Upscaling Grassroots Efforts with Holistic Livestock Land Management

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• Savory Network Concept

• Kusamala

• Kusamala Vision with Holistic Livestock Land

Management

• Questions

Summary

What if there was a place where farmers, ranchers and pastoralists could come together to learn a better way to manage their land? A way built upon ancient wisdom informed by nature's patterns. A way that restores the integrity of the ecological capital upon which our existence depends?

What if this place embraced and celebrated individual initiative and the entrepreneurial spirit, with results so dramatic that the momentum began to spread among neighbors?

What if this place was one of many in a global network working together to grow beyond self-sufficiency under an intentionally different business model?

“What if” has already begun

• Over 20 Million Hectares Influenced• 2.5 Million Hectares Influenced in 2014• Over 1800 people trained in 2014

30Communities

changing the world

Empower the farmer, rancher, pastoralist

with Holistic Management knowledge, tools,

and support.

Measure the outcomes. What we have to

teach is worthless unless everyone

(including the consumer) can see the value.

Grow our network through partnerships with

those who have come before and strategic

partnerships. As we expand our reach, we

are designed to be self-sustaining*.

Self-sustaining is the point. We believe

that it’s not only possible, but reasonable for

a non-profit to be able to support itself once

there is momentum. To be clear, we are

positive that our business model will

eliminate the need for the constant cycle of

fundraising.

Our goal is 100 locally owned, led, and managed self-sustaining Hubs around the world by 2025, doing this in their own social, cultural, political, and ecological contexts.

“Land degradation costs an estimated $40 billion USD annually worldwide” - UNFAO

The estimated cost of the mismanagement of all natural

assets to the world economy today at around $6.6 trillion USD a year,

equal to 11 percent of global GDP –UNCCD

The annual loss of 75 billion tons of soil costs the world about $400 billion USD per year.

- Dr. Rattan Lal

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Profit & Cashflow

Production Social Wellbeing

Outcomes of Managing Holistically

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The Kusamala Institute of Agriculture and Ecology is a local, non-governmental organization that promotes household-level permaculture and agroecology systems in Malawi through demonstration, education, outreach and advocacy.

Kusamala

legumes, pigeon pea, tephrosia (fish bean), cassava

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• JANEEMO 2012 - 2014 (400 farmers): 140,000 trees

planted (jatropha, moringa, pod mahogany,

Faidherbia albida, Acacia, fruit trees)

• CSA 2013 - 2016 (1500 farmers):

▫ Tree Nurseries: 100

▫ Home gardens: over 150 home gardens and growing

▫ Inter-cropping in dimba gardens (tomatoes, onions, rape,

pumpkin, beans)

▫ Grey water management (i.e. banana circles at boreholes

and behind bathing shelters)

▫ Conservation Agriculture Practices (mulching, no-till

permanent beds, crop rotation)

▫ Agroforestry (Pod mahogony, Faidherbia albida, Acacia,

Tephrosia)

▫ Crop diversification in the staple field (sunflower, pigeon

pea, sugar bean, maize)

Climate Smart Agriculture

banana, legumes, sweet potato, and pumpkin

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• 82 % of our farmers reported that their current income rarely or never covers their basic needs

• Over half our farmers either sell cash crops (tobacco) or work as ganyu to supplement their household needs

• 74% reported that their soils were unfertile

• 40% of our famers said they were somewhat or not prepared to address animals (i.e. goats or cows)

• 64% of our farmers said that animals (i.e. goats or cows) were moderate to serious concerns to their farms.

• The most serious threats to their farms were:

High fertilizer prices

Changes in rainfall patterns

High seed prices

Lack of markets

Soil Infertility

• 17% practiced planting food trees and 26% practiced agroforestry

Some food trees planted were (mango, guava, banana, moringa)

Baseline Data – Context of our Farmers

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Participatory Video and Mapping

Coordinator Vincent practice interview Khundi Mapping Workshop

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• 4 accredited trainers on staff

• Train 10 staff on Holistic Livestock Land Management, 6 of them women

• Affect 650 Hectares in Rural Lilongwe and 1 pilot community project in Dowa District by 2016

• Create a similar network in Malawi for grassroots efforts and small projects focusing on holistic land management.

Vision for Kusamala as a Savory Hub

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Kusamala Institute of Agriculture & Ecology

Nature’s Gift Permacuture Center

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Zikomo!

Tre’ Catestcates@SavoryInstitute.orgwww.SavoryInstitute.org

Molly Cheatummolly@kusamala.orgwww.kusamala.org