PROJECT
NO. 162
Project Title
|
Enhancing the
effectiveness of agricultural change agents in the southern African semi-arid
tropics (SAT) |
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Project Leader
|
Bob
Myers |
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Organisation |
CSIRO
Sustainable Ecosystems |
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APSRU
Representative |
Dr Peter
Carberry |
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Funding
Body |
ACIAR |
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Administration
Contact |
TBA Ph: Fax: |
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Commencement
Date |
TBA |
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Completion
Date |
TBA |
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Research
Proposal Summary |
This project seeks to facilitate ICRISAT engagement with
those institutions with a mandate to influence farmer adoption of
technologies targeted at enhancing the productivity of small-scale farming in
southern Africa – change agents thus refer to NARES partners, NGOs,
agribusiness companies and policy advisers. The project will contribute new
skills and tools in system simulation and analysis and participatory action
research. Such tools can enhance the capacity of local agencies to address
the problem of food insecurity and poverty in the southern African SAT caused
by the erratic rainfall and low and declining soil fertility. The primary
clients of the project are NARES partners who can be assisted in applying
these tools to help small-scale farmers evaluate options for improved
productivity of selected cropping systems. A second set of important clients
is community (NGOs) and agribusiness change agents with the mandate and
opportunity to promote more productive and profitable farming through input
and output markets. A third client will be government policy makers
interested in identifying and addressing policy opportunities and constraints
to implementation of improved farming practices. Implementation of a
participatory action research approach in this project, whereby project
researchers work alongside different client groups in their own activity
systems, will provide important insight into the opportunities for research
to contribute to practice change of the participating institutions and their
own farmer clients. |
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Aims |
The
objective of this project is to improve soil fertility recommendations and
their implementation by smallholder farmers in dry regions (NRIV&V) of
Zimbabwe by 1.
using
systems simulation and analysis to review and re-interpret the collective
soil fertility experience of Agritex and DRSS gained from their regional
on-station and on-farm research; 2.
instigating
at least one case study with an agribusiness partner that explores the likely
benefits and costs of facilitating credit and/or fertilizer supply options
for smallholder farmers; 3.
promoting
systems simulation as a possible tool for agricultural policy researchers
concerned with smallholder agriculture; and 4.
supporting
the development of an institutional capacity within Agritex, DRSS and select
NGOs in the application of systems modeling and farmer participatory
research. |
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Potential
Outcomes |
-
Agritex
fertilizer recommendations modified to account for regional climate and
soils, and for a range of resource investment strategies for 2 districts
within Zimbabwe. -
An
institutional capacity within Agritex, DR&SS and some NGOs to review and
formulate more effective extension recommendations for other districts and
regions within Zimbabwe (and beyond). -
A
successful case study of an initiative to enhance the effectiveness of change
agents in development of technologies for resource-poor farmers in the SAT. -
A
demonstration of farmers, research, extension and agribusiness working
together to develop synergistic technology and markets to improve production
enterprises for resource poor farmers. -
Documentation
of the outputs of this research as reports and research papers. |
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Milestones |
TBA |
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Budget |
TBA |
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Resource
Requirements &
Contributions |
Staff % /
year |
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Prior Provision of IP & Rights of Ownership |
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Ownership,
equity in and use of IP to be developed |
D |
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Rights
of Publication |
ICRISAT & APSRU |
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Strategic
Plan Goal No. |
1, 3 & 4 |
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Relevance
to Strategic Plan |
Links to policy makers in
developing countries |