Water Use and Food Security: Knowledge Dissemination ... Use and... · Definition of Food Security “When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food

Water Use and Food Security: Knowledge Dissemination through Learning Networks

By Dr Gerhard BackebergWater Research Commission (WRC), Pretoria

AgriSETA SeminarSomerset West5 October 2018

Outline of Discussion❑ Water resources in agriculture❑ Research and Development (R&D) Strategy for Innovation❑ People centred R&D for knowledge creation❑ Improving household food and nutrition security❑ Resource material for practical training

- Learning networks❑ Priorities for empowerment with knowledge and skills

Productive Rainwater Use

18-Sep-18

Productive activity Rainwater use Area land

on: % ha

Grazing land, 62 85 million

woodlands and forestry

Cropland 12 16 million

Irrigated land 2.5 1.6 million

Note: Run-off: 8.5% of rainfall

Deep percolation: 6% of rainfall

Source: Bennie, 1998; Nieuwoudt & Groenewald, 2003

Irrigation Crop Water Use and Irrigated Area

2014/15

ET irrigation crop water use: 10 221 million m3

Area irrigated: 1.335 million ha

ET irrigation water use per ha: 7 659 m3

18-Sep-18File name 3

Source: Van Niekerk et al., 2018

WRC Strategic Outcome Oriented Goals

Supporting economic development with priority attention to innovative new products


Empowering individuals and groups in rural communities with knowledge and skills

Finding sustainable solutions for water use in agriculture

Informing decision-making in private business and public policy

Broadening representativeness of black and female researchers

Training post-graduate students to improve research expertise of human capital

Coherent Action and Resource Commitments in terms of R&D Strategy of the WRC

Annual call for research proposals

• Open and directed submissions

Programmatic and thematic approach

• Specification of available funds

Direct and manage projects according to innovation process

5

Taking Research into Practice: The Innovation Cycle

Research

projects

Technology

exchange

Practical

problems

Requirements

of end-users

Creativity,

ideas,

experiments

Commercial

potential,

business

ventures

Inventions,

practical

application

Note:

▪Numbers game

▪Allow time

▪Encourage involvement

Influential Ideas of International Scholars to Focus on Human Assets

The decisive factor to improve the well-being of poor people is not space and cropland but improvements in the quality of the population• Investment in human skills to enhance economic prospects include

child care, health (nutrition, clothing, housing and medical services), home and work experience

TW Schultz, 1979

Emphasis should be placed on individual entitlements, capabilities, freedom and rights exercised over resources. The focus should not be on the lack of food availability but on the failure of entitlements to the means of survival• Important are entitlements to land resources, labour, output

produced and trading of goods and servicesA Sen, 1981


People Centred Agricultural Development

Social investment in health and education pre-requisite for growth with equity

Education is key to breaking cycle of poverty• Equips individuals, gain self-confidence• Pathway to choice, earning opportunities, material well-being

Statistics on education best indicator of knowledge and skills

Educational level of agricultural household heads (2011)No schooling: 23%Grade 1-11 : 57%Grade 12 : 13%Tertiary : 7%

“Bring lecture room to village”


Definition of Food Security

“When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet dietary needs for a healthy and active life”(FAO, 2001)National food security

• Local markets, production, import and export

Household food security

• People are buying and not growing food

• Under utilised potential of natural and human resources


Levels of Household Food Security

45% of population in 2011 live below poverty line, of which 58% are in rural areas (SSA, 2014)

Results of various surveys in South Africa (Hart, 2009)• 52% of households experience hunger• 41% of households food insecure at monthly income of R800

Target groups for development

Farmer typologies• Farming on small plots• Homestead/backyard gardening

Evaluate appropriate development paths• Focus on individual members of households

(Mainly youth and women)


Approaches to Increase Food Security

“Twin track approach” to achieve food security (FAO, 2006)• Rural development and productivity enhancement• Direct/immediate access to food

Food security programmes part of integrated anti-poverty strategy (HSRC, 2007)• Employment, education, health• Agriculture, social support

Reality in South Africa• Integrated Nutrition Program (DoH, 1995)• Integrated Food Security Strategy

(DoA, 2002)- Good policies and strategies- More meaningful implementation


Focus on Needs for Practical Agricultural Training


Item Homestead yards

Grazing/livestockwatering

Dry land fields

Irrigated fields

Number of households (hh) in former homelands with access to agricultural resources

2 400 000 hh 1 700 000 hh 1 700 000 hh 56 000 hh

Total hectares potentially under control of these households

200 000 ha 12 000 000 ha 2 000 000 ha* 100 000 ha

Source: Botha & De Lange, 2005

*Note: The area under-utilised, high potential land also stated as 3 000 000 ha (Department of Minerals and Energy, 2007)

Number of households (hh) and area of land for different categories of agricultural activities indicating training needs

Range of farmer training needs

Position on development/growth path

Hierarchical nature of farmer goals

Learner objectives and outcomes

Resource Material and Training for Homestead Water Use and Food Production


Resource Material and Training Guidelines

Resource material for agricultural water use in homestead food garden systems Guide for sustainable greywater use in peri-urban food gardensProduction guidelines for African leafy vegetablesEncouraging uptake and implementation of available training material – Amanzi for food

Resource Material and Training for Rainwater Harvesting and Conservation

Learning Material and Extension Manuals

Procedure for an improved soil survey technique for delineating land suitable for rainwater harvesting

Learning package for education on application of rainwater harvesting

Farmer and extension manuals/guidelines on best management practices for rainwater harvesting and conservation

Learning Network involving Diverse Actors in Agriculture Relevant to Smallholders


Contextual profiling to identify role players- Colleges- Accredited trainers- Extension service- Agricultural NGO’sEstablishment of multi-actor networksTraining of trainers programmeExtended media engagement and interactive communication

*WRC

*National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture

High Schools

Agric NGOs

Agric CBOsAgric

College

University

Agric Extension

Services

Private training

providers

FarmersFarmer

organisations

*ARC

Source: Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2016

Revitalisation of Smallholder Irrigation

Performance of smallholder irrigation schemes below potential• Need for practical, on-the-job training

Training package for farmer trainers and facilitators• Guide on farmer training• Training tools• Assessment tools• Audio-visual reference material

Rough guide for revitalisation of irrigation schemes• Scheme diagnosis• Participative planning• Feasibility evaluation• Farmer support programmes


Extension for Irrigation Water Management

Conceptual framework of a possible curriculum for training of extensionists

Training material for extension advisors in irrigation water management

• Technical and extension modules for training

Knowledge brokering and dissemination of irrigation management guidelines for training of extension advisors

• Training the trainers

17

Household Food and Nutrition Security


Nutritional status of South Africans: Links to agriculture and water

Scoping study on water use and nutrient content of crop and animal food products for improved household food security

Rain-fed and irrigated production of food products and potential to meet nutritional requirements

Water use of crops and nutritional water productivity for food production, nutrition and health in poor rural communities

Entrepreneurial Development Pathways

Fortune at the bottom of the pyramid (Prahalad, 2005)

Beyond human and social capital: Positive psychological capital

(Luthans et al, 2004)• Confidence• Hope• Optimism• Resilience

Entrepreneurial activity in South Africa low according to GEM (Business Report, 2013)

Establishment of small farming businesses and employment opportunities (WRC reports)• Homestead and smallholder irrigation farming in

Limpopo, Eastern Cape and KZN Provinces (2016- 2018)

Establishing small farming businesses in rain-fed farming in selected provinces (WRC project) (2021)

19

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Productive Agricultural Activity

Natural suitability and economic viability of land and water resource development and use

Incentives through secure property rights

• Private property

• Common property: secure use rights

Public policy certainty

Empowerment through knowledge and skills

• High level of adult illiteracy and innumeracy, particularly amongst women

• Practical, hands-on adult training

Encouragement of entrepreneurial growth paths


Priorities to Achieve Household Food Security

Priority focus on increased productivity of existingwater useExploit unutilised potential in rain-fed food gardeningand rainwater harvesting on communal croplandsPriority investment in education and health ofpeople/human resourcesOpportunities for food production, household foodsecurity and small business development under rain-fed conditionsPriority attention to empowerment through secureproperty rights, knowledge and practical skillsFocus first on people (human assets) and second onwater (natural assets)


Empowerment with Knowledge and Skills for Productive Water Use: Way Forward

10% of households (5.2 million people) access to land on small plots18% of households (9.3 million people) can produce food in homestead backyard gardensKnowledge dissemination for exploitation of available training resource material and guidelinesCo-operation and support of agricultural colleges, training and extension services• Train the trainers and facilitators• Practical courses for farmers and household members• Establish partnerships for development• Implement revised curricula and education programmes

Thank you


Documents

Water Use and Food Security: Knowledge Dissemination ... Use and... · Definition of Food Security “When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food