Climate Sensitive Farmer Field Schools for Increasing...

Climate Sensitive Farmer Field Schools for

Increasing Adaptive Capacities of Agricultural

Communities in Uganda

Kennedy Ndubuisi Igbokwe, PhD

Project Manager/ Team Leader Climate Change Adaptation and

Resilience

FAO Uganda

Emmanuel Zziwa, PhD

National Consultant, Climate Change Adaptation

FAO Uganda

Presented during The 4th Global Science Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture

28-30 November 2017

Johannesburg, South Africa

The 4th Global Science Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture

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Presentation outline

• The Project Background

• Barriers/ Challenges in addressing Climate risks in Uganda at

project formulation

• How the Barriers/ Challenges were addressed during project

implementation

• The Project Results

• Lessons Learnt

• Conclusion

Project Background

The 4th Global Science Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture 3

Global Climate Change Alliance(GCCA)-

Uganda: Agriculture Adaptation to

Climate Change

Six districts in central cattle corridor

Total Human Population: 1,921,278

Total Livestock Population: 1,370,000

Direct = 22,000 Households

Funded by the European Union with

Financial contribution from the Irish

Government and Royal Kingdom of

Belgium

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The GCCA Framework for Uganda• Started in July 2012, GCCA is a

Government of Uganda Programme,

funded by the European Union, with

funding contribution from the

Government of Ireland (Euro 11

million). Project ended in Jan 2017

• Implemented by FAO in partnership

with MWE and MAAIF

• In September 2013, the Royal

Kingdom of Belgium and FAO signed a

2 year agreement to implement a

complementary set of activities in

support of the GCCA project frame

work in the 6 target districts of the

central cattle corridor (Euro 3 million).

Project ended in April 2016

4

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

1

Knowledge and capacities for climate

change adaptation strengthened

2

Better access of livestock and

crops to water

3

Resilience of agricultural

production systems improved


5

Barriers/ Challenges in addressing climate risks in Uganda at project formulation

• Lack of National Climate Change Policy as a guiding document for

adaptation and mitigation actions

• Weak rural institutional structures and arrangements for participatory

decision making process in identifying risks, assessing and managing

adaptation strategies

• Low economic adaptive capacity due to high exposure to climate

change impacts and limited households access and ability to sustain

adaptation strategies

• Limited capacity at National and District to support community

adaptations


How the Barriers/ challenges were addressed


1. National Level

– Supported the mainstreaming of climate change into District development

plans, National Development Plan and popularization of National Climate

Change Policy

– Strengthened capacity of Climate Change Department as well as

Increased knowledge base on Climate Change Adaptation

– Partnership with National Agriculture Research Organization to promote

improved and drought resistant crop varieties and pasture

– Partnership with the Forest Sector Support Department to establish bio-

energy plantations

– Partnership with Ministry of Water and Environment; and Ministry of

Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to establish & manage water

for production facilities

– Partnership with Makerere University to establish district knowledge

management and communication system for CCA


2. District Level

• District, sub county and NGO staff from were equipped with skills on promoting

community based adaptation and as a result 6 district climate change task force were

established to enhance stakeholder coordination, knowledge sharing and awareness

on climate change

• District local government officials were trained as champions for mainstreaming

climate change into the district plans and budgets as a result

• District NGO facilitators working directly with the Farmer Field School groups were

trained on how to mainstream gender issues in climate change interventions and the

use of the Gender Action Learning Systems

• Knowledge Management and Communication System (KMCS) for climate change

adaptation was established in each of the six districts which serve as a hub for the

information needs of district local government technicians, planners, decision makers,

civil society organizations, community members, farmers and pastoralists

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The 4th Global Science Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture22-23 March 2017 8

4. Community Level

• Farmer Field Schools Approach was used as mechanism for learning and

organization in developing, testing and applying climate smart agriculture practices in

the central cattle corridor. This involves participatory identification of climate change

risks and options, and implementing collective solutions in a gender sensitive manner

to ensure effective adaptation

• Strengthening key adaptive capacities of farmers

– Knowledge adaptive capacity

– Economic adaptive capacity

– Institutional adaptive capacity

– Ecosystem adaptive capacity

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Community Adaptation Planning

Implementation (including monitoring)

Participatory Vulnerability Assessment

Community EngagementD

istr

ict Technic

al support

and s

takehold

er

engagem

ent

Determine/ assess exposure to risk

Assessing Sensitivity

Assessing adaptive capacity

Identification and validation of

adaptation options

Developing community adaptation plan & ME system

Community mobilization and awareness raising

Field-based demonstration and

Application of adaptation options

Adaptive capacity building/ institutional & Technical

FA

O G

uid

ance,

Supp

ort

and F

undin

g

Community-based Adaptation Planning


The Project Results


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Adoption of climate change adaptation options

33 34 27 32 20 35

67 66 73 68 80 65

020406080

100

Started using after training/sensitization…Traditionally used on farm

40

15 21 195

22 20

36

45

69

54

23

53

44

2429

1024

72

1227

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Slight Significant Very significant

• There was an increase in

number of farmers practicing

adaptation options

• 91% of farmers practicing

adaptation reported benefits

accruing from adaptation


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CSA Practices Percentage of GCCA

beneficiaries

Percentage of

non-beneficiariesMulching of gardens 32.98 2.36

Digging of large water ditch in garden/trapping roof water in

tank

30.44 0.29

Digging of water trenches 26.43 1.47

Drip irrigation using water bottles 21.14 1.18

Home or kitchen vegetable gardens 19.66 0.88

Growing early-maturing or drought resistant crops 13.32 0.59

Tree planting 13.11 0.29

Early or timely planting at onset of rains 10.36 0.29

Digging terraces in garden 9.73 0.29

Making hay from pasture 7.40 0.59

Good agronomy-proper spacing, row planting, etc 6.55 0.59

Making compost manure or vegetation sillage 6.55 0.29

Construction of water dams 5.92 0.29

Pasture growing 5.29 0.59

Construction of energy-saving stoves 5.29 0.29

Planting of shade trees 5.29 0.00

Digging water basins in garden 4.23 0.00

Storing of food 3.17 0.00

Holding savings in savings/loans associations 2.96 0.00

Poultry farming 2.33 0.00

CSA Practices Promoted by GCCA Project


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CCA Practices Percentage of

beneficiaries

Percentage of non-

beneficiaries

Mulching of gardens 12.68 1.47

Digging of water trenches 11.84 1.18

Home or kitchen vegetable gardens 11.84 0.59

Drip irrigation using water bottles 9.73 0.29

Digging of large water ditch in garden/trapping roof water in tank 7.19 0.00

Tree planting 4.86 0.00

Early or timely planting at onset of rains 4.02 0.29

Growing early-maturing or drought resistant crops 3.38 0.00

Good agronomy-proper spacing, row planting, etc 3.38 0.00

Digging terraces in garden 2.96 0.00

Digging water basins in garden 2.75 0.00

Construction of energy-saving stoves 2.33 0.00

Making hay from pasture 2.11 0.29

Construction of water dams 2.11 0.00

Making compost manure or vegetation sillage 1.90 0.00

Pasture growing 1.48 0.00

Storing of food 1.48 0.00

Holding savings in savings/loans associations 1.27 0.00

Planting of shade trees 1.06 0.00

Poultry farming 0.85 0.00

CSA Practices Most Helpful to GCCA Beneficiaries


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CSA Practices No of practising

farmers

Percent of Farmers Rank

Planting Shade Trees 113 30.29 1

Water Harvesting using

Trenches

79 21.18 2

Mulching of Coffee garden 61 16.35 3

Use of Compost Manure on

coffee

58 15.55 4

Pruning of Coffee Trees 56 15.01 5

Weeding Coffee Garden 6 1.61 6

Total Number of

Respondents

373

Ranking of CSA Practices ThatGive the Best Coffee Yields



Mushroom cultivation forlivelihood diversification in the central cattle corridor


Vegetable growing +

rainwater harvesting for

irrigation


Banana cultivation + mulching + trenches + organic composting + improved varieties


Cattle raising + Zero Grazing

+ Improved breeds + drought

tolerant fodder


Livelihoods of targeted vulnerable households protected and diversified

Improved Drought Tolerant Maize Varieties



Multi-stress tolerant bean varieties cultivation



Chicken raising + chicken housing + improved breeds



Coffee cultivation + mulching + trenches + organic composting + shade trees

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Lessons Learned• Learning how to adapt in a systematic manner can influence resiliency and adaptive

decisions of local communities. Using the Farmer Field Schools approaches has

proven to be effective in empowering rural communities at a large scale to increase

their knowledge and skills and taking self-initiatives in making adaptation decisions to

climate change.

• Increasing income and diversified livelihood opportunities increase adaptation and

reduces vulnerability

• Adjustments of rural institutional structures and arrangements for a participatory,

collective decision making increase community adaptive capacity and increase

informal safety nets

• In order to create sustainable adaptation to climate change, there is need for holistic

improvement of the four adaptive capacities: knowledge, Institutional, Economic and

Ecosystem.


Lessons Learned• Communities where Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) were established,

farmers were able to invest part of their savings into adaptation and became more

resilient than communities without VSLA’s

• Adaptation of technologies by farmers and willingness to invest are high when

technologies have demonstrably benefits and are cost effective. The promotion and

adoption of hay making techniques, soil and water conservation and small harvesting

structures in the cattle corridor are some examples.

• Though community livelihood projects have been established, the change requires a

reasonable time of engagement, proper follow up support and linkage to financial

services and innovative financial products.

• Strengthening the capacity of FFS networks and Farmers/Producers Groups and

transforming them into more efficient market-based economic groups through value

chain development and linkages to the private sector for sustainability

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Conclusions• Farmer Fields Schools Approach is both process and technology oriented with

multiple activities. It requires more time for capacity building, skill development and

technology transfer as careful sequencing of technologies is crucial for farmer

adoption and sustainability. Therefore for future climate change adaptation projects,

it is recommended that a period range of 3 years to 5 years should be considered.

• Upscaling and uptake of technologies will be quicker and effective when farmers are

organized into farmers groups and have access to both financial and technical

resources to deal with challenges that comes with adaptation. Cost-benefit analysis of

CSA practices will help farmers in making adoption/ adaptation decisions.

• Climate shock-tolerant seeds and planting materials are key ingredients if resilience

to climate change is to be improved. However, the material needs to be generated

and distributed within the farmers’ locations. Through the public-private partnerships

(PPP), the private sector could be facilitated to invest in the multiplication and

distribution of genuine seed/planting materials


Thank you

Contact

[email protected]

26The 4th Global Science Conference on

Climate Smart Agriculture

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