Seminar on Landscapes in a Carbon Focused World 26 October 2012
SIANI, Focali & Naturskyddsföreningen organized a one-day seminar in Gothenburg.
Summary: Smallholder farming, the dominant in Ethiopia, has a multi-functional dimension. Research results show improvement of ecosystem services such as: tremendous increase of the agricultural yield (human food and animal feed) ecologically. Environmentally it is improved by SLM; agroforestry, ecological farming, intercropping, etc, which is resulted in boosting agrobiodiversity, underground water-retention, regeneration of vegetation and then transferred into micro-irrigation and diversity in the farm such as apiculture. Practically agroforestry has a significant and diverse environmental and socio-economic importance. Family income increment consequently enhanced their socio-cultural and religious participation in communities. These all activities are known for their build up of soil organic matter and humus, low GHG emission and carbon sequestration.
So far the policies, rules, regulations and the present CRGE plan of the Ethiopian government are in favor of smallholder farming. However, many international programs still are pushing governments of the developing world for high external input and monoculture, which are high in GHG emission and are unsustainable. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to indicate the need to recognize the contribution of the smallholder farming in the landscape management and integrating to the academics, extension, research and agricultural development of the country. It will also analyze the existing policy situation and draw policy recommendations locally and internationally.
Hailu Araya is a soil scientist with a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Hohenheim, Germany. He is a Team Leader (Ecological Agriculture) in an NGO called the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) and co-founder of Best Practice Association. He has an experience of 10 years teaching in Geography in High Schools and over 14 years of practical experience with smallholder farmers and extensionists. He trains and being trained by smallholder farmers from their practical work in preparing local inputs especially compost, crop diversification, IPM, agroforestry, and farm innovation.