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Voices Newsletter

Agroforestry in Africa

PDF Version

March 2005, No. 74

Agroforestry in Kenya

John Ngoroje,
Kenya Institute of Organic Farming

AGROFORESTRY is the system of growing trees in combination with other farm enterprises such as crops and livestock. In Kenya this is an ancient practice. For many generations farmers have nurtured trees on their farms, pasturelands and around their homes.

Trees provide farmers with many products and services: food, fuelwood, fruits and nuts, poles, fodder, medicine, timber, mulch, shade and windbreaks. Products from trees can bring much needed income to rural families and ensure food and nutritional security especially in drought periods. Trees also play an essential role by: protecting the soil from soil erosion, enhancing soil fertility by recycling nutrients, improving micro-climate, demarcating boundaries, protecting biodiversity, and controlling weeds.

Why farmers in Kenya practise agroforestry

• Scarcity of land means that many Kenyan farmers, especially in the highlands, own very small pieces of land ranging from quarter of an acre to two acres. For this reason, farmers see agroforestry as a good option because it provides a number of useful products, even on a limited area of land.
• An increasing population not only puts pressure on farm sizes but also increases the demand for timber products, especially materials for construction and furniture.
• The high cost of fertilizers and fuel encourages farmers, especially those trained in organic farming, to recognize the benefits of trees for nutrient recycling, composting and providing fuelwood.

Choosing the right trees

The selection of trees for agroforestry depends on the purpose of the tree, the ecological zone and the availability of planting materials, among other variables. This simple chart has been developed to guide local farmers to the trees that best meet their needs.

Timber Production	Fodder Production	Soil & Erosion Prevention
Straight branches Fewer branches Hardwood	Fast growing Ability to coppice (produce new growth after cutting) Dense leaves Palatable and nutritious to livestock	Good dense root network Regrows after cutting Grows quickly to maturity

General principles

• The selected tree(s) must grow well with other crops and special attention must be given to how the tree grows and develops.
• The tree must have deep roots to avoid competition with shallow rooted food crops.
• The tree must be multipurpose so it can serve more than one need.

Government policies

In Kenya there are policies formulated in favor of agroforestry and tree planting. Some of these policies prohibit cutting down trees in forest areas. In fact, one of the goals is to have 20% of Kenya land under forestry by the year 2020. There is also support for non-governmental organizations to provide agroforestry extension services to local communities. Other policies promote non-wood forest products such as gum and resins, medicine, leaves for composting and crop fertilization, and the planting of flowering trees with nectar for honeybees.

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Farmers' dilemma: To grow or not to grow trees on farms

Elijah Yaw Danso, Social Development Advisor,
Forest Sector Development Project, Kumasi, Ghana

THE DOMINANT cultural practice for most food crop production in Ghana is slash and burn and shifting cultivation. Through this practice, much vegetation is destroyed and biodiversity lost. So, where are all the trees today? Most of the commercial timber trees remaining outside the permanent forest estates in the country are found on cocoa farms or fallows that used to be cocoa farms in the past.

However, the important role played by cocoa farmers in providing valuable timber is hardly acknowledged in policy or practice. The lack of support for the role farmers play in this regard manifests in several ways, including the following:

1. Lack of extension support – For many farmers the absence of extension personnel to advise on their integrated farming systems indicates that there is little recognition of the contribution their farm practices make to both the economy and environment. Extension, when it is available, is not unified, such that separate agencies have responsibility for food crops and cocoa. There is no agency that deals with tree crops. Farmers therefore get visits from two or more officials to provide advice, but none can answer the holistic questions farmers have about the integrated farm system.
2. Tree ownership – Unfortunately, national laws are not supportive of farmers' rights to timber trees. Indeed, while the rules of the game provide complete ownership of planted fruit trees to the planter, ownership of naturally growing trees (even when noticeably nurtured by the farmer), is vested in the president and traditional chiefs who have customary ownership. Thus it is an offence for an individual or a community to harvest trees without authorization from the forest regulatory authorities, and authorization is never granted to the individual farmer in any case. Tree harvesting is the preserve of timber firms who are granted permits even on people's farms to harvest trees.
3. Lack of compensation and benefit from trees on farms – When crops are damaged during logging operations on farms, the loggers are required by law to compensate the farmers for the damage. However, the loggers rarely comply with this. In situations where loggers do compensate farmers for crop destruction the payment for crops is so low that farmers end up the net losers. In addition, farmers are not entitled to a share of the revenue accruing from the exploitation of indigenous, economic timber trees on farms they cultivate. The farmers therefore do not have any rights in the naturally regenerating timber trees they preserve and tender.

In the face of these problems and in addition to complicated land tenure procedures, many farmers have a difficult choice to make. Leaving these trees would provide shade for their cocoa farms and increase yields but at the same time these trees would eventually lead to the destruction of the very cocoa trees for which they are kept, as a result of logging activities. Farmers ultimately resort to destroying the young, indigenous, economic timber trees before these mature and become attractive to loggers.

In Ghana, attempts have been made to address some of these obvious disincentives through policy and legislative reform.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has tried to unify Cocoa and Food Crop extension services, merging the different institutions and retraining staff to provide farmers with a more comprehensive technical service.

Also, some legislative amendments have been made attempting to give farmers more leverage. This legislation gives farmers the full right to refuse the felling of timber trees standing on land they cultivate until they receive compensation. In addition the method of payment has to be agreed upon by both parties. Admittedly, this does not give complete incentive to the farmers to keep trees on their farms, because they still do not have unrestricted access to the trees. Yet these are seen as first steps in dealing with tree planters' rights which are important to define in order to ensure sustainable farming through agroforestry.

Condensed from the original submission to DCFRN's Electronic Discussion Group "Broadcasters Making Connections", January/05

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Fundraising for Rural Radio

EVERY RADIO STATION needs more money, or so it is said. But how often do stations appreciate their "wealth" rather than their "poverty"? Radio stations rely on more than simply money to operate. What are these resources and is this wealth used wisely? Is it used to source new funds?

These are some questions that DCFRN members have been discussing in the recent session "Fundraising for Rural Radio in Africa" which ran from January February 10, 2005 in our on-line. learning discussion group, Broadcasters Making Connections for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Agriculture in Africa.

Rural radio stations have many different kinds of resources or assets including staff and volunteers (human resources). There are physcial resources including property, transport, material and equipment. Information resources include stored information, and the knowledge and experience of staff and volunteers. Financial resources are comprised of cash flow or the money on hand, savings in a bank account or committed funds set aside to pay regular operating costs (e.g., electricity bills).

How exactly does rural radio boost financial resources and generally make better use of all of its resources? Here are some resource mobilization techniques used by radio stations across Africa.

1. Organize a membership drive through appeals to loyal radio listeners

Membership fees can be charged, renewed yearly and rewarded with recognition and small prizes. Membership drives can be rewarded with simple things like a small package of seeds or a printed certificate. Here is an interesting example from Garden City Radio which broadcasts mainly in the vicinity of Kumasi, Ghana where there are many youth without jobs or access to credit. Some years ago, in partnership with the Ghana Cooperative Credit Union which encourages savings and loans, Garden City Radio started a "fan club credit program" which encourages young people to save even small amounts of money and qualify for loans. The station has benefited by getting youth involved in fundraising campaigns and some of the youth also volunteer at the station.

2. Sell post cards

Here is a great example of a fundraising idea from MegaFM in Uganda. Many northern Ugandans from the Gulu area live abroad in countries like the USA and England. MegaFM had the idea to sell "postcards" to these people from the local area who want to send messages to their families in Gulu and support their community radio station. These "friends of Radio Freedom Gulu" in the USA or England buy postcards at a set price, write their postcards and send them into MegaFM where the messages are read on the air. Local listeners of MegaFM hear news from friends and relatives living far away and the station gains from the sponsorship.

3. Partnerships and sponsorships

Some fundraising strategies involve finding partners and/or sponsors. In southern Chad, for example, a radio station and a national women's magazine worked together to raise awareness about women's health and nutrition. They produced several stories on women's health. The stories were printed in the magazine and broadcast on the radio in local languages. At the end of each program they promoted a contest seeking the best traditional food recipe in the region. Sponsors from the food industry provided financial support to the magazine and radio station, and prizes for the winners of the contest.

4. Write project proposals

Radio stations can be great leaders and/or partners in development projects. However they are often unfamiliar with how development projects work. To start a project or collaborate with a development organization in your area you may need to prepare a concept note for submission to a donor agency for support. The concept note has a specific format but must always draw the donor's attention to four important elements: a great title, SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound) objectives, a transparent and well-planned budget, and finally, assurance of development impact in terms of such development goals as poverty reduction, food security, gender equality and environmental sustainability. Project support will be short-term, and genuine community partnership is needed. Once familiar with the idea of preparing a concept note, rural radio stations can be strong development project partners. Check out the DCFRN website for information on how to prepare a concept note, how to build successful development partnerships and how to understand and relate to donors (please see: http://www.farmradio.org/english/bdg5b.asp).

5. Charge project partners such as NGOs, private schools and other public agencies minimum fees for promoting their activities

Radio stations and research centers can charge a realistic fee for collaborating with non-governmental organizations who are already supported by some donors. The same rule may apply to government organizations. Make sure that you are involved in preparing the letter of agreement signed by all the partners so that everyone is aware of the responsibilities and cash or in-kind remuneration involved in partnership.

6. Fix competitive advertising rates that can attract different and more clients

Advertising is a major way for radio stations to generate income. If they partner with research centers they may gain new clients interested in promoting their produce and supporting research/radio linkages. Again, you may want to prepare a letter of agreement so that the responsibilities and remuneration of your station and its clients are clear.

7. Produce excellent programs that increase listenership

Nothing "sells" better than success! A listener, client or donor will be more loyal if the programs are based on listeners' needs and useful to them.

Fundraising involves more than just money but uses all resources in a rural radio station to come up with great ideas for mobilizing resources. DCFRN seeks to strengthen rural radio programming, build the capacity of human and information resources and use physical and financial resources more wisely. DCFRN encourages its members to share stories of their success in fundraising and resource mobilization. Such ideas and experiences will be featured in future newsletters.

Written by Helen Hambly Odame, Assistant Professor in Rural Extension Studies at the University of Guelph (Canada) and DCFRN Board Member. For more information about her research with radio stations see: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~hhambly/.

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Broadcasters Making Connections: On-line Learning for Sustainable Development

FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS, 33 English speaking Farm Radio Network partners have been on-line discussing their experiences and ways to strengthen rural radio for poverty reduction and sustainable agriculture. To date, several themes have been discussed including: environmental protection, finding financial resources, HIV and AIDS, communication, women's information needs, and agroforestry. The program was hosted by the Farm Radio Network with the support of the Commonwealth of Learning.

One of the original goals of the discussion group was to foster connections between rural radio broadcasters in the Farm Radio Network and strengthen broadcaster's capacity to produce effective rural development programs. One of the highlights was partners discussing some of the conditions faced by small-scale farmers in Malawi.

The scenario for discussion was presented as follows:

Development funding is declining and everyone has to learn to do more with less. In Malawi, three quarters of the population depends on agriculture and lives below the poverty line. Some communities are often hit by hunger. As land is densely populated (101 people inhabit a square kilometer), agriculture can be a big threat to the environment. There are environmental problems such as soil erosion, infertility and water damage caused in part by farming methods that are not conservation oriented. (In other parts of Africa there is repetitive drought and desertification.) Farm inputs, including those required to grow the staple crop of maize, are expensive and the government in many cases has removed subsidies. There is disillusionment for the farmers who face cut backs to extension and have lost subsidies.

Breaking into small groups

The broadcasters broke into small groups and shared their experiences working under similar circumstances in their own countries. Almost everyone could relate to the Malawi scenario and was working with rural communities suffering from severe resource limitations (natural, human and economic). Broadcasters then shared their practices for using rural radio to build morale and create processes of communication that help these communities move forward.

You can read the highlights of the discussion by going to http://www.farmradio.org/english/bdg/.

We would also like to hear from francophone partners who might be interested in a French language discussion.

Samuel Ugochukwu, Nigeria
In a rural setting radio, is a veritable tool towards helping and enhancing the socio-economic level of rural dwellers. Recent research in a village in eastern Nigeria show that almost all households have a radio... Through radio they know when new innovation comes and know new methods in farming and about diseases... It is a means of life sustenance in rural areas. Truly, information is power.

Sachia Ngustav, Nigeria
We are now fighting through the information spread [of conventional agriculture] to re-tune minds to the "old fashioned" farming methods of fertilizing with decayed leaves, animal dung, food leftovers, agro-forestry and tree planting.

Wilna Quarmyne, Ghana
The experience of community radio confirms that giving voice is a wondrous tool in giving hope and energizing communities.... Weekly programmes that bring community members face to face with their local leaders at the unit and district levels are producing results. Roads and classrooms are being built where there were none, women are developing greater recognition as leaders, and there is greater transparency in governance. It's what keeps us going!

Jimmy Okello, Uganda
We at the radio continue to send positive messages of what new things can be done and help build morale or simply preach the message of hope, instead of dwelling on how bad things are for our community.

Gladson Makowa, Malawi
The radio can build morale of farmers only if it presents their problems the way they truly are. The programs should be realistic and the solutions to their problems should be featured in the same program. Apart from coming from the officials or service providers, it is very good if fellow farmers give solutions and explain some of the challenges that they faced before overcoming the problem.

Songolo Olotunde, Zambia
To counter these problems farmers were facing we had to design programmes which help farmers. We did programmes on crop diversification, with the view of encouraging the farmers to grow crops such as cassava, paprika and legumes to improve the fertility of their fields. We also worked with the Agriculture Marketing Information Center to provide data to farmers on a weekly basis on prevailing prices for inputs and crops.

John Van Zyl, South Africa
Helping communities move forward by setting up Listeners Associations with local experts and opinion-formers will take the radio programme further. At ABC Ulwazi we have a saying "The programme is never over when the broadcast ends." The broadcast is a first step, a provocation, an incentive to think about a subject. We have another saying "Radio does not tell you what to think, but what to think ABOUT!"

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Partner Profile

WHO: Aaron Kah, Broadcaster
STATION: The Voice of Oku (GIE EBKUO)
COUNTRY: North West Province, Cameroon
LANGUAGE of Broadcast: Oku
DCFRN Partner since: June 2004

DEPENDING ON what day it is, you might find Aaron Kah visiting leaders of a coffee cooperative society, interviewing beekeepers, or attending a community forest management meeting. Aaron is a broadcaster with Radio Voice of Oku. Voice of Oku was established in 1998 on FM 95 to create awareness among the Oku people about sustainable food production, food selfsufficiency, and other topics to improve livelihoods.

The station started with three broadcasters and two technicians. Two years later it signed an agreement with a pro-democracy project in Cameroon for the production of programs on human rights and advocacy. The National Research and Extension Program of the government came in to finance programs on food production with subjects such as fishing, raising caine rats, and mushroom cultivation. Eventually there was a need to build a relay station, due to an increasing audience. Today GIE EBKUO (Voice of Oku) broadcasts to 33 villages and other neighbouring tribes including Kom and Noni.

These photographs demonstrate the diverse activities carried out by Aaron and his colleagues at the radio.

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Beekeeping and Agroforestry

Voice of Oku

HONEYBEES are effective pollinators for many food crops. By integrating honeybees into agroforestry systems farmers can significantly improve crop yields.

Radio Voice of Oku in Cameroon produces programming about bees and trees with the slogan Plant a Tree, Save a Bee. Their programs promote tree planting as a way to increase honey production, and also advocate beekeeping as a way to improve pollination of food crops. The radio recommends sustainable strategies that include the active planting and conservation of trees such as Calliandra species, Acacia species, ‘ding', and other tropical agroforestry trees and shrubs that provide nectar for bees.

For further information about the Plant a Tree, Save a Bee program, contact Aaron Kah at: PO Box 214, Bamenda, Cameroon, aaronkah@yahoo.co.uk.

For a list of selected multipurpose tropical trees and shrubs for bees, please see The Overstory #40, Bees and Agroforestry.

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Introducing... Blythe McKay

Hi Everyone,

I've just joined the Farm Radio Network team as the Development Communication Coordinator. This means I'll be helping to strengthen existing partnerships with radio broadcasters in Africa as well as seeking new African partnerships and coordinating linkages between radio broadcasters, and African agricultural institutions. I carried out my Masters at the University of Guelph in Rural Extension Studies where my thesis focused on community radio's role (Radio Ada) in a Ghanaian fishing village. I was also involved in the Linking Agricultural Research and Rural Radio in Africa project, supported by ISNAR, Farm Radio Network, and the University of Guelph, where I was able to meet several of you at the Kumasi workshop in 2002. Following my studies, I spent a year as an intern with Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and was involved with participatory communication projects in Burkina Faso. I also had the opportunity to work with the Ghana Community Radio Network to explore how community radio could facilitate dialogue amongst stakeholders in relation to natural resource management issues affecting rural communities. On a personal note, I come from a family of farmers – my Mum immigrated to Canada, but grew up on a family farm in the UK, which several of her brothers still farm today. For several years during the summertime when I was in high school, I worked at a ranch in Western Canada, helping with the animals and guiding horseback rides. I look forward to meeting you (over e-mail, by letter, over the phone and in person!) and hearing your ideas on how we can enhance the Farm Radio Network.

See a summary of Blythe's Masters Thesis.

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Resources

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 30677-00100
GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 722 4000 (Operator)
Fax: +254 20 722 4001
Email: ICRAF@cgiar.org
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/

Regional Offices

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
Eastern and Central Africa Regional Programme
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
PO Box 30677-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 524000
Email: b.jama@cgiar.org

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
Southern Africa Regional Programme
SADC-ICRAF Regional Agroforestry Programme
PO Box MP 128, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 4 369122, 369124
Fax: +263 4 301327
Email: f.kwesiga@cgiar.org

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
Sahel Regional Programme
c/o ICRISAT, BP 320, Bamako, Mali
Tel: +223 223375/227707
Fax: +223 228683
Email: a.niang@cgiar.org

World Agroforestry Centre's Agroforestree Database

The Agroforestree (AFT) Database is a species reference and selection guide for agroforestry trees. The main objective of the database is to provide detailed information on a number of species to field workers and researchers who are engaged in activities involving trees suitable for agroforestry systems and technologies. It is designed to help them make rational decisions regarding the choice of candidate species for defined purposes. Information for each species covers species identity, ecology and distribution, propagation and management, functional uses, pests and diseases and a bibliography. To date, more than 500 species have been included.

The Overstory

A free e-mail newsletter for those working in tropical agroforestry and forestry. Available in English.

To subscribe send an email to overstory@agroforestry.net with: 1) your name 2) email address 3) organization (or brief project description, or your interest in agroforestry) 4) your location (city, state, country).

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