Raising awareness among smallholder farmers in Embu and Mwea, Kenya on the impacts of climate change on agriculture

by Dr Hannah Karuri, Cohort 1 Fellow, University of Embu

The Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement (CIRCLE) programme is an initiative of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). Managed by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), the programme is a response to the shortage of local scientists contributing to knowledge on the impacts of climate change on local development in sub-Saharan Africa. Maximising the potential impact of the research conducted under CIRCLE has been a key priority for the programme, leading to the launch of the CIRCLE Research Uptake Fund. This fund has been designed to provide financial support to fellows to enable them to conduct activities related to ensuring their research reaches potential users and other stakeholders.

My research activities under CIRCLE are on climate change, plant- parasitic nematodes (PPN) and smallholder agriculture. Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic worms that feed on plant parts and are a major constraint to crop production. Development, lifecycle, infectivity, geographical distribution and abundance of PPN is affected by changes in temperature and moisture. This is due to the fact that PPN growth and reproduction is directly related to these environmental factors. Climate change may result in an increase in PPN abundance and an expansion of the geographical distribution range which may have a detrimental impact on crop production in Kenya.

Smallholder farmers in a maize field in Mwea, Kenya during a research uptake activity. Photo: Hannah Karuri

Smallholder farmers are not aware of the impact of PPN on crops due to the fact that, PPN are microscopic and the symptoms that they cause are often confused with nutrient deficiency and other abiotic stresses. Therefore, my activities under the CIRCLE Research Uptake Fund involved training farming communities in Embu and Mwea regions of Kenya on PPN and farming techniques that can be used to reduce PPN population in crop fields.  Through collaboration with local and national agricultural institutions, groups of smallholders were trained on use of low cost PPN management techniques such as planting nematode resistant crop varieties, application of organic manure and intercropping. These techniques had been previously tested and proven to be more sustainable and cost effective compared to application of nematicides. The farming techniques will reduce damage caused by PPN and subsequent crop yield losses, thereby improving smallholders’ livelihoods. Since nematode damage affects the quality of some crops such as sweet potato, reducing PPN will also improve quality of marketable roots.

Smallholder farmers in a maize field in Mwea, Kenya during a research uptake activity. Photo: Hannah Karuri

Farming communities were also sensitized on the future impact of climate change on abundance and distribution of nematodes and the predicted effect on yields. Demystifying climate change to smallholders is a challenge due to the strong influence of traditional and religious beliefs.  Through the research uptake fund, information on climate change and its impact on agriculture was provided to smallholders in Mwea and Embu through reading materials that were written in a language that was simple and clear. Training of smallholders on low cost nematode management techniques will be done in other Kenyan regions as follow-up activities in order to sustain the farming practices that were introduced to smallholders in the two regions.

For further information on CIRCLE and the CIRCLE Research Uptake Fund, please contact George Lakey at George.Lakey@acu.ac.uk

Kube-Atenda Community, Ibadan, Nigeria Commissioned Waste-to-Electricity Facility - A CIRCLE Research Uptake

by Dr Taiwo Hammed Babatunde, Cohort 3, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Members of the Kube-Atenda Community after the unveiling of the smokeless pyrolytic chamber

In September 2019 I won a second round of the Climate Impact Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement programme (CIRCLE) Research Uptake Fund. The fund provided grants to alumni of the CIRCLE Visiting Fellowship programme to conduct activities aimed at ensuring the uptake of their CIRCLE research findings by end-users. The current uptake focused on scaling up of waste buy-back established my CIRCLE project at Kube Atenda community, Ibadan, Nigeria. Before this uptake activity, the community had been faced with a major challenge of transporting wastes collected at the centre to the companies that would utilize them in the city. As such, wastes started to accumulate in heaps around the centre while some people were reverting to their old management practices that are not environmentally friendly. According to the chairman of Kube-Atenda community, Elder Abraham Odeyale, ‘disposal of wastes has long been a major challenge in our community. Once upon a time, wastes were being burnt or disposed of in the community stream, but we had been taught to desist from such disposal methods. Therefore, the community members had been paying a token fee for a waste contractor to clear our wastes. However, the waste collector had been unavailable of late’.

Against this backdrop and in ensuring that community people permanently stop disposing of their wastes on illegal dumps, in open spaces, in water bodies or burn them openly, I invented and installed a smokeless pyrolytic chamber that converts various solid wastes to renewable energy and useful by-products. The uniqueness of the chamber is that:

1. The entire unit is completely covered to reduce gaseous emission into the atmosphere.
2. No heat loss; heat generated during the burning of waste is reused through the production of syngas and injecting it into the furnace.
3. Smoke is recycled into black oil or diesel after treatment.
4. Since there is no gaseous emission, it can be operated safely at any convenient place.
5. All materials used are locally available.
6. The unit powers itself and can be used to treat hazardous wastes, hospital waste and agricultural wastes without polluting the environment.

The smokeless pyrolytic chamber and young members of the Kube-Atenda community

The smokeless pyrolytic chamber

Through community joint efforts, various activities that were carried out to ensure the success of this research uptake included:

1.  Creating awareness of buy-back centre
2. Building people’s capacity in waste to wealth concept for wealth creation and poverty reduction
3. Monitoring and evaluation of previous uptake activities
4. Fabrication, installation and test-running of newly invented pyrolytic chamber for converting accumulated waste to energy and useful by-products
5. Production of simplified and harmonized manual
6. A one-day hands-on training workshop on the operation of the newly invented plant
7. Dissemination of the simplified manual was organized in the community

Elder Odeyale also said that the power situation has been problematic too. “Most of the time, darkness has been what we reckon within this community. But with this project, light has come, and we believe it will be extended." The facility will reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of from the community. The facility generates gas that powers a generator for electricity supply and produces oil from which diesel and kerosene can be distilled. The electricity supplied is used to power a phone-charging centre that financially empowers the youths who are managing the centre. The electricity generated also powers streetlights and thereby improves security in the area. The project holds great promise in that it is scalable. To produce more gas and subsequently more electricity, a bigger generating set is needed, coupled with an increase in the waste fed into the pyrolytic chamber. The current setup powers a 2.4kva generator.

Phone-charging centre powered by electricity generated from the smokeless pyrolytic chamber

The centre has become a study area for the young and mid-career researchers and postgraduate students in the University of Ibadan and beyond. This research uptake will meet the community people’s needs in the area of community development, clean environment, people's capacity building in waste to wealth concept for wealth creation and poverty reduction, improved health and improved self-esteem. Also, the uptake activities will facilitate and contribute to the use of research evidence by policymakers, practitioners and other development actors in the state in general.

Study area for young and mid-career researcher and postgraduate students

I am of the opinion that the success story and experiences I have acquired from this uptake will advance my capacity in executing the ACU Blue Charter Fellowship research on marine plastic pollution I am currently undertaking at the University of Plymouth, United Kingdom.

For more information on this project please contact George.Lakey@acu.ac.uk

Distribution of drought tolerant maize seeds for evaluation and adoption by maize farmers of the southwestern Nigeria in the face of climate change

by Dr. Abimbola  Oluwaranti, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Cohort 2 CIRCLE Visiting Fellow

Dr Oluwaranti was awarded funding to carry out activities as part of the CIRCLE Research Uptake Fund. She successfully distributed drought tolerant maize seeds to farmers in South-Western Nigeria, and delivered training on how to plant and maintain the crops for optimum yield. Here, she shares her thoughts on the activity.

Background information and Meeting with maize farmers

The main focus of my CIRCLE research was to develop drought tolerant maize varieties adaptable to the effects of climate change. On returning to my Home Institution after the CIRCLE Fellowship in 2017, I met with maize farmers in four locations of the South-Western Nigeria to determine accessibility to drought tolerant maize seeds. My research group subsequently delivered training for five farmers in each location on how to carry out their maize planting and other agronomic practices for optimum yield of the drought tolerant maize seeds. 

Purchase and Distribution of Drought Tolerant Maize Seeds, Herbicides and Fertilizers.

Based on the twenty trained maize farmers, 3kg of drought tolerant maize seeds were purchased for each of the maize farmers for planting in the later part of the late season (3rd week of September of 2017), which is usually characterized by terminal drought in these locations. For optimum performance of these drought tolerant maize seeds, the twenty maize farmers were also given 1 litre each of pre-emergence herbicide to prevent weed growth at the seedling and vegetative growth stages. After planting, the maize farms were visited by me and my program assistant of the Research Uptake Plan before distributing one 50kg of NPK fertilizer to each of the twenty maize farmers. Some of the pictures taken during the purchase and distribution of the seeds, herbicides and fertilizers are as shown below.

Growth and harvesting of the drought tolerant maize 

As predicted, the rain stopped as from the 3rd week of September in all of these farms’ locations, due to the ability of the drought tolerant maize seeds to tolerate the marginal rainfall conditions, the maize plants were able to withstand the water stress. The maize ears were also well filled compared to the susceptible drought maize seeds that the farmers used to plant despite the water stress on them as shown in the pictures below:

Adoption of the drought tolerant maize seeds by the maize farmers.

The maize farmers were convinced with the good performance of the maize seeds, hence the easy adoption of the maize seeds by the maize farmers for subsequent planting in the different locations of Southwestern Nigeria to enhance food security in the Sub-region of the country.

Dr. Afiukwa's Research Uptake Activity

by Dr Celestine Afiukwa, Ebonyi State University, Nigeria

Cohort 1 CIRCLE Visiting Fellow

Dr Afiukwa was awarded funding to carry out activities as part of the CIRCLE Research Uptake Fund. He successfully organised a meeting with major stakeholders in rice production in Ebonyi State, including rural rice farmers and members of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Agriculture. Dr Afiukwa shares details of the event below.

Dr Afiukwa posing with the Commissioner for Agric, VC's Rep, CIRCLE Coordinator in EBSU (Prof Ogunji) and others

Introduction

The event was a huge success and a very interesting one. I, Dr. Afiukwa Celestine Azubuike of the Department of Biotechnology in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki Nigeria and a Cohort 1 CVF, worked on the topic “Screening rice varieties and landraces cultivated in Nigeria for SSR markers uniquely linked to drought resistant traits for accelerated rice breeding for drought resistance in Nigeria” at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. I was awarded a grant by the CIRCLE programme to share the research findings with relevant stakeholders in Ebonyi State for possible uptake. The uptake activity was designed to bring stakeholders in Ebonyi State Ministry of Agriculture, rice farmers from at least ten (10) Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State, rice researchers/breeders and the Management/relevant members of staff of the University.

The Activity

The event was held between 22nd - 23rd May 2018 in Ebonyi State University and was well attended. Four staff members of Ebonyi State Ministry of Agriculture took part in the meeting, including the Commissioner for Agriculture himself, Hon. Ikechukwu Nwobo, the Permanent Secretary and Heads of Department in the Ministry.

A total of fifty (50) rice farmers were originally selected and invited from ten LGAs of the state for the event, but sixty-two (62) educated farmers attended including a Catholic Priest (Rev. Fr. Peter Azi) and a traditional ruler (HRH Eze Akam Alo) who was my school principal during my secondary school years. Two rice researchers and many members of the Ebonyi State University community also attended. The event was declared open by the Vice Chancellor of the University represented by the University’s Director of academic Planning, Prof. P. E. Nwakpu who disclosed the Vice Chancellors appreciation of CIRCLE and ACU’s supports for EBSU. The CIRCLE Coordinator in EBSU, Prof. Dr. Johnny Ogunji, did the welcome remarks and gave an overview of the event. The program featured;

1. A keynote speech by the Commissioner for Agriculture on the topic “The prospect of Rice production in Nigeria’s food security: the case of Ebonyi State” during which he highlighted the State Government’s efforts at enhancing rice production in the State and to become a leading exporter of rice in Nigeria. The Commissioner appreciated the programme and expressed the Government’s willingness to support researches that could impact positively on rice production.
   
   
2. A presentation by the Guest Speaker and my CVF Supervisor, Prof. Julius O. Faluyi of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on the topic “Drought stress as a major constraint to rice production"
   
   
3. A second presentation by the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management in Ebonyi State University and the LOC Chairperson, Prof. Happiness O. Oselebe, who spoke on the topic “Drought Stress in Ebonyi State: Is it Real?”
   
   
4. A third presentation by me, the CVF and CIRCLE Research Uptake Grantee, Dr. Celestine A. Afiukwa, who presented the findings of my CIRCLE research titled “Drought Tolerant Rice Accessions and Landraces Cultivated in Nigeria and Molecular Markers for its Identification - Towards Molecular Breeding”.
   
   
5. A final session for questions, answers and discussion.

Group photograph with the VC's Rep, the Commissioner & the participants

Dr Afiukwa making his presentation

Dr. C.V. Nnamani (Cohort 2 CVF) reading the guest speaker's citation (Prof. Faluyi)

In the presentations, Prof. Faluyi carefully educated the farmers and the participants on the meaning and implications of this soil water shortage stress (drought) on rice growth and productivity at various stages of the plant life. Having been made to appreciate the meaning and implications of drought stress, Prof. Oselebe in her presentation engaged the farmers in an interactive discussion during which many of them testified that drought stress is real in Ebonyi State and narrated their experiences and losses already recorded. Thereafter, I presented the findings of my CIRCLE research which further clarified the farmers on the effects of drought stress on rice and introduced the identified drought tolerant accessions to the farmers (IJ02, IJ09, IK-FS and IK-PS). My presentation also introduced to the rice researchers/breeders five molecular markers that suggested that these four rice accessions are identical to FARO 11 which is a known drought tolerant rice variety and explained to them how this technology (molecular marker-assisted selection) works to enhance breeding success.

A cross section of the participants

Communiqué Raised

The farmers were very appreciative of the program and together we made the following suggestions to government and the University;

1. This kind of training/program that brought relevant stakeholders in agriculture (the policy makers or Government, researchers and farmers) is helpful and should be continued.
2. Ebonyi State Government and the University should endeavor to establish a rice research institute to foster collaboration among the Government, rice researchers and rice farmers in solving problems affecting rice production in the area. The farmers lamented on the losses they suffer as a result of challenges from erratic climate and insect pests and diseases attacks.

A rice researcher, Dr Ogah, making a contribution

Kenyan Policy Makers Dialogue on Gender and Social Inclusion in the Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy: Linking International and National Policy

By Catherine Mungai and Caroline Bosire, from the International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya
Cohort 1 and Cohort 3 (resp.) CIRCLE Visiting Fellows

Kenya has made great headway in developing policies and strategies to respond to climate change across different sectors; most notably in agriculture. The agricultural sector is the driving force of Kenya’s economy and is also one of the sectors most sensitive to the impacts of climate change. The agricultural sector has been identified as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, therefore necessitating the identification of measures through which the sector can mitigate climate change. Introduced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is one such approach which aims to sustainably improve agricultural productivity, increase farmers’ resilience, reduce and/or remove greenhouse gas emissions, and support the achievement of food-security and development goals. To this end, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya has developed a CSA Strategy which will guide the implementation of the country's Nationally Determined Contribution for the agriculture sector.  

Catherine Mungai (CIRCLE Cohort 1 fellow) presents her results to policy makers for their input and feedback

Having received Research Uptake funding from CIRCLE, CIRCLE Cohort 1 Fellow Catherine Mungai organised an informative session where she shared findings from her CIRCLE funded research: ‘Uptake of Climate-Smart Agriculture Through a Gendered Intersectionality Lens: Experiences from Western Kenya’. The meeting was held at the National Climate Change Resource Centre (NCCRC) and was organized together with the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and the Climate Change Directorate in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR). Having NGEC on board was essential as the mission of the commission is to effectively and efficiently promote gender equality and freedom from discrimination of all persons in Kenya. The commission also spearheads the development of the gender submissions for Kenya to the UNFCCC and ensures that gender is mainstreamed from national to county level. Thirty participants including policy makers from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, researchers from the CGIAR and NGO representatives participated in the meeting.

For policy makers, the results of the study demonstrate the need to consider gender and social inclusion in the development and implementation of CSA policies and programmes in order to ensure equitable development. The study provides evidence on why policy development and implementation agencies need to ensure that gender issues are addressed from conception of policies through to implementation. The presentation was timely and instrumental in supporting the development of action plans for the implementation of CSA at national and county level. Mungai’s research findings emphasize the need for context specific CSA technologies and practices which take into consideration social and cultural factors. The presentation was also tailored to generate feedback to be used in developing a policy brief.

Participants at the policy round table held at the National Climate Change Resource Center, Nairobi, Kenya 

There was great interest in the work and very valuable feedback from the various participants. One important message that came across was the need to clearly target the policy brief recommendations to either the policy makers at the national level or the implementers at the lower levels, which would include the county government and other institutions. The meeting also included discussions on preparation of a national gender position statement for the upcoming 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 23) to be held in Bonn from 6 to 17 November. The presentation therefore served as a case study to demonstrate the scope of policy development from global, regional, national and local levels. The case study also demonstrated how research can be integrated into the policy process.

3CGS organizes Researcher-Practitioner Symposium

By Mrs. Mercy Afua Adutwumwaa Derkyi (PhD), Centre for Climate Change and Gender Studies (3CGS), University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR)

After weeks of planning, phone calls, dispatching letters and making follow-ups; the dust finally settled and the much talked about symposium which happened to be the first of its kind in the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) saw the light of day on Wednesday, 22^nd February, 2017.

Symposium Objectives

The symposium formed part of series of activities to be carried out under the Climate Impact Research Leadership and Capacity Enhancement (CIRCLE)’s UPTAKE PROJECT ‘Sharing and co-creation of knowledge on climate change adaptation among agrarian communities in the Transitional and Savannah vegetation zones of Ghana’ with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID).

The symposium sought to discuss findings from earlier research on Gender, Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity of Agrarian and Forest Dependent Communities in the Transitional Zone. Furthermore, it discussed the challenges, success stories and best practices of farmers in respect of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in the Transitional and Savannah Zones of Ghana.

Attendance
Participants were drawn from the Savannah and Transitional zones of Ghana. Representatives included District/Municipal Directors of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Extension officers/agents of MoFA and farmers from Kintampo North, Offinso North, Sunyani West, Tolon-Kumbugu, Wa West Districts, Berekum and Bolgatanga Municipals. Experts from the Ghana Meteorology Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency in the Sunyani Municipality were also present. In all, 57 people participated in the programme excluding the students.

Summary of activities
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Harrison Kwame Dapaah welcomed the participants. He stressed the need for academia to foster productive collaborations with practitioners in order to promote sustainable development. He also congratulated the Centre for Climate Change and Gender Studies (3CGS) team for their efforts in spearheading this initiative and also appreciated the contributions of CIRCLE programme to the capacity building of staff and fostering the collaboration between researchers and practitioners through this Uptake programme.   Dr. (Mrs.) Mercy A. A. Derkyi, CIRCLE 2015 Fellow, took her turn to highlight the findings and opened the floor for contributions from the participants.

Dr. (Mrs.) Mercy A. A. Derkyi

The representative of the Forestry Commission presented on the role that the FC is playing in adaptation and mitigation of Climate Change through the Ghana Forest Investment Program (GFIP). The representatives of the various Districts and Municipalities took turns to give presentations on the challenges that each faced with respect to Climate Change and the various adaptation and mitigation measures they put in place. The challenges and interventions were thoroughly discussed in a level headed manner in order to facilitate knowledge sharing and also set the tone for future projects.

The participants were fired with enthusiasm. In order to enrich the learning experience, some farmers were interviewed and allowed to share their thoughts and make contributions. Participants from each District drafted a ‘way forward’ guide in respect of interventions and activities which could help in Climate Change mitigation and adaptation in their districts.

Way forward
With the established networks, selected farmers and the MoFA staff from the transition zone, as well as selected agriculture students at the school of Agriculture and Technology of UENR, will visit Upper West Region in March 2017 to have hands-on experiences of the adaptation strategies available in the field. Further follow on activities include:

• Develop a documentary on the uptake program
• Design a simple manual on adaptation strategies for farmers
• Organize training workshops for farmers in the transitional zone
• Based on the action plans developed by the respective districts, 3CGs will facilitate an action research proposal for transitional-savannah climate-smart agriculture project.

Acknowledgement
We are grateful to the funding from the Department for International Development (DfID) under the Climate Impact Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement (CIRCLE) programme.