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Improving sustainable productivity in farming systems and evergreen agriculture in Rombo District-Tanzania.


Description

Summary

Especially for the rural areas of Tanzania, Agriculture is most important source of income and it is carried out very extensively and without any thought to the environment. Agriculture is a question of day-by-day survival, and a long-term perspective in favor of nature has no place in the thinking of the local population. The consequences are fatal: Exhausted soil and environment damage, which equals less income & highly climatic change. It has been a steady downward spiral but this is about to change.African farmers are making the same mistake in all rural producers have made in the past: they're cutting down all the trees on their farms.MFA-Tanzania is helping farmers in Tanzania especial in rural where the 80 percent of the farmer are to grow more trees instead of cutoff,'Trees for Food Security' is designed to help improve food security in Tanzania rural where hundreds  of people face drought and live below the poverty line.MFA-Tanzania see and witness farmers who have trees on their farms usually cut them down to use as firewood and timber.This actions  towards trees due to luck of education by farmers in rural make them add GHGs,which impacted to highly climatic change and also decreasing yield crop production,due to unfertile land and cutoff trees.This makes them cut all trees around them and bring up drought and climate changes.Also People in rural do not have any source of fuel load and then they are cutting down trees because sometimes they don't have anything else around them.Various findings prove that  soil fertility has declined significantly and the percentage of trees on farm is very low.MFA-Tanzania help to advice farmers on REDD+ by Introducing this project so as to significantly reduce GHG emissions while ensuring food.We will advising farmers to grow trees like shrubs,Bamboo,Avocados and others species which are available to provide them fodder for animals,timer trees something which is already seeing great results,and enhance their food.


What actions do you propose?

  • What the project is about

The aim of this project is to enhance food security for resource-poor rural people and significantly decreasing climate change ,as while reducing GHGs emissions and deforestation in Eastern Africa through trees with farming system,with tree species which are beneficially for both agriculture and environment protection.Also will help in improving the national programmes and policy to scale up the use of trees within farming systems in Tanzania and then scale out successes to relevant agro-ecological zones in other regional and districts in Tanzania.Of which this as show successes in Ethiopia and Rwanda  this will be adapted also by all Tanzanians.

Project Objective:

Improving sustainable productivity in farming systems and enhanced livelihoods through adoption of Evergreen agriculture in eastern Africa,Also protection of environment by reducing emission of GHGs and deforestation in Tanzania.

The specific objectives of the project are:

  1. To characterize target farming landscapes and systems, and develop tools for matching species and management options to sites and circumstances.
  2. To generalize predictions of impacts of tree species and management on crop productivity, water resources and nutrients at field, farm and landscape scales to inform scaling up to improve food security and reduce climate risk.
  3. To develop effective methods and enabling environments for scaling up and out the adoption of trees on farms.
  4. To develop databases and tools for monitoring and evaluation of the impact of scaling up and out the adoption of trees on farms.
  5. To enhance capacity and connectivity of national partner institutions (including farmer groups) in developing and promoting locally appropriate options for adoption of farm trees.
  6. To coordinate with local leaders and stakeholders so as to formulate committee for farming with tree system,with policies and by laws.
  7. To coordinate with government ,non government   authorities so as we can create a center for farming with tree system information and helping center.

There are four research work packages tied together in a major effort to strengthen national capacities in the four target countries. Together they comprise an iterative cycle of co-learning and refinement that address key barriers to adoption of trees on farms, followed by immediate promotion of best-bet agroforestry options across a range of conditions.This is coupled with extensive assessment of the performance of species and management options in the initial scaling up trials (including farmer feedback and analysis of their adaptations) and intensive measurement and modeling of impacts of trees on water, soil health, crop yield and overall system performance, in more controlled experiments.

Key Facts:

This project as been Improving sustainable productivity in farming systems and evergreen agriculture in eastern Africa especially in Burundi,Rwanda and Uganda.

This project has show positive images and impacts to farmers in Rwanda as it was implemented by Evergreen Project under IFSC-funded Trees for Food Security project uses a systems approach to agriculture. "The conservation agriculture practices are labour intensive but the farmers use less fertilizer. They grow trees whose leaves can be used  for green manure and fodder; and whose twigs are used for fuel (during the dry months), the manure from the cows – though not optimal – provide fertilizer for their cash crops which are then sold to buy other commodities. The fruit trees are not mature but the farmers envisage a time – soon – when they could eat and sell the fruits for profit. There’s so much to look forward to!" as it was reported by Liz Ogutu, AIFSC Liasion Officer 

Project Concept action.

MFA-Tanzania aims to change norms and community behavioral towards agriculture concept action on creation and clearing of bush,forest for agriculture use.By introducing this trees for food security project they will learn and practice this action for more benefits as follows;

  • Increasing they soil fertilities. 
  • Increasing availability of food .
  • Increasing animal pasture .
  • Protecting climate change.
  • Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+).
  • Reducing GHGs emission.
  • Increasing availability of animals food.
  • Decreasing level of poverty.
  • Decreasing global warming.
  • It will be a frame work for both National and Community Policy making.

This will be benefit at Community and National level,Either this action will be adapted by other district councils in Tanzania by making policies and laws towards it practice and adaptability to the community.Balancing record human populations with diminishing and degraded natural resources gets more challenging every day. Meanwhile, climate change is making that balancing act more complex, as agriculture, water, wildlife and communities in Rombo are feeling the impact. Because of these factors, biodiversity is under assault like never before and the web of life could collapse in some villages of Rombo District within a few years.This will imperil the lives of millions of people.

Economic Benefit.

As most of the food consumed in Eastern Africa is produced by smallholder farmers. However, their productivity has been falling, frequently as a result of declining soil fertility which makes them remain poor.This project aims not only to protect environment but also to improve the living standard of the majority rural Tanzania who are in poverty by environment depletion and decreasing of food production. Either by implementation of tree for food security project with various tree species of which will help them increase production and raise the level of their income by high production as seen in Rwanda where it as increase the maize production by 50% this is according to  World Agroforestry Organisation.In parts of Tanzania, water scarcity, uncontrolled grazing and the high demand for tree products is leading to severe environmental degradation and declining yields.This project aims to reduce all this kind of hardship facing the Rombo Community and Tanzania a large. 

Image result for trees for food security

Tree within farming System for Food Security

Environmental Benefit.

Its quiet true that the only solution towards environment and climate change is all about restoration and planting trees for carbon capture,without this action the percentage of Carbon gases will always rise and rise in regarding of development and cutting off trees.This action will be helpful in reducing Carbon gases and reducing of global warming growth of which makes all living things in a dangerous zone and food insecurity.In short will help to protect the environment from community to national level.

National benefits,Tanzania will be getting advantages where by this project will be a step towards creation of agriculture policies and environmental one as will show positive impact to both sector.By doing this.

Activities.

  1. We will run a crowd-funding campaign to cover initial costs and start a donor engagement platform to spark international dialog.
  2. We will create a detailed plan on how to tangible achieve our mid-term development goals.
  3. Organize and conduct training workshops training to facilitate on participatory forest management and environment conservation in the Rombo District Community and about policy of 1998.
  4. Sensitize community in public meetings to advance and advocate for participatory forest management in Rombo district and support them.
  5. Undertake regular project monitoring and evaluation as way of supervising effective project implementation.
  6. Identify individuals and organization to be supported with tree seedlings and form tree farms.  Also for those who want to inter crop trees and crops.
  7. Sensitization with local leader to create environmental and agriculture committee to create policy on tree for food .This Committee will be from village level to district level and up to national level so as we can come up with national Tree for food policy.
  8. Formulation of District and National Forums to foster the development of polices,either with National Environment Council of Tanzania,Both Ministry of natural resources and tourism and Ministry of livestock and agriculture to create a sold platform of the project.
  9. We will establish research partnerships that lead to tangible research projects in the area of forestry management and sustainable community development.

  10. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the project.This will be done by both organization and Stakeholder involving Rombo District Agriculture and Forest Department.

 

Project Framework.

 

Project Participant Scale.

As this project is not limit to individual only,Its scale is wide as our stakeholder are organization and individual participant such as Schools,Church and governmental organization as it all concern the development of food and conservation ,also protection of the Environment need wide community participation as its impact its also national wide.For the being of this project we have start with Rombo District council under its Agriculture and Forestry Department whereby they show us support by given us an MOU of two hectors plots of land for tree seedlings nurseries development.We hope to scale up the project  participant by identify more stakeholders with an MUO standardization. 

The project will be focus on the ward and family collaboration with the District Officers in all stage of project development in regarding the implementation ,Monitoring and evaluation.

Project Level of Approaches 

Community-level Approach.

Our vision is to reverse the challenges of climate change and ecological degradation into socioeconomic opportunities for rural communities by tree for food security. In response, some communities set forests on fire .To increase communities' resilience to climate change and to achieve durable forest restoration results we regard close community relationships as key. Through our expertise we aim to foster the development of forest-based businesses in an economically viable and ecologically sound way as while the increasing food production. To ensure the creation of a shared vision we engage in awareness-raising activities, leverage the power of story-telling, and engage the creativity of local communities to map their expectations.

Concrete concepts include the planting of native tree species, including fruit trees, nitrogen-fixing trees, and other culturally important trees such as for medicinal purposes, traditional practices, and domestic use (including bamboo). 

National-Level Approach 

Together with these initiatives, Tanzania is still facing environmental challenges in terms of management, conservation and resources utilization manifesting itself in poverty; we will help Tanzania to archive its environment and poverty reduction target goals by 2025 by providing this core solution project for both climate change and food production.

International Level Approach

Our initiative addresses the countless intergovernmental declarations warranting integrated development and conservation, community-based resource management, inclusive participation, generational equity, and a landscape approach, just to name a few. Backed with our societal legitimacy we aim to generate political commitment for facilitating the replication and scaling-up of our reforestation initiative. With the Focal Point of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) for the Major Group Children and Youth (21) well be included in our team, we directly participate in policy processes at the highest level.We will invite more international organization and individual participant to work in our project goals and take it as a learning imitative in East Africa.

The right trees, coupled with the right varieties of crops, rural advisory services, and a supportive policy environment can have a huge impact on crop yields, nutrition and income in Africa. And because smallholder farmers feed and nourish most of Africa’s 1 billion population, this is where we must start.


Who will take these actions?

This project will be govern and monitoring by Mellowswan foundation Africa-Tanzania.

From Government we will work with Rombo District Council from village government,ward environment committee, Forest Department and Agriculture.

  1. This project stakeholder will help us to identify local trees and which are benefit to the local community.
  2. They have give us a land for tree nursery to rise tree seedlings.
  3. They will help us with the formation of agriculture and environmental committees 
  4. Also they will participate in policy and laws making.
  5. From individuals;as this project aims to go in action with farmers by provisional of they lands and agree to be planted tree for this project.Our best clients will be individual one.
  6. The United Republic of Tanzania-working with the government will be more helpful in policy implementing and formulation.Also under the government we will be liable to be granted more lands for our workshop.
  7. District Councils across Tanzania- working with district councils will help us by providing with staff in agriculture and forest,either paying the day workshop activities,this will help us utilize our resources effectively.
  8. District Forestry Departments throughout Tanzania.-under this department we will be able to work with integrate in selecting right tree species and implementation of the project easily.
  9. District agriculture Department-this will help us in educating the community on agriculture and in evaluation of the project goals as while objectives to ensure food security is read.
  10. National Environmental Council of Tanzania.
  • Working with this government agency on environment management and protection we will be able to evaluate the level of REDD+ and GHGs have been reduced. 
  • This board will help us in coordination of forums, policy formulation and implementation. 

The only way to have a positive impact with this project is to ensure the community has participate from ground root to the implementaion.

 


Where will these actions be taken?

This project will be throughout Tanzania Rural and can be duplicated to other developing countries.In almost each district, we will plant timber trees, indigenous trees, trees to attract rainfall, trees that conserve groundwater tables, fruits, and commercial fruits such as clove, cocoa, palm, baobao, mango, guavas, avocados, etc. to benefit habitat, biodiversity and communities. We also will have an urban forestry program. In urban environments, street kids can harvest fruit for income and survival.We will build greenhouses to accelerate the growth cycle of our seedlings and to maximize our replanting capacity. We will staff them throughout the year to maximize production.Our goal is to provide education and help indigenous people understand the importance of forests and all wildlife. The objective is to provide information about the ecosystem and how environmental factors are influenced by negative human activities, including deforestation and wildlife poaching.


How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?

We are estimating the reforestation effort of 100 million trees and protection of the already planted trees,of which will help us capture 2.5 million tons of CO2 per year if all trees survive. We are striving for at least a 90 percent success rate with the help of local communities who will serve as caretakers and stewards. We also will employ a rock mulch overcoat to shade the base of trees from the sun and to help them collect and hold rainwater.The forest conservation side of the project will include 86 million hectares of existing forests. Until we verify the tree density, it's difficult to estimate the amount of sequestration, but it could be as much as 250 million tons per year. It's obviously a carbon sink that we can't afford to lose.As we educate and motivate villagers and community members to stop cutting down trees for firewood, the impacts will stack up even more, but estimates are impossible to make, yet.This will be helpful in reducing greenhouse gases and improve climate


What are other key benefits?

As this project its not only an individual effort of which means its a collaborative project action plan we hope it will help the community in.

  • Foster Policy Reforms.
  • People will benefit from tree products selling and income will be used to combat poverty in the area.  
  • Improved environmental conservation practices.
  • Reduced environmental natural encroachment 
  • Increasing food security
  • Capturing off Carbon Gases.
  • Fight poverty by creating jobs and sustainable income alternatives.

  •  Promote biodiversity and the conservation of endangered species.

  •  Defend fragile ecosystem that supports more than 40 million people of Tanzania.

  • Minimize human/wildlife conflict.

  • Promote sustainable watershed management.Create an international showcase that can be replicated around the world.Promote sustainable communities and help save endangered cultures,

  • Promote sustainable agriculture and Policy reform.

At the end this project will notify changes on climate and agriculture improvement ,protection & food production.


What are the proposal’s costs?

Our costs will be mostly comprised of labor for maintenance and potential expansion of the project area. Over time we intend to achieve financial sustainability through project-internal income generating activities including, but not limited to agroforestry and other stakeholder funds as well Carbon finance is a possibility for the medium to long-term upon scaling up of the project area.

Phase I of this project is purely a reforestation and community engagement initiative. It will cost $ 1000000 to start tree nurseries at the plot which we have been given by Rombo District , coordinate the plantings and caretaking of 1 million trees, and conduct community seminars across the districts.

These steps will make the ecosystems and communities more resilient and more efficient. These projects are large enough to help us make a dent in global carbon buildup in the atmosphere. If we can help blunt even one global drought, flood or other form of extreme weather, the value to people around the world will dwarf the investment necessary to bring these projects to  life.


Time line

Each community will be actively involved at all stages of the project, including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation to assure good governance and sustainability for the nurseries, plantations and community for the project.

All other activities will be complete within two years period for short time base but its aiming is for five year period in regarding of funds,. It will take five years to finalize the reforestation of 100 million trees in Rombo District Council .As while if funds allow us to scale it to other regions and districts in Tanzania we will go farther.All other aspects of that program will be complete and/or implemented within 1>5 years.

Short Term— 1>5 years.

  • Run a crowd-funding campaign to cover all initial cost.
  • Collecting & spreading the tree seedlings.
  • Constructions tree nursery.
  • Identify individual and organization for permanent  tree seedlings plantation.
  • Organizing  Forums, Formulating polices and committees to implementation of the project.
  • 1-5 years MFA-teams and Rombo District Official will undertake Monitoring & Evaluation with well training staffs to achieve our mid-term development goals.
  • We will establish research partnerships that lead to tangible research projects in the area of forestry management and sustainable community development.

Medium Term— Short-Term  15>50+

  • Plucking & distributing the tree seedlings with request to get involved in this mission.
  • Discovering & putting into practice other uses of tree-seeds.
  • Dialogs and forums will be conducted for the provisional of policy and by laws on tree for food program as a farming system in Tanzania.
  • We will coordinate with other District and Regional authorities for scale up and adaption of the tree for farming system in their area.

 

Long Term— harvesting benefits of both earlier phases, scale up of the project to national level and implementation of the formulated policy.


Related proposals

The following project focus on the planting of native tree and involve community aspects as well are based agriculture and environment protection in REDD+ and reducing GHGs.

1.https://www.climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1300205/planId/1306707

But the only uniqueness with our project is the introduction of "Trees within Farming System" to community,Non governmental Organization and Governmental one.This its very important in increasing food security within Rombo and other region in Tanzania as it could be expanded.Of which is evaluated by improving,protection and nourishing soil fertility with results in increasing yield food production by 70% to 90% and reductions of REDD+ and GHGs thoughout Tanzania.


References

  • The results of a 12 year study in Malawi and Zambia have shown that intercropping boosts maize yields by 50%.

The researchers said Gliricidia “fixes” nitrogen from the air, converting it into a form ideal for maize growth, thus lessening the need for large doses of manufactured nitrogen fertilisers. Gliricidia also sheds leaves, thus returning organic matter to the soil and increasing the soil’s structural stability, erosion resistance, and water storage capacity. Read more(link is external) about the study.