Simultaneous Solution Finding for All Components of the Value Chain in a Holistic Approach

As ZIDOFA farmers trained on SRI, training for organic fertilizer manufacture was also incorporated so that the organic inputs can be available once the cropping cycle started as and such, the farmers can focus on the SRI agronomic management principles instead of having to still worry about making organic inputs. 

 

As the ZIDOFA farmers started planting and cultivating their organic SRI rice plants, ZIDOFA was already seeking market linkages with potential customers for the upcoming harvested paddy rice and the eventual milled organic paddy rice. 

 

All throughout the chain of activities, ZIDOFA was aggressively joining national and regional exhibits as well as trade fairs in order to promote SRI and to increase public awareness on the benefits of organic pigmented rice as part of consumer diet. The environmental ramifications of organic-based SRI was also highlighted with ZIDOFA adopting the following tagline "That Farmers, Soils and Oceans May Live" in all its communications engagements including social media. 

 

All throught the cropping year, ZIDOFA submitted project proposals for its needed equipment and infrastructure and persistently followed up on their statuses

 

Continous seeking of funding sources.

 

 

Creation of an Operational and Project Plan

 

Assignment of tasks to Committees 

 

Fund, Resource and Manpower Availability

 

Physical office space for operational planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation

The need for administrative staff was highlighted as the work load can be overwhelming most times. 

 

The need for a physical office space is critical for communication flow and organizational planning. 

 

The need for and lack of operational funds was highlighted early on in the project 

 

 

Training on use of locally available raw materials to manufacture organic inputs and amendments

This ensures that the most basic concept for sustainability is practiced by participating farmers and that it is nutrient recycling to veer away from input intensive dependence and transforming into low-input organic practices.  Successfully carrying out this objective supports the  participating farmers but also other farmers, who may want to try their hands on organic farming, the readily available supply of organic bokashi, vermicast and natural farming systems concoctions.  The organic inputs will provide much needed nutrients and micronutrients required by rice plants in order for it to manifest its maximum potentials at optimum conditions.  Healthy rice plants establish what is known as the "positive feedback loop" where it develops healthy and substantial root architectures which feed the upper biomass resulting in better photosynthetic capabilities which can then provide nutrients for the roots to develop even more.  Once this loop is established, the plant can easily ward off pest and disease attacks. The preparation of organic inputs also offers an opportunity for farmers to sell to other parties outside of ZIDOFA and can supplement their income while waiting for their rice to be harvested. Sufficient supply of organic inputs lessens dependence on chemicals. 

Continued education on newer technologies coupled with farm to farm visits will allow farmers to not only share knowledge but also to share available materials needed as ingredients for organic input manufacture. 

 

Presence of open sided rain shelters for the farmers to work on. 

 

 

Continuous monitoring and mentoring to ensure that the organic inputs are applied at the right amount and at the right schedules. Inability to follow input application schedules will lead to lower yield. 

 

Continous monitoring of raw materials used to ensure quality and organic integrity of organic inputs. 

 

Documentation of yields versus inputs applied is important to show correlation and effectiveness.

Use of the Organic-Based System of Rice Intensification as the preferred protocol for rice cultivation

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a group of agronomic management practices and principles which delivers optimum conditions for rice plants to manifest their fullest potentials for growth and yield.  This climate and enviroment friendly method of rice cultivation uses 50 percent less irrigation water, requires 90 percent less seeds and allows for the cultivation of rice using only organic inputs with zero chemical or synthetic fertilizers.  

 

SRI ensures that farmers in the group all use the same protocols or method of cultivation, use the same seed varieties and prepare organic inputs using the same formulas and use them in the same dosages.  These ensure that quality of rice grains are consistently of high quality and of the same organic integrity from farmer to farmer. 

 

Additionally, organic SRI plants exhibit substantial root architectures which allows them to withstand long periods of drought or extreme bouts of wind and rain.  The deeply entrenched roots also allow for maximum uptake of nutriens and water as well as allows the rice plants to sequester deeper in the soil horizon, organic and photosynthetic carbon.  The use of intermittent irrigation also lessens emissions of methane as a Green House Gas and the non-use of fertilizers reduce carbon emissions.

 

Key to the project would be the successfull execution of organic-based SRI practices and principles by the participating farmers.  As such, continued training for SRI and organic agricultural practices should be conducted. 

 

The availability of organic fertilizers and inputs is critical to replace the nutrients otherwise previously provided by synthetic fertilizers..   

 

On-site and continuous farmer monitoring and mentoring will reduce risk and increase probability of succes especially for first time practitioners.

 

Volunteerism is key to success as the lack of farm labor could delay the execution of agronomic tasks related to SRI and will result in compounding of problems.  If rotary weeding is delayed or not done as scheduled, weeds will grow out of control and will lead to failuer.  If not enough organic inputs are avaiable and applied to the rice paddies and sprayed to the plants as foliar fertilizers, then yield will not  be maximized.   

 

Farmers who are too dependent tend to cheat and apply chemicals and poisons for diseases and pests when no one is looking.  Random monitoring and strict mentoring discourages this.  Only when the plants have shown their robust health will most first-timers be convinced that healthy organic rice plants can ward off pest and disease infestations on their own. 

 

Lack of farm equipment will likewise adversely affect the planting and cultivation schedules.  Preparing project proposals to government agencies should be done in advance as it may take a year or two for assitance and support to be placed in the pipeline for delivery

 

Visibility, communication, and guidance lead to replication

The first community garden was built by Mr. Temp and his brother on their own initiative on a plot of vacant urban land in front of Temp's house in São Paulo's East Zone.

 

Both have experience in organic agriculture: His brother runs their great-grandfather's farm in Agudo in the South of Brazil, and Temp, after having studied business management in Rio de Janeiro (1985-88), completed a two-years course in organic agriculture on a farm in Tübingen, Germany (1993-95). 

 

The garden area had been abused as a dumping site. When neighbours saw the garden being built there instead, they became aware of and interested in this alternative kind of landuse. A group of people got together to help and to replicate the implementation of gardens. Temp guided them.

 

Today, having implemented 25 community gardens, he considers guidance crucial for the success of the gardens. Furthermore, this guidance needs to be continuous and intensive especially in the first year of a garden's implementation. Afterwards, community gardeners are able to manage their garden autonomously, but it is important for Cities Without Hunger to be present as contact persons and to lend bigger machines when needed. 

 

 

  • guidance for the implementation of gardens: practical knowledge and experience in organic agriculture
  • visibility of garden in the neighbourhood
  • word-of-mouth communication between neighbours spread the word of the possibility to build community gardens
  • interested neighbours need continuous guidance on the ground for the implementation of gardens  
  • visibility of gardens is crucial for people to understand that alternative landuses are possible, and evoke the desire to replicate these
  • gardens are successfully implemented on residents' own initiative rather than using top-down approaches
Transmission of knowledge through local networks

Farmers are part of a local network that shares information about traditional and new management practices. This pool of shared knowledge enhances resilience by increasing the capacity to respond adaptively to change.

Farmers experiment with new and old varieties of seeds or with new (using latest scientific findings) or traditional management methods to mitigate disturbances (such as pests). Experimentation can provide “new” solutions to climate change impacts.

Some farmers were part of non-governmental organisations which provided a source of knowledge and practices that improve small holder farming that could be shared.

Experimenting and exchanging information increases adaptive capacity and resilience of the farmers in response to climate variability and change.

Furthermore, reviving traditional knowledge provides some interesting solutions to the impacts of changes in climate such as increased pests. For example, stinging nettles (Urticaria dioica) were known to enhance resistance of livestock and vegetables against disease. Using an infusion of stinging nettles to spray crops, increased the survival of the potato crop.

Monitoring regeneration of ecosystem

Monitoring was undertaken in four main areas:

- Vegetation: the colonisation by saltmarsh plants, and development of saltmarsh communities

- Benthic invertebrates: particularly of species important as food sources to wintering waterbirds

- Use by wintering waterbirds

- Sedimentation & geomorphology

It was undertaken pre-breach and post breach annually for 4 years (until 2007), as a PhD study. After that monitoring was completed in 2009, 2011 and 2014.

University programmes such as PhDs and Masters courses, as well as volunteer organisms provide reduced cost monitoring. A PhD study and a few Masters projects provided monitoring data. A contract ecologist and an apprenticeship partnership also provided data. Formal bird monitoring has been supplemented by regular monitoring of wintering waterbirds via the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) scheme and ad-hoc informal monitoring by reserves staff (e.g. collecting records during site visits).

After an initial intensive period of monitoring (from PhD), the frequency of monitoring was reduced due to lack of resources and requirement. Working with student projects, and other means for continual monitoring is essential because it produces evidence required on the effectiveness of the scheme.

 

Furthermore, continual observation of a site helps indicate management thereof. For instance, a fence used to bisect the site, but is was removed in 2015 after observation that it impeded bird usage of the other side of the fence.

Expert elicitation workshop

The actual expert elicitation assessment is carried out during a workshop or series of workshops, attended by appointed marine experts in the field of marine environmental or socio-economic sciences. The experts collaborate and discuss the status and trends on the different parameters for the marine assessment and come to a consensus score. The scores are recorded during the workshop and entered into the SOME website. Notes are taken by a rapporteur on the discussion and the details of relevant reports, papers or other documents are recorded . The interaction and discussions during the workshop should allow the editorial board to identify potential authors to participate in the subsequent report-writing phase of the process.

A minimum of 20 experts, with at least 5 for each key discipline areas (fisheries and biology, physical sciences and socioeconomics).

A minimum of 3 full workshop days.

Internet access

The workshop allows

SOME website

GRID-Arendal has created a pilot, web-based system to capture, analyse and display state of the marine environment assessment results: http://some.grida.no. The website allows for the real-time capture and display of data (scores for parameters, confidence, risks) during the workshop and provides an online template for the production of a State of Marine Environment Report. The content and graphics can be exported and used as the basis for a national or regional SOME report or the contents can be adapted for use within other formats as required. The database allows direct correlation to the outline of the World Ocean Assessment, thereby permitting cross-referencing and combining outcomes of the assessment to optimize it as a contribution to the international effort. Another key aspect is that the diagrams and outputs that are produced by the web site are designed for easy communication of the workshop results to policy- and decision-makers. The diagrams are simple, jargon-free and clearly communicate the main findings of the judgments made by the experts.

The system is used at the expert elicitation workshop.

The web-tool

Integration of gender recommendations into management plan
This analysis and recommendations took place as a new management plan was being developed, so the recommendations had the ability to be directly inserted into the new plan.
The new 5-year management plan was being developed by the management board, and the CI staff who conducted the analysis has been an integral part of the MMPL management board since inception. This allowed her to directly present her recommendations to the rest of the board for consideration.
To be most impactful, it is important to have an opening/opportunity to directly integrate recommendations, and good connections with those making decisions.
Strict enforcement of community laws by community rangers
A boundary has been demarcated around a central core area of some 100km2 within which there is no hunting or collection of forest produce allowed. A team of 14 community rangers were recruited by WCS from the nine communities to enforce community rules and regulations established by CAMM. These community rangers are employed by WCS and supervised by a resident WCS project manager. Daily patrols have reduced levels of hunting dramatically, and hunting is now much lower in the Mbe Mountains than in surrounding government-managed protected areas. Ranger patrols collect data using handheld devices that are automatically downloaded at the end of each patrol. Ranger morale and pride was developed and encouraged through training and provision of field equipment including uniforms.
Long-term support from an NGO was critical for success. Recruiting community rangers and project manager directly from the communities improved the project’s level of acceptance by local people in the early stages. Use of CyberTracker and SMART for law enforcement monitoring has enabled WCS to demonstrate success and generate continued funding. The Mbe Mountains is a relatively small area that is easily policed. Use of Cross River gorilla as a flagship species for the area and for fundraisin
With support of local communities, strict law enforcement was accepted and worked to reduce hunting. The use of ex-hunters as rangers is effective but they require close supervision and regular monitoring if they are meant to give up hunting permanently. Use of CyberTracker and SMART for monitoring law enforcement and gorilla distribution improved transparency and accountability of the project and was critical for success. The penalties imposed by CAMM are not always enforced and they are not considered an effective deterrent. Community sanctions are perhaps more effective. Strict law enforcement in the Mbe Mountains may have merely displaced hunting to neighboring areas such as Cross River National Park. Monthly and quarterly reports produced by WCS and shared with CAMM and nine communities were important in building trust.