Horticulture & Tanzania Environmental Development and Animal Power Society

August 7, 2013

While in Usa River, it seemed like a good idea to stop by the nearby horticultural research station at the village of Tengeru, aptly named “Horti-Tengeru.”  After arranging an appointment, I was able to meet with the Director of the institute.  I discovered that it was established in 1980 by the Dutch alongside the Tanzanian government.  In 2010, they received a National Award for Research in Science and Technology.  As the name indicates, they specialize in horticultural crop research and training, including fruits, vegetables, spices, tuber crops, and mushrooms.  They focus mostly on subsistence agriculture and small/medium-scale farmers.  Their research is centered on crop husbandry (agronomy), crop protection (pathology etc.), biotechnology (tissue culture lab), post-harvest activities, and also seed.  When I inquired more specifically about the technologies they are advocating, he told me that they have preservation and processing tools for value added products (e.g. solar dryers); biological control methods and integrated pest management;  several new seed varieties (e.g. tomato from 1997) bred for high yield, pest and disease resistance, fruit qualities (prolonged shelf life); 4 varieties of Irish potatoes (resistant to late light and improved flavor) as well as traditional African vegetables and improved verities for commercial production; all are open pollinated varieties.  According to the director, OPVs are easy to maintain (i.e. farmers don’t need a lot of scientific knowledge to cross and can reproduce their own seeds) and the institute encourages their use.  He also noted how hybrids are good for uniformity and qualities such as early maturation, but they require isolation and although they can be sold at a high price, they can’t be reproduced.  It is much more common for commercial farmers to use hybrid seeds because they can afford them and have assured markets.  When I asked about GMOs, the director said that “we can still use the verities we have if we adopt the best crop production methods – we need to maximize the use of technologies (e.g. fertilizers and pesticides.”  Horti-Tengeru, however, trains farmers on integrated pest and crop management (IPM), especially as farmers become more aware of the risks of using chemicals.  However, he also said, “Pesticides are an integral part of pest management when used safely.”  To him, organic is “okay” and a safe way to produce corps, but he isn’t sure about the yield as compared to conventional.  Another potentially sketchy statement: “there is no land shortage in the country – only 6-10% of the arable land is cultivated.  Land is vast but it depends on how we use it.”  He pointed to constructing buildings on fertile land as total mismanagement.  Though of course there is tension between wild life conservation, pastoralists, and farmers.  On land grabbing: “we need limits.  We need our own plans before we left investors in and land grabbing will bring problems in the future because if you have the money, you can grab the land.”  He talked about a current land crisis going on in Arusha region between large farmers (foreign-owned plantations, often flowers) and local farmers in which the authorities are trying to intervene (apparently unsuccessfully?).  As I have been doing with many of my interviewees, I asked him about best practices: crop rotation, timed planting, good irrigation (recommend drip but is an issue with poor farmers, also hand pumps and water harvesting techniques), use of improved seed varieties, IPM, post-harvest preservation, and marketing (value chain approach from seed to plate).  In terms of climate change, it seems that all we can do is “use the little water we have more efficiently” (i.e. drip irrigation) and in terms of mitigation and adaptation, “breed for moisture stress, insect and disease resistance, crops that can survive in harsh environments (acidic, saline, etc.).”  Farmers are also encouraged to plant trees and reduce deforestation.  Horti-Tengeru also trains farmers in the “safe use” of synthetic pesticides, as well as biopesticides, though small-scale farmers are usually intercropping, which can be a form of risk aversion against pests and disease, while large farmers are specializing (sisal, maize, flowers) and for commercial farming, again it is not in their interest to intercrop for efficiency purposes.  And our dialogue ended with me posing the question of how, in his opinion, are we going to feed the world’s growing population?  His response was something to the effect of: “a combination of small and large farmers.  But small farmers in Tanzanian have provided for urban dwellers in the past.  And through improved agricultural technologies, small farmers can meet this demand.  Kikwete [the current president of Tanzanian] is supporting this – Kilimo Kwanza [national agriculture policy that translates to “Agriculture First”] since more than 80% of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihood.  Kilimo is the backbone of our economy, raw materials, and our own food – it needs investment.”  The director seemed hopeful about the future of farming in Tanzania.  I finished my visit with a tour of the premises: the green houses, the banana demonstration/experimentation plot, and some of the scientific equipment (which seemed light years ahead of the equipment at ARI-Mlingano in Tanga, which is interesting since they are both government supported).  Today was also the day that I rode a boda boda (also known as piki piki or motorcycle) in Tanzania for the first time.  Actually it was my first motorcycle ride ever and helmetless to-boot (helmets are somewhat hard to come by in this country).  I got sort of lost trying to find the institute and it was much farther from the road than I had initially anticipated, so I was really left with no other options.  I am ashamed to say that following this stint, riding boda bodas became kind of a regular occurrence.  Each time I told myself, this is the last time!  And I would try to ask the drivers if I could wear their helmets.  But something about having the wind in your hair and zooming through traffic is exhilarating.  Though each time, I hang on for dear life and say “pole, pole,” (slow, slow).  And as one person I met here put it: “riding a boda boda is like committing suicide.”  Hmm, well good thing I made it out of Tanzania OK.

After half a day at Horti-Tengeru, I finally made a visit to a nearby NGO called TAN-EDAPS (Tanzanian Environmental Development and Animal Power Society) and met with the founder/executive director.  TAN-EDAPS is conveniently located in the village in which I'm living (Maji Ya Chai), and their website provides useful background information on agriculture in the area, which I will share:

First off, Tanzania has a population of about 40 million, 80% of which is involved in agriculture, and is a democratic nation that actively stands against corruption (though I have heard otherwise from most people I've talked to).  The Maji ya Chai area has "deep volcanic soils" that are extremely fertile, though still susceptible to drought (and most farmers do not have access to irrigation methods).  The farmers are small-scale, mainly cultivating cassava, maize, bananas, coffee and sunflowers, with some animal husbandry of poultry, cattle, and goats.  For the more fortunate, they plough with oxen and transport using donkey, and even though farmers are producing cash crops, they generate very little surplus income and struggle to pay school fees for their children and even purchasing seeds for the next season.  HIV/AIDs is also a force that cannot be ignored.  So what is TAN-EDAPS doing?  They emphasis environmental sustainability and "using draft animals in an efficient and humane way."  They work at the grassroots/village level upwards and promote community mobilization and sensitization.  They have projects in: environment and food security, education and early childhood development, water and sanitation, integrated health, economic empowerment, women's and children's rights, and good governance and leadership.  They emphasize the importance of forming Community Economic Development Groups (CEDGs), with about 20 men and women who work to assess their own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).  I am most interested in the environment and food security projects, which involve small-scale livestock use, biointensive (organic) agriculture practices, tree planting and bee keeping, and the use of appropriate technology for compatibility and environmental conservation.  These technologies include: solar power, zero grazing, domestic biogas extraction, local stoves, recycling solid waste, and draft animal technology schemes.  They also promote rainwater harvesting, digging shallow wells, and collaborating with other stakeholders to dig deep wells, build holding tanks, lay piping, and acquiring pumps (all of which are expensive, hence the need for partnerships).

After meeting with the founder/director, it was easy to see how passionate and committed he is, albeit short of resources.  He invited me into his modest office, offered me sodas, tea, cookies, and white rolls.  A religious man, he kept insisting that God had ensured our meeting (which we had to unfortunately reschedule four times).  I learned that TAN-EDAPS is working with farmer groups in Tanga, Manyara, and mostly Arusha (establishing community development groups in 10 villages).  Somehow we started off talking about development and he said, “The World Bank and the IMF are good; they have good plans, but only when resources are available and they make it to the target group/reach the utilization point.  Follow up is key and usually the case.  There is a group of people in between the organizations and the needy who are corrupt and benefitting.  So it is good in theory but difficult in practice because at the government/ministry and international level, things appear fine, but at the district level, many resources do not reach the farmers, indigenous groups, and grassroots organizations.  More evidence of corruption,” he sighed.  Now they are working on advocacy and training groups at the grassroots level so they can know their rights and how to follow up with all levels of government.  TAN-EDAPS vision is “improved quality of lives among Tanzanian communities living in a well conserved environment in a sustainable manner.”  His community entry process or way to identify groups by going into churches, knocking on doors in communities, going through the government, and attending village meetings.  Through his work with World Vision, the Tanzanian government, and now TAN-EDAPS, the director has helped facilitated more than 100 farmer groups, with an ongoing emphasis on sustainable development at the household level: “our development groups are effective community based organizations where transformational development is holistic and sustainable,” which he said becomes evident through higher employment levels, increased nutrition, improved environment, a new culture of respect etc.  After a group has agreed to come together (ideally 20-30 people in order to optimize the benefit on both ends and for maximum utilization of resources), he holds a strategic planning training.  I wasn’t expecting it, but in the 3-4 hours we spent in his office, he gave me a mini lesson in strategic planning.  This is roughly what it looks like:

·         Day 1: help the group establish their own vision related to people and the environment through a baseline survey; facilitate their identification through needs assessment and goal prioritization matrix (voting) (since governments and donors are pouring so much money into the system without properly identifying and prioritizing issues, which fosters increased corruption and misappropriation)

·         Day 2: enable the group to conduct their own SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, sustainability)

·         Day 3: facilitate people to develop an annual plan in a log frame manner (a good tool for monitoring and evaluation)

·         Day 4: educate people and empower them in the areas of: management and good governance; finance (handing funds, budgeting, banking); relationships and networking (especially self-introduction); technical aspects for effective program ownership and sustainability

·         Day 5: introduce modern and appropriate technologies for projects that are compatible with conservation of the existing ecosystem (e.g. solar power, biogas, improved local stoves, biointensive agriculture, animal power)

·         Day 6: train on how to initiate and promote savings and credit cooperative societies (SACCOS) and teach them how to pool their own resources (so they can borrow money from themselves with interest and qualify for microcredit loans)

An example of an actual strategic plan from Meru district:

Priorities:

1.     Good agriculture (according to climate, soil, etc. – organic production of maize, beans, banana, cow peas, coffee, sunflower, mushrooms and other vegetables)
2.       Good livestock keeping (milk cows, goats, chickens, pigs, donkeys, stingless bee keeping)
3.       Education of groups (leadership and good governance, finance, project planning, entrepreneurship (small business and marketing), and acquiring and utilizing monetary resources)
4.       Environmental conservation (tree planting for fruits, firewood and shade; clean environment free of garbage; use of appropriate technologies such as renewable energy; and conservation of water)
5.       Reaching and helping vulnerable groups (children, widows, orphans, sick, elderly
6.       Technical issue training (sewing, home crafts, carpentry, cookery, masonry, electricity)
7.       Business (marketing, networking and using the Internet)
8.       Appropriate technology (Teknolojia rahisi in Swahili: recycling of waste products, solar power, biogas, organic agriculture)
9.       SACCOS and microfinance

10.   Reach and help pregnant mothers in harsh environments

I learned that group leaders are required to attend an annual general assembly meeting to follow up and reassess their strategic plans.  In addition to these, TAN-EDAPS has project areas and of course I was most interested in food security, which refers to “Food availability, accessibility, utilization and asset creation.”  Availability refers to the possibility of locally acquiring, growing, harvesting one’s own food each year.  Accessibility is the infrastructure (e.g. a lack of quality roads impairs the distribution of government food reserves).  Utilization is eating and also proper nutritional education.  Lastly, asset creation is entrepreneurship and value added products.  He emphasized the connection between food security and early childhood development, as well as economic empowerment at the family and group levels.  TAN-EDAPS advocates biointensive agriculture and they have a learning center and demonstration plot (which unfortunately I was unable to visit due to time constraints). He wants to make follow up o the groups but because of the lack of resources, he cannot visit them.  In total, he has 2-3,000 beneficiaries in Meru district but the main bottleneck is of course funds.  He is brainstorming ways to promote financial independence from donors: a recycling program and avocado sales for export are among his ideas.  In terms of biointensive agriculture, his training practices include: preparing double dug beds with compost, companion planting, local biopesticides, proper plant spacing and mulching.  However, he noted that it is challenging to convince farmers to shift from conventional to organic because the preparation is time consuming and there are limitations on land area.  He said, “scaling up organic to commercial is possible if you plan properly and know the market competition and customers.  Scaling up and exporting abroad is a good solution.”  The avocado project he talked about would involve planting at least 500 trees and this would help mitigate climate change.  He said it can help boost nutrition at home, generate income and then have a trickledown effect to allow for the purchase of solar power and improved stoves.  He acknowledges that exporting abroad will add to climate change through carbon emissions but that “we need to balance.”  I asked where farmers get their seeds and he said local agrovet shops, but his future hope is for farmers to save and reproduce their own seeds.  In terms of animal power, he said that land shortages only occur in some places, so animal power is still viable in many regions.  But because they don’t have proper harnessing equipment for donkeys, the most common draft animal, issues of humane treatment arise.  On average, farmers in the area have 2 donkeys and 2-5 acres per household.  They are using mostly hand tools with some oxen plowing.  Farmers need 40-50,000 tsh (~$30 usd) to hire a tractor plough an acre per season and he encourages them to pool their resources to purchase and share a power tiller or tractor.  “We need tractors, it will solve the whole village problem,” he said, which again seemed a bit counter intuitive to his whole mission of promoting animal power.  Speaking of animals, farmers use livestock for their meat, milk, sales and home consumption and tend to prefer Friesian, Asian and jersey cow breeds (all exotic).  He has partnered with the Heifer Project in the past in distributing livestock.  Regarding irrigation, some people have piped water, but apparently the government technically forbids irrigation because of water shortages.  Except he acknowledged the Uwamale project, which is donor funded and the only large-scale irrigation project in the district.  Farmers are also trained to dig shallow wells (12-20 m), but again need money to purchase pumps.  Rainwater harvesting is ideal but right now this only occurs at dispensaries and churches.  I asked about yield and he said that in one season, farmers can typically get 5 bags of maize (500 kg) per acre, while their goal was 15 bags per acre.  “The problem is lack of agricultural knowledge and inability to purchase good seeds, manure, and fertilizers.  For three years you can produce well conventionally but after that, the land is barren.”  As a result, he believes that biointensive is required for human health and land/environmental conservation.