Climate change adaptation strategies in mixed crop-livestock systems

Asaah Ndambi

ILRI Nairobi

Livestock and climate change workshop 2nd – 3rd February 2015

ILRI – Nairobi, Kenya

Outline

1. Importance of crop-livestock systems

2. Adaptation strategies in crop livestock systems

3. Adaptation example: Integrated Manure Management

Importance of crop-livestock systems

Mixed (crop-livestock) systems are sustaining the world’s milk and food supply.

They produce over 90% of the world’s milk and 80% of the meat from ruminants.

Mixed systems are important for livelihoods and food security, providing most of the staples consumed by low-income families.

What threat do we have

The length of growing season: a key threat

Source: IFPRI 2014

2 facts we must live with

1. Population growth: Africa has the highest population growth rates in the world and this will continue throughout the century

These are additional pressures to climate change

2. Consumption growth Total consumption of cereals and livestock products will increase in Africa due to increasing population and growing consumption per capita

Why do mixed systems have a good chance to adapt?

1. Good chance for nutrient recycling 2. More options for variations 3. Subsistence farmers get most of their food from this system 4. They are cost effective 5. The have more potential to increase productivity and mitigate GHG emissions

Outline

1. Importance of crop-livestock systems

2. Adaptation strategies in crop livestock systems

3. Adaptation example: Integrated Manure Management

Adaptation approaches for crop-livestock systems

Adaptation approaches can be classified in several ways. Our approach distinguishes three types: 1. Increasing system resilience Enhancing production systems to

face climate change

2. Diversification Expanding the activities on the farm, exploring other possibilities outside the farm

3. Risk management Taking measures beforehand to reduce risk There are no clear cuts between these three types

Increasing resilience of crop-livestock systems

Soil nutrient and manure management:

- Composting manure and crop residues

- Biogas digesters bio-slurry

- Cover cropping, conserved tillage

- Use of legumes for nitrogen fixation + dry season fodder

- Controlled release of nutrients

Using maximum yield systems

- sequential cropping

- extended cropping

- grafting

http://permaculturenews.org/2013/08/30/maximum-yield-cropping-system-mycs/

Increasing genetic variability:

- Using crop varieties or animal breeds which are drought resistant, flood tolerant, pest and disease resistant, early maturing, etc.

Increasing resilience of crop-livestock systems

Right timing of farm activities

– Planting, weeding, harvesting

Improved ecosystem management and biodiversity:

- Pest and disease control, crop rotation

- Regulation of micro-climates, nutrient cycles, stocking densities

Improved water retention:

- Using pits, pools, dams, retaining ridges

- Increasing soil organic matter (improve water retention)

Photo: Watersmart Initiative

Diversification of crop-livestock systems

Agricultural diversification:

- Using more crop species and varieties, including forest species

- Using more animal species and breeds

Landscape diversification:

- Different crops and cropping systems interspersed in space and time

Diversification of crop-livestock systems

Diet diversification:

- Consuming more drought-tolerant crops eg. millet, sorghum cassava

- Integrating more adaptable species or their residues to animal diets

- Collecting and consuming wild plants and animals

Livelihood diversification:

- Processing farm products

- More farm and off-farm activities

Source: Alqaisi et al 2014

Effects of local by-product supplementation on cost of milk production and GHG emissions

Diversification - Example

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Kobo Ethiopia(extensive)

NekemteEthiopia (semi-

intensive)

KakamegaKenya

(Intensive)

On farm income out of total income (%)

0

5

10

15

20

25

Kobo Ethiopia(extensive)

NekemteEthiopia (semi-

intensive)

KakamegaKenya

(Intensive)

Labor availability (working members/ha total area)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

Kobo Ethiopia(extensive)

NekemteEthiopia (semi-

intensive)

Kakamega Kenya(Intensive)

Food self-sufficiency index

Source: Systemwide Livestock Programme Crop Residues project (Duncan et al, submitted)

As systems intensify, more income is derived off-farm, more labour is available per area which is used off farm and off farm income is used to provide family needs

Off farm income vs systems intensity in East Africa

Risk management in crop-livestock systems

Information and security systems:

- Weather forecasts

- Social media systems

- Hiring security guards for animals at night

Farming practices:

- Expansion of farmland (where available)

- More plantings per season + saving enough seeds

- Intercropping long and short cycle crops

- Preservation of seasonal foods (drying, etc.)

- “Opportunistic production” (aiming at producing for crops but use for livestock in case of bad weather)

- Sending more family members on migration

- Selling animals to buy grains or seeds

Risk management in crop-livestock systems

Communal pooling:

- Increased water rationing

- Labor sharing

- Reserve communal grazing land

Insurance systems:

- Local insurances, savings and credit groups

- Weather indexed insurance e.g. Index based Livestock Insurance (IBLI)

• Based on satellite data on forage availability- Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI): Pays out when forage scarcity is predicted to cause livestock deaths in an area. Contract is for Asset Replacement

1-10 May 2010 good vegetation 1-10 May 2011 bad vegetation

Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)

Source: Mude et al. 2014

Risk management – Index based Livestock Insurance

Outline

1. Importance of crop-livestock systems

2. Adaptation strategies for crop livestock systems

3. Adaptation example: Integrated Manure Management

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• 75 – 95% of the nutrient intake of production animals is excreted via dung and urine

• Proper management retains most of the nutrients which

can be used for crops

• If not managed properly manure will affect the quality

of the environment and our health and other animals

• Conflicts arise from the nuisance of odors from livestock operations especially closer to urban areas

• Pollution potential of surface or groundwater

Why manure management?

emissions

Soil

Cycle principle

Animals

Crops

Manure

outputs

inputs

inputs

Integrated Manure Management

Treatment Collection Storage Application

Storage Collection Application

Collection Application

Treatment Collection Application

always site specific

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Review the state of manure management in Sub-Saharan Africa:

1. Describe management practices in various countries,

2. To categorize policies which influence the adoption of good manure management practices and

3. To identify potential entry points for improved manure management, aiming at better adapting to climate change, reducing emissions and improving the livelihood of rural farmers.

Our on-going study

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Three steps have been applied in this analysis:

• Secondary data collection

Our approach

• Questionnaires to corresponding partners from 14 countries + meeting and exchange between these experts

• In depth field analyses in Ethiopia and Malawi (more countries envisaged in 2015)

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Most sub-Saharan African countries:

a) do not have a stand-alone manure management policy,

b) have shared responsibility for manure management with more than one government ministry in charge

c) sometimes have non-coherent policies

d) take very limited action to promote good manure management practices or to punish defaulters of related restrictions

Key findings

All farmers, regardless of size, are generally able to access training and extension services from both government and non-government agencies however, manure management was not a strong component.

The major challenge is lack of information by farmers on IMM

Thank you Mercie Asante

Photo: Oxfarm international