: 2kg

Vegetables:17kg

Dryland crops:18kg

Poultry: 2kg

Foodproducedandconsumedinthehousehold

Dryland crops include maize, legumes, sweet potatoes, potatoes

Increased savings

R322/month

R262/month

Averageofsavingsnowundertaken

Increased social agency

Learning groups, farmer centres, local water committees

Increased informed decision

making

Own experience, local facilitators, other farmers, facilitators,

extension officers

Positivemindsets

More to much more positive about the future: Much improved

household food security and food availability

Impact: Resilience snapshots: individual interviews

Thank you