Nairobi opens its doors to CBA9 conference

By Milcah Rajula and Bob Aston

The 9th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA9): Measuring and enhancing effective adaptation taking place at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya got underway on April 27, 2015 with the inaugural plenary session 1 which was graced by Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, United Nations Development Program (UNEP) Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The Government of Kenya is hosting the conference which has been organized by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS).

More than 400 participants from 90 countries have come together at CBA9 to discuss and share best practice on how to measure and enhance effective adaptation to climate change.

Milcah Rajula at the Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) exhibition stand

Speaking during the opening session, Mr. Thiaw noted that every small change at the community-level on adaptation contributes over time to global success. He said that the climate conference which will be held later during the year in Paris will determine the future trajectory that the world will take. He noted that people should be ready to sign a landmark climate agreement during the Paris Climate Conference.

He said that adaptation has long been considered as a local issue although this is now changing as much of the world’s attention has now been focused on how strongly countries need to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

”Even if we cap our emissions today we will still be affected by climate change unless we adapt. All nations, no matter rich or poor will need to design and develop their adaptation plans,” said Mr. Thiaw.

He said that man-made structures such as sea walls, with minimal consideration of the contribution of ecosystems are not necessarily efficient nor sustainable. He noted that communities and ecosystems need to adapt efficiently to climate change.

“Local communities have unique knowledge in identifying the ecosystem services that underpin livelihoods and ensure their good management. Such knowledge is often overlooked if not ignored by scientists and experts. Adaptation measures should be ecosystem-based and community-based,” said Mr. Thiaw.

He noted that measuring the impact of adaptation projects and their efficiency is not always easy but continued to urge climate change stakeholders to learn more about enhancing the efficiency of adaptation measures through monitoring and evaluation tools.

Milcah Rajula from ALIN explaining to a participant about Joto Afrika's publication

Funding is critical in bringing about a sustainable development that excludes no one, especially at the community level where people face difficulties in accessing or benefiting from natural resources. Additionally, indigenous knowledge from the community level needs to be tapped and documented as it is in tacit form

African countries: Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa, are already committing some domestic resources to adaptation efforts. He stressed that the main challenge now will be to mobilize private finance for adaptation, including ecosystem-based adaptation.

“Global support on adaptation incorporating financing, technology, and knowledge could go a long way toward advancing countries' sustainable development aspirations,” said Mr. Thiaw.

Participants are reporting on the latest research and their project work from across different sectors and countries, highlighting the fact that there are different ways of measuring the success of community-based adaptation.

Participants were able to choose from six different sessions which included: measuring, linking and learning about adaptation effectiveness across; climate information services for effective adaptation; gender and vulnerable groups; community adaptation indicators for sustainable and healthy food systems; food security and nutrition and learning when things don’t go according to plan.

IIED and partners: BCAS, created the CBA conferences to highlight that effective adaptation to climate change takes place at community level. Past CBA conferences have focused on scaling up best practices, ensuring a scientific basis to action, communicating and mainstreaming CBA and ensuring adaptation funding reaches community level.

Visit International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Communities in Laikipia set to benefit from household economic empowerment programme

By Bob Aston

The household economic empowerment programme (HEEP) was started by Laikipia County government with an aim of reducing poverty level in the county which currently stands at 47 percent. The project is being carried out by the County Development Authority which was established two months ago.

The County government through the Governor hopes that through the program, poverty level will decline drastically within a year. Those targeted are people who live below the poverty level and notably those who are considered vulnerable. The County government decided to empower communities at the household level as it deemed it as the best way of eradicating poverty.

The enterprises involved include; indigenous poultry, dairy goat, rabbit production and kitchen garden. Various groups have already been provided with dairy goats, incubators and rabbits. Those receiving incubators are also being provided with eggs.

Picture of rabbits feeding

Organized groups are also being trained on kitchen garden. The objective of this is to ensure households are food and nutrition secure, good management and profitable utilization of available resources is promoted in the county as well as to promote profitable agribusiness in Laikipia County.

Some of the beneficiaries from Ol-Moran Ward include; Sipili Handicap S.H.G, Mbogoini Handicap S.H.G, Songambele S.H.G, Double Vision S.H.G, Good Hope, Maji Misi S.H.G, Sipili Rabbit Keepers S.H.G, Tujijenge S.H.G, Beneza Women Group, Amani H.I.V S.H.G, Mwereri Volunteers S.H.G, Ol-Moran Huruma S.H.G, Wajane Jitegemee S.H.G, Wangwaci Young Farmers and Sipili-Kinamba Broilers Keepers S.H.G.

The County government will partner with private organizations to find market for the groups. Laikipia Governor has already launched the project in Rumuruti, Kalalu, Ilipolei and Lamuria.

Farmers start enjoying the benefit of being members of Laikipia Cooperative

By Bob Aston

The Laikipia Produce and Marketing cooperative society located at Gikomba Hills Complex in Sipili township, Ol-Moran Ward in Laikipia West Sub County emerged from the work undertaken by Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) through Ng’arua Maarifa Centre with the support of the Ford Foundation’s Expanding Livelihoods for Poor Households Initiative (ELOPHI).

ALIN through Ng’arua Maarifa Centre had been working with the smallholder farmers in Laikipia West Sub County by providing information and knowledge products focused on sustainable agriculture, climate change, sustainable land management (SLM), markets and natural resources management (NRM).

Anthony Mugo from ALIN addressing the cooperative members during a past meeting

During interaction with farmers through open learning days, exchange visits and while providing advisory services, the organization learnt that most smallholder farmers experienced a lot of challenges in procurement of farm inputs and in marketing. 

The organization then discussed with the Ng’arua Maarifa Centre focal group members on how best to address the issue of procurement of farm inputs and marketing and it was then that the idea of an organization to champion the interests of smallholder farmers was mooted.

The main idea of forming focal groups is to improve contacts among network members, initiate some joint activities, encourage them to generate and share local development information and experiences.

“Forming the cooperative was a long journey. We first thought of starting a community based organization but later on we decided that a cooperative was ideal and would serve us better,” said Veronica Kemunto, Secretary Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society.

Finally in June 2013 the cooperative was officially registered. With more than 300 members in 2015 the cooperative has now been able to address most of the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Ol-Moran Ward.

SNV, ALIN, EAGC and the cooperative signing the GBH MOU

“We had to hold a lot of meetings to convince other farmers to join the cooperative. Even coming up with the name required a series of meetings. During this period ALIN was always with us providing guidance and also organizing capacity building trainings,” said Waweru Kanja, Chairman, Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society.

Mr. Kanja noted that although the cooperative is still young they have managed to achieve a lot. He said that the support provided to the cooperative by partners that include; ALIN, SNV- Netherlands Development Organization, Kenya Seed Company Ltd, MEA Ltd, Kilimo Biashara Profilers, Eastern African Grain Council (EAGC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock has enabled the cooperative to undertake a lot of activities on behalf of the members.

“ We intend to become a leading  farmer   based organization,   increasing  the  wealth  ,food and  nutritional  security  of   small holder  farmers  in  Laikipia  County by empowering smallholder farmers with skills to aggregate farm produce and become agribusiness oriented,” said Mr. Kanja.

Some of the objectives of the cooperative include; to increase  the  number  of  registered   small holder farmers  in  Laikipia West  from   280 to 1000, to   continuously  help link smallholder  farmers  with  a  fair  market  like  Home Grown School Feeding Program (HGSFP) and  reducing  exploitation  by  middlemen, to form  partnership  with  input  producers  in  order  to secure  farm  inputs  at  fair prices  to reduce  production  cost, to open an agro-input store in Sipili with all farm inputs, to open four new branches in the next three years and to increase the society operating capital from 536,000 to 2.5 million by December 2015.

Some cooperative members holding certified seeds

Mr. Kanja noted that the cooperative has already made sales totaling Ksh 7,608,081 through trading in maize and beans, selling of certified maize and bean seeds as well as selling of fertilizer. He said that they are now planning to open an agro shop, agency banking for cooperative, Post Bank and Equity Bank, Safaricom Mpesa and Airtel money agency as well as a Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO).

The cooperative’s mandate is mainly to aggregate the farming communities by pooling them together and empowering them to take control of their farm’s enterprises, aggregation of farm produce and collective marketing to enhance their bargaining power and profit margins.

The cooperative is already a Cooperative Bank Agent, Post Bank Mashinani Agent, Pioneer Hi-Bred Agent and the Kenya Seed Company Ltd Agent. The cooperative has also been supported by SNV to become one of its Grain Business Hubs (GBH).The Grain Business Hub model functions as a collective supportive businesses and services that help the production activities of member farmers. It does this through managing the collection, distribution, and marketing of food products, mainly grains, from farmers.

The cooperative stand during 2015 Laikipia Agribusiness trade fairs

“As members of the cooperative we have been able to boost our bargaining power. Through seeds and fertilizer services, the cooperative has been able to control market prices in Sipili township and reduced cases of fake seeds,” Said Mrs. Kemunto.

Despite cooperatives playing a major role in resource mobilization, agro-processing and marketing of agricultural produce, most smallholder farmers particularly in rural areas are always reluctant to join cooperatives due to past experiences with the cooperative movement.

“The notion that most cooperatives are always mismanaged is not true. This year I managed to buy the subsidized government fertilizer through the cooperative. I managed to save a lot of money and time going to Nyahururu to look for the subsidized fertilizer but thanks to the cooperative I was able to avoid the extra cost,” said Naomi Ngonyo, member of Laikipia Produce and Marketing Cooperative Society.

The Kenyan Co-operative movement is rated first in Africa and seventh (7) globally among the developed movements by the International Co-operative Alliance. The movement has played and continues to empower communities and individuals both socially and economically through wealth creation, food security and generation of employment and therefore alleviating movement.

WRMA striving to regulate and manage water resources

By Bob Aston

The water resources in most parts of Laikipia County are under severe threats due to the effects of climate change. Illegal abstraction, catchment and water quality degradation are some of the threats facing water resources in the County. These threats have also affected the wider environment within the ecosystem. Wetlands have reduced in size and lost biodiversity while others have become seasonal.

In order to address some of these challenges, the Water Resource Management Authority (WRMA) was established under the Water Act 2002 and charged with being the lead agency in water resources management.

The Laikipia West WRMA office which is situated in Rumuruti falls under the Engare Narok Melghis Sub Region. The sub region covers a total area of 10,857 square kilometres. Already 17 out of the 30 delineated Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) are operating in the sub region.

Community members from Sipili drawing water from a borehole

The sub region falls under the Ewaso Ngiro North Catchment Area (ENNCA) which covers an area of 210,226 square kilometres. With mean annual rainfall ranging from over 800 mm in the highlands to less than 400 mm in the ASAL areas, the catchment is considered water scarce as it has a per capita water availability of 274m3/yr.

WRMA recognizes that the allocation of water has generated much conflict between farming communities located in the upper zones of the rivers and the pastoral groups in the lower sections.

WRMA has already managed to establish the preliminary water balance to enable it to manage and account for water resources effectively in the sub region. The water balance ideally compares the available water against the demand and establishes areas with deficit or surplus, which is vital for realistic equitable allocation.

The Water Act 2002 provides for decentralized and participatory approach to water resources management. The WRMA Engare Narok Melghis Sub Region has ensured that there are participatory approaches for different stakeholders to contribute to water resources management.

Some of the strategic objectives that WRMA is currently pursuing include; improving the use of water resources management tools for effective water resources planning and allocation, strengthening stakeholder collaboration to enhance water storage and adaptation to climate change impacts and to strengthen use of water resources management tools and collaboration for effective catchment protection and conservation.

WRMA is also keen on conservation of riparian land which has been addressed through Water Resource Management (WRM) rules 2007.

Various activities have been proscribed on riparian land that include; tillage or cultivation, clearing of indigenous trees or vegetation, building of permanent structures, disposal of any form of waste within the riparian land, excavation of soil or development of quarries, planting of exotic species that may have adverse effect to the water resource or any other activity that may degrade the water resource.

They have also been identifying mapping and assessing site specific catchments like springs and micro catchments like hilltops and swamps. They have also been encouraging Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) from the sub region to establish tree nurseries and to involve themselves in afforestation and reaforestation.

WRMA has been trying to ensure that they effectively regulate and manage water resources in collaboration with stakeholders like WRUAs for sustainable development. They have also been building capacities of Catchment Area Advisory Committees (CAACs) and WRUAs to respond to new opportunities by skill improvement in Water Resource Management.

WRMA recognizes that riparian reserve is important to the water resources because it reduces runoff and soil erosion from going directly into the water course and it also acts as a buffer zone to trap the runoff water and soil erosion.

Ol-Moran Ward farmers embracing cultivation of chickpeas

By Bob Aston

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) adoption among smallholder farmers has increased food security and nutritional status of many smallholder farmers in arid areas who frequently face crop failures due to the effect of climate change.

Chickpea does well during extreme dry spells and it requires little water for germination. Once it has sprouted, it does not need any rain until it is ready for harvesting at three months although use of organic fertilizer like BioDeposit can make it take a shorter duration. The legume has a taproot system that can go up to a metre deep, enabling it to effectively use the water that is stored in the soil.

Mr. Simon Ruga from Leleswa area of Ol-Moran Ward, Laikipia West Sub County started farming the crop in 2007. He started multiplying the crop and soon he was supplying most farmers in the area.

“I used to get good returns but I suffered a huge set back during the 2009 drought when I ended up selling all the chickpeas that I had including the seeds that I had kept for planting,” said Mr. Ruga.

Chickpea was introduced in Kenya from India by International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) as an alternative plant for dry lands.

The chickpea is a tender annual legume, a bushy plant that grows to about 18 inches tall and has pairs of dark green, compound leaflets that look like vetch. Chick peas have swollen, oblong pods to about 1 inch long and nearly as wide that contain one or two large, cream-colored, pea-like seeds each.

Mr. Ruga was unable to get seeds thereafter until 2014 when he met Mr. Samuel Nyaga who had just migrated from Nyeri. Mr. Nyaga informed him that he had learnt about the crop from the internet when he was searching for information about drought resistant crops. He informed him that he heard of a professor from Egerton University who was interested in helping farmers in the area grow chickpeas.

Mr. Nyaga organized to meet with Dr. Isaiah Njoroge Gatongi, Lecturer Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University who helped him to receive 4 kgs of Kabuli and 2 kgs of Desi.

The seeds were then distributed to four farmers. Despite the dry weather condition in the area Mr. Nyaga and Mr. Ruga were able to harvest the chickpeas but neither was willing to sell as they were interested in multiplying the seeds.

“I want to multiply the seeds this year so that next season I will be able to increase the acreage under chickpeas. The yields of chick peas are slightly higher than that of the common beans while the duration for maturity is also shorter hence why I refer to them as fast china,” said Mr. Ruga.

Chickpeas, while providing an excellent source of both protein and income for the resource poor farmer, are also an important component of the crop rotation systems in most parts of the Country. Chickpeas act as a natural fertilizer by fixing nitrogen in the soil

Facts about Chickpeas

Kabuli and Desi variety of chickpeas are ideal for planting in Laikipia County. Kabuli has white flowers and produces cream-white seeds while Desi has pink flowers and its seeds are dark brown. The seeds are available at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization or Egerton University.

The chickpea leaves can be cooked as vegetables and much of the foliage is also a good source of animal feed, it has less acid making it ideal for people with stomach problems. It also releases malic acid which works against most viruses and thus farmers can use it to break the cycle of Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND).

The crop can be eaten raw while still green or they can also be roasted. Their leaves can also be cooked as vegetables while the foliage is a good source of animal feed. Chickpeas can also be added to githeri or eaten with ugali as stew.

Mr. Nyaga noted that chickpeas not only increases soil fertility but also conserves the soil. He has advised other farmers to embrace the crop as it will ensure that they not only realize better nutrition but that they are also able to generate income.

ALIN set to participate at the 9th International Conference on CBA9

By Bob Aston

The 9th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA9) will take place at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya from 24-30 April, 2015. The Government of Kenya is set to host the conference which has been organized by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS). This year’s conference theme is ‘Measuring and enhancing effective adaptation’.

The conference will focus on measurement and enhancing effectiveness in adaptation. It will aim to highlight the fact that there are different ways of measuring the success of community-based adaptation. Participants will be reporting on the latest research and project work from across different sectors and countries, and presentations are likely to show that effective evaluation considers the perspective of both the donor and the recipients of adaptation funding.

Among the participating organizations will be Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN). ALIN has been participating in a lot of international climate change forums. The International Non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania has been working with other partners to improve access to good quality information and knowledge on climate change adaptation practices using publications like Joto Afrika, a series of printed briefings and online resources that communicates information about climate change adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa and web 2.0 tools.

Farmers weeding in one of the sites where ALIN is demonstrating CSA

ALIN in partnership with Act Change Transform (Act!), with financial support from Department for International Development (DFID) and Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA) is also currently implementing a climate smart agriculture project in Baringo, Laikipia and Kajiado counties with the aim of strengthening communities’ resilience to impacts of climate change while conserving natural resources.

The organization has also been producing documentaries on climate change adaptation as well as publishing and disseminating articles on climate change adaptation. During the CBA9 field trips, ALIN will host some of the participants at the Nguruman Maarifa Centre in Entasopia, Kajiado County and at a site there where it is demonstrating Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA).

IIED and partners such as BCAS created the CBA conferences to highlight that effective adaptation to climate change takes place at community level. A bottom-up approach to adaptation enables local knowledge and practices to be shared among communities, academics and project managers so that those most exposed to the impacts of climate change are better able to adapt.

Past CBA conferences have focused on scaling up best practices, ensuring a scientific basis to action, communicating and mainstreaming CBA and ensuring adaptation funding reaches community level.

The conference will run for three-and-a-half days. It will include plenary sessions, high-level speaker panels, and parallel sessions with group discussions. There will also be sessions featuring short films as well as interactive workshops. The formal conference programme will begin on the morning of 27 April. The opening plenary will feature a distinguished panel of speakers from Africa, Asia and Europe.

The CBA9 schedule will begin with a number of field visits which will allow delegates to see local adaptation projects in action. The event will provide participants with an opportunity to share the latest developments in community-based adaptation (CBA) with an international audience.

Source: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) website

FARMIS Agricultural Production Report Launched

By Milcah Rajula and Anthony Mugo

The Inaugural Agricultural Production report for five sub-counties in Meru, produced using data from FARMIS was launched on April 14, 2015 at a colourful and promising event at the Meru Slopes Hotel. The launch was officiated by the County Director of Agriculture, Mrs. Dionisia M’Eruaki. Also present was the Land O’ Lakes FARMIS Portfolio Manager, Ms. Pauline Mugendi together with Sokopepe staff, led by Director, James Nguo as well as most production information agents (PIAs).

Mrs. M’Eruaki welcomed the work being undertaken by Sokopepe through the innovation known as Farm Records Management Information System (FARMIS). The initiative is aimed at supporting small scale farmers, who rarely keep records, to develop and nurture a culture of record keeping.

  

All smiles after the launch of the FARMIS Agricultural Production Report. They are from left (front row): Robert Kintu, Managing Director, FIT Uganda; Roseline Ngusa, Director Sokopepe; Pauline Mugendi, Agricultural Specialist, Land O’ Lakes/KFIE; Mrs. Dionisia M’Eruaki, Meru County Director of Agriculture; James Nguo, Director, Sokopepe and Anthony Mugo, Deployment Coordinator, Sokopepe. Back row (from left): Martin Murangiri, Training and Recruitment Manager Sokopepe and Susan Gitonga, KFIE Field Officer, Meru. Picture by Dennis Mutwiri.

Sokopepe is a social enterprise that has been set up by Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), an NGO that works with farmers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Under the FARMIS initiative, each farmer invests in a Farm Book which captures information about the name of the farmer, the location of the farm (including GPS coordinates and picture), the size and key farming assets and tools owned by the farmer.  This enables the system to create a complete profile of the farmer.

During the growing season, the farmer records all aspects of the crop production cycle namely: land preparation; treatment and weed control; harvesting; post-harvest activities; and marketing. The amount of money spent at each stage is recorded. The same information is captured in digital form through a smart phone or computer and posted to a central secure server maintained by Sokopepe.

So far more than 6,000 farmers’ profiles have been captured. The piloting of the FARMIS innovation is being done in five selected sub-counties in Meru namely: Imenti Central; North Imenti; South Imenti; Buuri and Tigania West.

Following a systematic analysis of the data on farmer profiles, agriculture stakeholders such as the County and central government; agro-input providers; providers of agriculture credit and development partners can get an accurate perspective of the status of agriculture in the sub-counties targeted at any given time.

Robert Kintu, FIT Uganda Manager addressing participants

Funding support for the work has been provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through Land O’ Lakes/Kenya Feed the Future Innovation Engine.

While talking about her experience in keeping farm records under the FARMIS initiative, Hilda Kinoti, a farmer in Imenti North, said: “Although I have always grown crops and raised livestock on my farm, I have never kept records on maize, potatoes or bananas. With FARMIS, I am now able to tell if growing these crops is profitable because the record enables me to compare the cost of inputs versus the money I get when I sell the harvest.”

With the completion of the pilot period for the Project, Sokopepe desires to expand the service in all sub-counties in Meru, while working closely with the County Government and other stakeholders.

“Having seen the value added by having accurate primary data directly from farmers, we believe such data can inform many aspects of planning that can empower small scale farmers to improve their incomes, livelihoods and food security,” said Anthony Mugo, the Sokopepe Deployment Coordinator.

The unexploited potential of cassava in food security

By Bob Aston

Most communities in Kenya appreciate cassava as an edible delicacy. However it’s growing and consumption has not been properly developed despite its obvious potential to contribute to addressing food insecurity.

For long regarded as “poor man’s” crop most farmers have been skeptical to embrace cassava farming. Despite this, the cost of growing cassava is less compared with other crops since minimal routine management practices are required between planting and harvesting.

Agriculture officer displaying different farm produce

Cassava is an indigenous crop that is fast growing and well adapted to the dry environment and local plant diseases. Cassava requires neither fertilizer nor chemicals. It is drought tolerant and produces reasonable yields under adverse conditions. It also requires little labour in its production.

Cassava has great commercial potential not only as flour for bread and porridge but it can be turned into industrial starch and the peel can be processed by the animal feed industry.

Once established, cassava can resist severe drought. With prolonged periods of drought, cassava plants shed their leaves but resume growth after the rains start, making it a suitable crop in areas with uncertain rainfall distribution.

Picture of cassava

Health benefits of Cassava include; high calories, low fats, gluten-free starch, young tender cassava leaves are a good source of dietary proteins and vitamin K.  Cassava is a moderate source of some of the valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as folates, thiamin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin, and pantothenic acid and the root has minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese. In addition, it has adequate amounts of potassium.

Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published a field guide for the Save and Grow application for cassava where it was noted global production has increased but it would be accelerated further if policymakers realized the crop’s huge potential.

The production of cassava is dependent on a supply of good quality stem cuttings. Multiplication rate of cassava cuttings is very low compared with other crops although this challenge has now been addressed by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) which introduced new varieties of cassava cuttings that are four times as productive and are also more drought and virus resistant.

The long term effect of increased cassava production is reduced famine during droughts, increased economic output, and improved livelihood for smallholder farmers.