HIVOS. Lushoto
HIVOS/ERMCSD TANZANIA CLIMATESMART PROJECT:
The Environmental Resources Management Center for Sustainable Development (ERMCSD) proposes to partner with local farmers organizations in Lushoto district of Tanzania to develop a collaborative framework and implementation strategy for a sustainable, community market oriented approach that builds climate resilience and improves livelihoods amongst rural communities in Lushoto district of Tanzania. Between May 2014 and December, 2015 ERMCSD will work with smallholder farmer households, leaders of strategic public, private and civic sector groups, agencies and businesses in the Lushoto district region to facilitate a spatially explicit vision and business model designed to open access to markets by smallholder farmers while protecting and restoring vital ecosystem services upon which local agriculture and livelihoods depend. This process of implementing climate smart agriculture activities will lead also to biodiversity conservation and community livelihood improvement. The main objectives of this project will be :
1.2.1 To identify and test climate change adaptation practices with mitigation co-benefits for alleviating poverty and hunger amongst smallholder farmers around Lushoto district in Tanzania.
1.2.2 To reduce the prevailing poverty incidences and create sustainable livelihoods for participating households.
1.2.3 To identify and map networks and partners to facilitate landscape management in the Lushoto region of Tanzania.
1.2.4 Identify and test sustainable land management innovations to build more resilient livelihoods
1.2.5 Identify and test improved crop and livestock production technologies that enable the rural communities to better manage climate-related risk
1.2.6 Identify and test agroforestry practices to improve livelihoods.
Some Agricultural innovations and interventions and activities for adaptation to climate change will involve, helping farmers in understanding how to improve land management practices and incorporating fruit trees to improve nutrition, with an aim of introducing 5,000 fruit trees within a period of 18 months. Also look forward to availing 10,000 tissue culture seedlings to farmers to improve on their household income generation. There will also be introduction of commercial horticulture crops targeting the urban centres and market areas in Tanzania by introducing crops like kales, cabbages, hot pepper, tomatoes, onions, and also some crop mixtures, new legume crop species like pigeon peas that fix soil nitrogen.
There will be also capacity building for risk management that will take place through learning new and improved methods of extracting high quality honey that attracts high market value using hybrid beehives. More than 1,000 farmers will be trained intensively for 18months. ERMCSD will establish Environmental Field Schools- “EFS” to build capacity of community based organizations and 1,000 farmer households on enhanced agro-forestry practices in order to mitigate climate change.
Policies and institutions for climate resilient food systems that will be put in place by ERMCSD will see work done with the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment in Tanzania to encourage them to have a demand driven extension program where farmers look for agricultural offices for advice twenty community based animal health workers (paravets) will be trained.
Partners who will take part in this project include: Environmental Resources Management Centre for Sustainable Development (ERMCSD) which will see at least 20,000 households having their household incomes increased by 55%. Agritech Green Services International will ensure at least 20,000 farmers are trained in commercial oriented agriculture production.
Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries will offer extension support to 2,000 crop and livestock farmers. Ministry of Water and Environment will see 200 model farms have 10% tree cover. Local government in Lushoto Tanzania will provide an enabling environment for agricultural production and markets to thrive and mobilize community members to participate in climate smart agriculture.
Community Based Organizations for women and youth farmers from Lushoto District will mobilize farmers and oversight of the resource centres having the input shop and innovation fund. The project will employ a participatory monitoring and evaluation design that will be responsive to mature farmers, through popular participation. A participatory Evaluation plan will be developed to help in assessing whether the agriculture intensification program has brought benefit to the women in participating in the program.
Participatory Monitoring will ensure that I) program inputs are ready in time; ii) program works plans are followed closely; iii) adjustments can be made and corrective action taken as and when necessary; iv) stakeholders who need to know about program progress are kept informed; v) constraints and bottlenecks are found; and vi) program resources are strictly used and efficiently.
The proposed monitoring and evaluation plan will provide an opportunity to the program implementation committee to assess deficiencies in the various projects design – if objectives and work plan were realistic, if program funding amounts were adequate and whether the projects were actually owned by mature farmers, women and youth farmers.
