African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI)
Research Questions
AFRRI intends to answer the following research questions:
- How and in what ways is radio most effective in enabling smallholder farmers in Africa to address food security challenges?
- How can new technologies such as cell phones, satellite radio and MP3 players increase the effectiveness of radio as a sustainable, interactive development communication tool?
AFRRI gathers, implements, evaluates and shares best practices for using radio-based communication strategies to enhance food security in rural Africa. It is also offers capacity-building and training services for radio broadcasters so that they can improve their programming for rural listeners.
AFRRI has two distinct phases: a project inception and research design phase, and; action research implementation phase. The design phase involves selecting five stations in each country, identifying communities to participate in the research, developing the research tools, conducting the baseline surveys and preparing the overall research plan for each country and at the project level. The design phase will be completed by May 2008. The implementation phase focuses on developing radio programmes around three main themes:
- Introduction of at least one new agricultural product that is known to contribute both to household nutrition and household income
- Farmers adopting new land use measures that are known to conserve or improve the quality of farm soils (e.g. contour ploughing, mulching, agroforestry)
- Supporting farmers in adopting measures that have been proven to reduce post-harvest losses.
Partner radio stations will produce and broadcast a variety of innovative radio campaigns with and for farmers that address food security priorities. By comparing farmers' knowledge and farming practices before and after the programs are broadcast, AFRRI will discover how radio, along with mobile phones and other communication technologies can best be used to help smallholder farmers meet their food security objectives.
AFRRI Country Profiles
The project is being implemented in: Mali, Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda.Mali
Brief Overview of Food Security, Rural Development Challenges and Radio
Landlocked and impoverished, the extent of the problems facing Mali's population of over 13 million people is staggering. Drought and famine are systemic. Agriculture is the basis of the Malian economy with over 70% of the working population employed in agriculture, which contributes 40% of the country's GDP. Mali's commercial crops include cotton, peanuts, sugar, tobacco and vegetables. With most crops and animals dependent on rain; drought and/or locust infestations can greatly impact production and cause widespread suffering. The government is currently backing public-private-partnerships to develop home-grown agricultural research efforts to address Mali's needs. Desertification has greatly afflicted Mali. An increasing population puts greater pressure on the environment due to demand for water and firewood, and overuse of marginal lands. Certain measures – such as introduction of bore-hole wells and animal vaccination – have also been blamed for increasing herds and adding additional impact on the fragile ecosystem. With 50% of the population without sustainable access to improved water sources, environmental pressures will continue (Source).
Radio is the most widespread medium for mass communications in Mali. High illiteracy and low incomes mean that many people rely on radio for the bulk of their news and information. Radio stations provide a critical source of information to people across Mali. Mali is the acknowledged leader in Africa for community radio. Union des Radios et Televisions Libres (URTEL) is the coordinating organization for community radio in Mali with over 100 member stations (Source). The table below demonstrates the popularity of radio by contrasting the amount of people who own a radio as compared with other communication tools in Mali.
| TVs * | Radios * | Telephone * | Cell phones * | Personal computers * | Internet users * | # newspapers in circulation |
| 17 | 108 | 4 | 4 | 1.2 | 30 | 1 |
* per 1000 people (Source)
National Plan
Mali is signed-on to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In their PRSP, key elements of Mali's food security strategy are to train women in new technologies for processing and conserving agro-business products; train women in water and land conservation; promote the use of appropriate technologies to increase production; promote a clean ecological environment and renewable energy sources; and strengthen the capabilities through training, education, transfer of skills and promotion of rural credit. Priority areas for intervention include food security; restoration and maintenance of soil fertility; development of hydro-agricultural facilities; development of agricultural, animal, forestry and fisheries production; and development of support functions (research, popularization/support and advice, training, communication, agricultural financing and agricultural credit, promoting the role of rural women and children and disadvantaged groups). Lastly, activities supporting the programs above will be implemented, and will comprise: agronomic research activities; information dissemination and consulting services for producers; agricultural training in order to strengthen the capabilities of farmer organizations; awareness-raising and provision of information on the various rural decision-makers and producers; risk prevention and protection of animals and plant species; facilitating access of small producers to an appropriate and competitive financial system; increasing the role of rural women and children (Source).
Malawi
Brief Overview of Food Security, Rural Development Challenges and Radio
Malawi's economy is largely based on agriculture. Although it only contributes 40% of GDP agriculture accounts for an estimated 85% of total employment, 90% of export earnings and contributes significantly to national and household food security. Most farmers are subsistence smallholders who grow maize as their main crop. Malawi has some of the most fertile land in southern Africa, but high population density, small farm size, inadequate access to credit and high dependence on rainfall all constrain production. Tobacco, tea, coffee, and sugar are the leading export crops grown primarily on large commercial estates, with tobacco alone representing about 60% of the country's total exports. High population density, population growth and poverty have led to soil erosion and degradation, deforestation, depletion of water resources, declining bio-diversity and the degradation of human habitat. An estimated 3% of forest cover disappears each year as 93% of the population remains dependent on wood fuel. The over-exploitation of fisheries in Lake Malawi has led to a decline in fish production of nearly 40%, which is significant since fish contributes 60-70% of the population's total animal protein consumption (Source).
Radio plays a key role in informing Malawians. Information dissemination through radio and television continues to be the main form of communication in Malawi. The development of these communication tools will remain vital in the medium-term to ensure that people in urban and rural areas are actively involved in the development process. Currently, radio communication is on the increase due to active participation of private radio stations (Source). The table below demonstrates the popularity of radio by contrasting the amount of Malawians who own a radio as compared with other communication tools.
| TVs * | Radios * | Telephone * | Cell phones * | Personal computers * | Internet users * | # newspapers in circulation |
| 4 | 499 | 5 | 5 | 1.3 | 20 | - |
* per 1000 people (Source)
National Plan
Malawi is signed-on to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A goal of its PRSP is to increase agriculture (both crop and livestock) productivity by increasing value added to agricultural products, exposing smallholders to greater commercialization and international competitiveness. Key approaches include: strengthening linkages of farmers to markets, improving rural roads and developing farmer organizations and market information, and providing effective extension and training services focused on promoting appropriate agronomic practices, providing market knowledge to farmers, promoting processing and proper handling and storage of agricultural products, and low cost soil fertility management techniques. The government will also promote the use of high-yielding seed varieties; irrigation to increase yields; and soil, land and water conservation techniques. Radios will be used for transmitting early warning messages, radio and TV network coverage will be expanded and infrastructure improved, and private sector driven radio and communication sub-sector will be promoted (Source).
Ghana
Overview of Food Security, Rural Development Challenges and Radio
Agriculture is the biggest employer and the largest sector of the Ghanaian economy, engaging over 60% of the working population. In 2003, over 37% of women lacked any formal education and in rural areas, female illiteracy was as high as 78%. A reliance on wood fuel has contributed to deforestation, with a loss of 79% of forest cover since the early 20th century. Water levels in some areas of the country, particularly the Volta River, are at historic lows (Source). Factors impeding development include: low accessibility and quality of telephone facilities, especially in rural areas; weak and inadequate Internet infrastructure, and lack of accessibility to ICTs due to high costs. Economic development in rural areas is also hampered by poor dissemination of meteorological data and forecasting.
Officially, there are 130 licensed radio stations in Ghana. Of these, 96 are currently on air, mostly on FM frequencies. The vast majority of these stations have come into operation in the past ten years since the end of the state broadcaster monopoly in 1996. 82% of the population receives radio via FM. Source: Gadzekpo, 2005; InterMedia, 2005. The table below demonstrates the popularity of radio by contrasting the amount of people who own a radio as compared with other communication tools in Ghana.
| TVs * | Radios * | Telephone * | Cell phones * | Personal computers * | Internet users * | # newspapers in circulation |
| 118 | 710 | 192 | 9 | 3.3 | 40.5 | 14 |
* per 1000 people (Source)
National Plans
Ghana is strongly committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Ghana's PRSP objectives highlight the need to focus on food security and improving communication in order for development to occur. Generally, Ghana experiences low women's access to land, particularly irrigated land. Coupled with low extension coverage, especially amongst poor farmers in the transition and savannah zones, women farmers have less contact with extension officers than men. A two-fold objective of the PRSP is to promote alternative extension approaches that will increase the proportion of both men and women farmers that are reached in the transition and savannah zones, and the establishment of extension information centres. Ghana's PRSP recognizes that a public education and awareness strategy is required to deal with the effects of climate change, particularly in the areas of drought and desertification. Promoting development communication by encouraging private community radio stations is also a focus. (Source)
Tanzania
Brief Overview of Food Security, Rural Development Challenges and Radio
The Tanzanian economy is dependent on agriculture, with cotton, coffee, tea, cashew nuts, sisal, maize, rice, wheat cassava and tobacco accounting for 50% of the GDP and 85% of all exports. Although women have been given land ownership rights, school enrolment and literacy rates remain particularly low amongst girls and women. Violence against women is a concern as abuses often go unpunished in court due to patriarchal customs being upheld. Food security is a challenge, especially in the Lindi, Mtware and Kigoma regions. Decreases in food production per capita, combined with an increase in cereal exports, have compounded the situation. 53% of the rural population still does not have access to protected water sources and women spend an average of two hours per day collecting water. Climate change is likely to affect the poorest rural communities of Tanzania most seriously. Decreased rainfall, increased insect infestations, a decrease in the cultivatable area of land, aggravates existing problems of food security and malaria. The snow atop Mount Kilimanjaro is visibly depleted which is worrying for the area's inhabitants, as their water supplies have been declining rapidly. There have also been reports that climate change is affecting Lake Tanganyika's fishing productivity. In light of these challenges, climate change needs to be integrated into Tanzania's development agenda (Source).
In 2004, the level of household ownership of radio sets was estimated at 58%, with the level of radio ownership in urban households reaching 76% and the rural figure being 52% (NBS & ORC Macro, 2005). This has made radio the most effective communication tool in Tanzania, and it is also the most favoured medium for advertising (Steadman, 2005). A 2004 study found that 68% of the population had access to FM signals (InterMedia, 2004). There has been an increase in the number of licensed radio stations in Tanzania, rising from 14 in 2000 to over 47 in 2006 (TCRA, 2006) (Source) The table below demonstrates the popularity of radio by contrasting the amount of people who own a radio as compared with other communication tools in Tanzania.
| TVs * | Radios * | Telephone * | Cell phones * | Personal computers * | Internet users * | # newspapers in circulation |
| 42 | 406 | 4 | 12 | 3.3 | 30 | 1 |
* per 1000 people (Source)
National Plans
A key development goal of Tanzania is to increase agricultural growth from 5% in 2002-2003 to 10% by 2010. The strategy is to improve and increase access to support services with particular focus on research and extension meeting the needs of farmers, fishermen, foresters and livestock keepers, and increase communication and collaboration in the delivery of extension services. A second aim is to increase food crop production through research, identification and promotion of food storage technologies/facilities, enhancing agro-processing, implementing environmentally friendly farming technologies and practices in rural areas. A third aim is to reduce water-related environmental pollution levels from 20% in 2003 to 10% in 2010 by promoting environmental health awareness at the community level and emphasizing cost-effective interventions to reduce water-related diseases (Source).
Uganda
Brief Overview of Food Security, Rural Development Challenges and Radio
Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and is largely reliant on cash crops – coffee, cotton, tea, fish farming, and vanilla. Over 80% of employment in Uganda is in agriculture, which is very sensitive to changing rainfall patterns. There is clear evidence that the glaciers of the Rwenzori Mountains are in retreat, threatening the stability of the water cycle in the region. Deforestation occurs at about 2% per annum (Source). According to 2002-2003 data sources, self-employment in agriculture stands at 57.7%, while 48.8% of those live under the poverty line. Regional and gender inequalities are widespread, with the east suffering a marked decline in living standards in the last three years.
For many people, especially in rural areas, radio remains the main source of information and entertainment because it does not require electricity. By broadcasting in local languages, radio addresses the information, education and entertainment requirements of its audiences. Some stations are funded by NGOs, while others are commercial and depend on advertising revenue. Only the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) stations depend on state subsidies. The number of community stations has increased in recent years, especially in the northern part of Uganda where, due to the war, commercial radios have not ventured. However, these radios have to be careful with the content of their broadcasts, lest they anger the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) or the government (Source). Airwaves were liberalized in 1987, which has led to a boom in radio stations. There are currently over 100 registered FM radio stations. However, due to a lack of frequencies, only some 80 are operational. Many radio stations host call-in shows, which encourage listeners to discuss current affairs issues (Source). The table below demonstrates the popularity of radio by contrasting the amount of Ugandans who own a radio as compared with other communication tools.
| TVs * | Radios * | Telephone * | Cell phones * | Personal computers * | Internet users * | # newspapers in circulation |
| 27 | 127 | 3 | 14 | 3.1 | 60 | - |
* per 1000 people (Source)
National Plans
Uganda is signed-on to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A focus of Uganda's PRSP is to increase agricultural production and efficiency. Challenges to overcome include limited access by farmers to advisory services and limited agricultural information. Public information is particularly critical for such areas as preventive health and agricultural extension. Stronger civil society and increased literacy, especially for women, will also help to strengthen the public's ability to access information. Uganda's Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) sector is growing quickly, however, approximately 88% of the population lives in rural areas where access to telecommunications and services are not available. The importance of addressing intra-household gender relations for agricultural productivity is emphasized. Discriminatory gender legislation is to be reviewed and reformed, for example the shortage of fuel wood and its effects on women's time management is acute, as is the need for coordination between forestry and energy policy in addressing it. Women's land rights also need to be strengthened. Domestic violence is recognized as a problem and actions are being taken to reduce it (Source).
