Establishment of Friends of Group

A Friends of Fernbrae Meadows group was set up to contribute to the on-going activities in the park and the maintenace of the site. 

Engagement and enthusiasm from the local community

Involvement of Community Links officer made sure that locals were inspired and empowered to create and maintain long-lasting change

The contrasting needs and perceptions of communities surrounding the park proved an issue during the development and implementation stages of the park. If this project was repreated, the Friends of Fernbrae Meadows group could engage more effectively with all communities surrounding the park and the dis-engaged community could involve themeselves in activities and events in the park to increase the social cohesion of the two communities. 

Monitoring program for effectiveness and program outcomes

Monitoring is an essential component of any adaptive management program.  To understand whether the artesian spring management program was successful, a suite of monitoring and assessment was undertaken. This involved photographic monitoring and condition assessments of the springs based on the amount of grazing, ground disturbance and visual water condition. Biological assessment of species diversity of plants and endemic gastropods were carried out.

  • Develops land management outcomes and knowledge.
  • Evaluates management effectiveness.
  • Documents program outcomes.
  • Resources (time and staff) to undertaken monitoring.
  • Skills to undertake monitoring and assessment.
  • Effective monitoring programs create better and more sustainable engagement by program stakeholders, reduces costs and allows for more effective use of project resources.
  • Monitoring needs to be adaptive to ensure the desired outcomes are being measured.
  • Results need to be easy to understand and readily available so that all stakeholders can appreciate how the program is achieving the desired program outcomes.
Implementation of PNAPO

The National Policy (PNAPO) has been implemented in Brazil since 2012, aiming at fostering sustainable agricultural practices and healthy food consumption habits; empowering family farmers, traditional communities, women and youth; and promoting sustainable rural development through specific programs and financing for smallholder farming. It is a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder interdisciplinary policy on a federal level, whose initiatives have been implemented throughout the five Brazilian regions, with verifiable results.

Some programmes and initiatives currently included in the flagship of PNAPO already existed before its creation. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the policy and the creation of CNAPO, those programmes have been strategically articulated and integrated into PNAPO’s general objectives and working plan, guaranteeing more participative planning, implementation and monitoring processes.

One of the PNAPO’s main instruments is the National Plan for Agroecology and Organic Production (PLANAPO), which must always include at least the following elements: overview/diagnosis, strategies and goals, programmes, projects, actions, indicators, deadlines and a management structure (Article 5 of Federal Decree 7,794).

 

The main goals and initiatives of PLANAPO are to strengthen agroecological and organic production networks, increase the supply of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER), focusing on agroecological practices; increase access to water and seeds, strengthen government procurement of products, increase consumers’ access to healthy food, without the use of agrochemicals or transgenics in agricultural production, thus strengthening the economic value of the farming families. PLANAPO seeks also to expand access to land.

 

Despite “civil society proposals have not been fully included in the final version of the PLANAPO, there is a general consensus on the fact that the Plan marks an historic moment, an important step forward in the direction of a more sustainable peasant agriculture, especially in a country such as Brazil where the agribusiness model still keeps on maintaining a great influence on government policies, due to its economic importance”.

According to ANA, there are several good points to be highlighted in the first PLANAPO (2013-2015). Among the positive aspects are the actions that had a budget for implementation and which made an important contribution to the advancement of agroecology. Among the negative aspects of the first PLANAPO are the very small budget for policies such as the Ecoforte Programme and Technical Assistance and Rural Extension.

 

Creation of a local ranger program

To effectively carry out conservation measures, projects require dedicated, skilled and trained people in the field and the community. The establishment of a local ranger program called “Caretakers” was identified by ECF as an important step in ensuring conservation objectives were enforced in the field and understood in the village. Caretakers are local people with knowledge and understanding of their local environment, the ability to communicate with locals and visitors, and self-motivated to protect nature. They are identified through the FPA process and later employed by CBOs. They are trained in conservation methods, equipped with communication equipment, uniforms and sometimes means of transport but do not have the legal rights of (governmental) protected area staff or forest rangers. They may inform and educate people, and report infringements to the relevant authorities. Caretakers assist with the monitoring of biodiversity, educate/raise awareness and perform CA management tasks. They are responsible for data collection, ongoing wildlife monitoring and the submission of progress reports to the ECF. Caretakers are a key point of contact (trusted and respected) in the community, and act as an example of the socio-economic benefits of nature conservation. 

  1. Prudent selection means chosen individuals are trusted, have the capacity to learn new skills, openness to accept new ideas, and responsibility to report/carry out objectives 
  2. Involving caretakers in all aspects of capacity building with local institutions and authorities involved in land management and nature conservation, including forest agencies, municipalities etc.
  3. Participation in training sessions using the tools/skills required of the position as well as fostering strong ethics, honesty and commitment to the nature conservation objectives
  • Outmigration of young people is a barrier to finding a suitable Caretaker for long term project goals and application. 
  • Educating communities on ecosystem-based management practices and applications will challenge previous perspectives of wildlife while demonstrating how conservation can benefit the community and develop respect for the caretaker position.
  • Community capacity building leads to a supportive atmosphere for caretakers to operate in. Local authorities and community organisations are institutionally weak so general institutional strengthening and capacity building is encouraged.
  • The role of Caretakers is initially misunderstood by local and authorities. effort and coaching is required to establish the understanding that policing and enforcement represents only a minor part of the scope of work of stakeholders and that main emphasis should be on raising awareness, providing information and guidance, and leadership within the local community. 
  • Ensuring caretakers receive education and training means the tools and resources employed can be accessed and utilized. 
Establishment of community-based organizations (CBOs)

Establishing a CBO is the step between the FPA process and signing a Conservation Agreements. CBOs are created with ECF’s guidance and are responsible for:

i) securing and implementing a Conservation Agreement

ii) the fair and equitable distribution of benefits among the community

iii) acting as the legal entity representing the community in a Conservation Agreement.

CBOs are formed under the national law that is appropriate to its purpose, country and region. If creating a CBO is not possible, an NGO can act as a CBO in the Conservation Agreement. 

 

To establish a CBO requires the local community to make a long-term commitment to cooperation and take responsibility for conservation actions. In this way the CBO contributes to strengthening the social capital and increasing sustainable land-use practices. CBO’s help build community connectedness, communication and resilience related to nature conservation efforts. CBOs are encouraged to consider biodiversity as part of the local economy and work closely with ECF toagree on sustainable land-use. CBOs are encouraged to seek other sources of funding for community projects and to develop their activities as a sustainable business during the implementation period of the Conservation Agreement. 

  1. Self-organisation of communities is initiated or strengthened through the FPA 
  2. Negotiation of terms with representatives of the community to provide a clear, long-term Conservation Agreement 
  3. Dialogue, negotiation and involvement with all segments of the community: elders, decision makers, influential community members, women and youth
  4. Identify and include all user groups within a community: herders, farmers, hunters, healers
  5. Involvement of local authorities (i.e.forest department)
  6. Strategic engagement with institutions at regional and national levels 
  • Lack of community level governance, lack of environmental awareness and negative wildlife interactions required education/community awareness campaigns.
  • Small, locally-led projects encourage community capacity building, communication and implementation of conservation strategies.
  • Establishment of CBOs represents FPA progress and a qualitative improvement in terms of local self-organisation.
  • Do not impose an organisation model on the local community; decide on a model together.
  • Capacity building related to management and governance of CBOs is critical to secure initial success and reduce dependence on external support.
  • Involvement of the CBO with acquisition and organization of baseline information on livelihood-related issues, natural resources and land-use secures relevant information and contributes to CBO’s capacity building.
  • Accepting community members’ views when designing project goals ensures project serves entire community.
  • Involvement of local governments link the applications of ecosystem-based management to larger themes like climate change and disaster risk reduction.
Prunining and formation of fruit trees

In order to develop good quality fruit yields and to enable the association of fruit growing with vegetable or fodder production in the long-run, optimal fruit tree formation is vital. From the beginning of their lifecycle, fruit trees should be formed by pruning, binding up and spreading branches. For building up stable and light-flooded trees, skeleton and fruit branches should be clearly differentiated. In the later stages of its lifecycle, maintenance pruning is used to remove superfluous fruit branches, shoots and deadwood. This allows sunlight to penetrate the inward of the tree, offering the conditions to produce bigger fruits that taste better. When fruit trees become very high and quality of fruit decline, they can be rejuvenated through rehabilitation pruning. Adequate pruning also can prevent pests and diseases, as is ensures that the trees are not too dense, and wind can pass through. The surface of leaves will consequently dry quickly after rain or dewfall and consequently spores of diseases as powdery mildew will not germinate.

An exemplary orchard with adequately pruned trees which produce high-quality fruit serves as motivation for farmers to replicate this seemingly easy, yet very important technique. Small incentives, such as pruning scissors and saws distributed during the practical parts of the training sessions have also proved to be very motivating.

Most farmers in Tajikistan lack knowledge about adequate pruning, which is why quantity and quality of fruit production as well as associated crops lags its potential. The experience shows that a single round of training might not be enough for the farmers to adopt adequate  pruning techniques.

Integrated pest management (IPM)

The main aim of IPM is to reduce the infestation of any pest below the threshold of damage. Purchasing chemical pesticides is often too expensive for subsistence farmers. Nevertheless, some form of pest control is still vital, since a serious infestation can lead to a total loss of harvest. In this regard, the project promotes applying IPM, which requires permanent monitoring of the fields’ phytosanitary status, so that adequate measures are taken timely. For ensuring a resilient orchard in the first place, phytosanitary measures and biological pest control should be applied.  Phytosanitary measures imply using certified seedlings, free from pests and diseases. Adequate pruning is important, for removing branches infested by die-back, and for prevention of diseases like mildew, as the leaves dry soon after rainfall or dew. During a pest outbreak, homemade insecticides can be prepared by mixing spices (chilli, garlic, onion, etc.) or toxic plants (walnut, tobacco, etc.) with soap, alcohol or oil. They can be applied for controlling insects, like aphids, thrips, and mites. Another measure for controlling pests consists of providing sources of fodder and hideouts for their natural enemies.

Pests and diseases directly impair the production and quality of fruit, which is a strong motivation for farmers to engage in pest control. Additionally, it becomes increasingly accepted among farmers that the use of synthetic pesticides is harmful to the environment. Therefore, the holistic approach of managing pests and diseases promoted within training sessions in the farmers' field schools was generally welcomed. Furthermore, the homemade insecticides are cheap and most of them are not harmful to the environment and the users.

A few aspects could already be identified over the course of the project:

  • Many farmers tend not to take proactive measures towards pest management due to limited technical knowledge/information available in this regard. 
  • Synthetic pesticides have a more resounding effect than homemade ones, which need to be applied repeatedly. Therefore, many farmers still prefer synthetic pesticides and it is challenging to convince them of the benefits of homemade ones.
Crop Association

Vegetables or fodder crops can be planted between rows of fruit trees facilitating income from the orchard from the very beginning when fruit trees have not yet entered production. Associating fruit trees with vegetables or fodder crops is especially important in Tajikistan as farmer families have only little irrigated land and thus have to use it intensively. Vegetables can be used for subsistence or sold at market, whilst fodder crops as alfalfa and sainfoin can be planted for producing hay. Other advantages of cultivating fodder plants are that these create habitats and feed pollinators and beneficial insects. Most of the species flower after fruit trees have already blossomed, thereby extending the fodder supply for pollinators and improving conditions for beekeeping. Moreover, fodder plants protect the soil from erosion.

The project trains farmers within the farmers' field schools on orchard management, including correct tree formation for leaving enough space for associated cultures. Fruit trees should be formed with longitudinal crowns, consisting of stem prolongation and two skeleton branches aligned along the row of trees, which allows for the cultivation of vegetable and fodder plants in between.

Although associating vegetables or fodder crops between the rows within orchards is not new for most of the farmers, the technique can only be implemented successfully depending on several factors, including composition and design of the orchard, such as distances between the trees and the rows, correct pruning of trees, selection of species for associated crops and availability of irrigation water and infrastructure. Commonly, fruit trees are cultivated too dense which reduces fruit production per tree and makes the plantation for associated crops impossible due to the lack of sunlight reaching through the branches. If advanced irrigation systems are available, it has to be considered that trees preferably should be watered by drip irrigation and fodder plants by sprinkler irrigation which requires installing two different systems.

Local varieties or varieties grafted on local rootstocks

It is cheaper to establish a traditional or semi-intensive orchard with local varieties than an intensive one based on imported seedlings since locally produced plants are cheaper and fewer plants/ha (approximately 500-600 vs 2,600-3,125) are required.

Furthermore, a semi-intensive orchard system based on local varieties allows for better vegetable growing and fodder planting between the trees. This outweighs the disadvantage that orchards established with local varieties and grafted on local rootstocks enter production later than intensive ones (5-6 years vs 2-4 years).

Traditional varieties of fruit trees are normally better adapted to local climate conditions and are more resistant or tolerant to pests and diseases. That implies economic benefits as costs for applying pesticides are reduced considerably, production levels are stable, and less irrigation water is needed.

In addition, local varieties bear fruits much longer (30-50 years vs. 10-12 years). It is recommended to involve specialists and consult with local nurseries before beginning reproduction of fruit trees seedlings since grafting requires some experience. Local nurseries can establish collections of varieties for cutting scions and hand them over to interested fruit growers.

When reminded about the benefits of the local varieties of fruit trees and bushes during the knowledge exchange within farmers' field school training sessions, farmers tend to show interest in diversifying their orchards with these. Local nurseries or plantations established from local varieties such as the “apple park” in the Rasht pilot district of the project can serve as evidence and visually motivate the farmers to diversify their orchards with local varieties or varieties grafted on local rootstocks.

Promoting traditional varieties is challenging as these are often forgotten and thus hardly available. Local nurseries should be encouraged reproducing these varieties and farmers should be connected with them. In addition, farmers can be motivated to produce seedlings e.g. by establishing community–based small nurseries, concentrating on local varieties of fruit trees and bushes.

When farmers are planning to produce fruits from local varieties not only for own consumption but also for sale, a market assessment should be conducted.

Potential as a Transferable Model

One and a half billion people live in fragile, conflict-affected areas. As food and nutrition insecurity become increasingly concentrated in such areas, Kauswagan is a unique example that shows how is possible to solve an on-going conflict by tackling underlying socioeconomic and political issues. The decades-long war between the forces of the government and groups like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) left a huge part of Mindanao in poverty.

 

Other municipalities and regions in the Philippines are now very interested in Kauswagan’s approach and they visit the municipality to study how it managed to break the links between food insecurity and conflict and build a resilient economy, based on agroecological practices and organic farming.

 

The From Arms to Farms programme received a number of awards, including an international recognition in 2016, when it won the first edition of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Peace Prize. On that occasion, regional authorities from Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil all expressed interest in replicating Kauswagan’s experience.

  • Tackling underlying socioeconomic and political issues to resolve conflicts.
  • Listening to the local people and acting upon their advice was key to the programme's success.

Solving conflicts is possible if inclusive, participatory approaches are followed and acted upon.