2014 FINALIST SNAPSHOTS

land degradation

Northwest Zimbabwe:

Desertification:

• soil eroded

• unable to hold water

• droughts and floods erode soil even more

• Overgrazing has been THE ”Explanation”

AFRICAN CENTRE FOR HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT

mimics the behaviour of grazing animals and predators that once created savannahs

HERDS IN SMALL SPACE FOR SHORT TIME

Hooves

• break up hard ground

• air and water penetrate

• trample down old grass

Dung and urine

• fertilise

Grazing

• keeps perennial grasses healthy

Before and after

Sometimes yeilds increase 5-fold

Livestock can reverse land degradation and improve lives in Africa on the massive scale needed

poverty

Food shortages

USA, Milwauke:

• 65% children in poverty

• 82% schoolchildren lunch subsidy

• Overweight

• Food desert

GROWING POWER

• Transform useless properties to highly

productive community food centers.

• Integrate multi-level greenhouses,

vermiculture, composting, aquaponics,

bee-keeping, livestock

PRODUCES AND DISTRIBUTES TO food insecure neighborhoods• Baskets• Farm stands• Sustainable Farmers cooperatives• Serving snacks to 40,000 Milwaukee Public School

students • health clinics and hospitals

EDUCATES THROUGH DEMONSTRATION• Composts waste• Generates electricity from sun• Recycles heat energy• Raise fish chemical free

RUNS• Youth programs, training and outreach

Food insecurity in urban areas can be reversed, when community organises and combines available solutions like aquaponics for protein.

land degradation

Eastern Cape of South Africa the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve

• Erosion flow diversion and drainage from the 80’s lowered the water table

• Soil unproductive• Food insecurityEROSION

Eastern Cape of South Africa the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve

• Lowered the water table

• Soil lost, unproductive

• Food insecurity

LIVING LANDS

Brought together landowners, researchers, squatters, experts to learn together and start pilots

• Spekboom planting

• 1 000 ha of land has been reforested

• Restored 5 river and alluvial fan sites

Community glimpses the future:

• Payments for Ecosystem Services

(PES)

• Carbon credits

• Eco-tourism

• Restoration

• Sustainable food production.

Creating a holistic and collective understanding of the area as a living landscape opens up a sustainable future

Food shortages

Kenya:Hunger and poverty is multidimensional:

• lack of education

• famine and food insecurity

• poor health care

• no clean water

• living in miserable conditions

SEANET is working with education:

• E-learning internet training

• school gardens that feed students

• demonstration plots for whole

community stimulate

entrepreneurship

To date, via the 11 schools participating, thousands of pupils, parents and local people have been involved. The gardens have shown improved productivity which is helping from the ground up. Students nutrition is improved, as well as the spread of knowledge to the local neighborhoods.

Schools can play a key role in supporting the community to transition to a sustainable, food secure future

Food shortages

INDIA: Tamil Nadu and Odisha

Climate change, poor soil, high immigration, were all contributing to low productivity and poverty.

The M.S Swanminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) • Brings people together with scientists in various water user groups/associations, paddy and pulse farmers groups, women’s self-help groups, and well water users

• Teaches holistic farming, community based equity approaches and helps with enterprise development

Some 5000 people have been involved in the project sites • increased land productivity• improved water harvesting structures, • increase in local enterprise.

Science-based initiatives combined with a people-centred and process-oriented approach can restore productivity and enterprise