BUILDING AGRIC RESILIENCE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS – BATNF AND SMALL-SCALE FARMERS AT THE FRONTLINE A CHIDI IBE FAS INDEPENDENT EXPERT, RANDOLPH, MA 02368,USA CO-CHAIR,ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON AGRIC RESILIENCE IN NIGERIA(ACARN) MEMBER TECHNICAL COMMITTEE, BATNF

CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL  CLIMATE CHANGE THREAT TO NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY, SOCIAL STABILITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IS PALPABLE AND MAKES NATIONAL ACTION TO ADAPT TO THE IMPOSED AND EVOLVING RISKS IMPERATIVE

FACT CHECK I  > 70 OF POP IN AGRICULTURE  > 90 % OF FOOD PRODUCTION BY SMALLHOLDERS  DESPITE AMBITIONS TO MECHANIZATION, WILL REMAIN SO IN FORESEABLE FUTURE

FACT CHECK II PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD A VALUE PROSPERITY OF SMALL HOLDER FARMERS --- SHORT CUT TO ERADICATION OF POVERTY ON A GRAND SCALE  A VIABLE RECIPE FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

VAT TO DO ?  REDUCE VULNERABILITY  BUILD RESILIENCE  INSTITUTE ADAPTATION MEASURES

ENTER BATN  BEYOND CSR  AN MOU 2001

A NEW STAR IS BORN  BATNF  charitable organisation incorporated in Nigeria on 13 November 2002 as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

BATNF STRATEGY  is to alleviate poverty by supporting smallholder farmers to climate proof agric by adopting more productive ways of managing and earning livelihoods from natural resources in a sustainable manner

WHAT’S IN A NAME ?  CLIMATE PROOF AGRICULTURE  SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (BATFN)  CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE

CSA--- TWO APPROACHES  TECHNOLOGICAL  DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE  AGRICULTURAL DIVERSIFICATION CROP DIVERSIFICATION AND GENETIC DIVERSITY HELPS MITIGATE CLIMATE RISKS. A MORE MIXED FARMING SYSTEM CAN EXPLOIT CROP-TREE/LIVESTOCK SYNERGIES TO INCREASE LIVELIHOODS OPTION AND INCOMES WHILE ENRICHING AND BUFFERING WATER AND NUTRIENT SUPPLIES, PROTECTING SOILS AND MODERATING MICROCLIMATES.

CSA TECH (contd)  CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICE : IMPROVED VARIETIES Thus, there are drought or flood resistant plants, high salt tolerant crops and fish species, shorter growing season plants, heat tolerating livestock, pest repellant crops, disease resistant crops/livestocks etc.

CSA TECH. (contd)  CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT  AWM is a key adaptation strategy for many Nigerian smallholder farmers particularly since the first severe drought of 1973 and thereafter that brought devastation to agricultural production particularly in the Northern parts of the country.

CSA TECH(contd)  SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT Land degradation on one hand increases carbon emission and associated vulnerabilities to climate variability and change through decline in productivity, inefficient use of water resource, reduced forest cover and below ground carbon, soil compaction and other forms of degradation

SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS  INCREASING AGRO-MET NETWORKS AND IMPROVED REAL TIME WEATHER FORECASTS,  PROMOTING AGRICULTURAL MARKETS,  ELIMINATING DISTORTIONS IN AGRICULTURAL POLICIES,  ENHANCING SOCIAL PROTECTION AND MICROFINANCE,  PROMOTING A WEATHER INDEXED RISK INSURANCE CULTURE, ETC.

SMALL SCALE FARMERS AS FIRST RESPONDERS  in a typical “top down” approach to agricultural development, farmers are generally perceived as recipients of inputs and knowledge whereas our interactions with small holder farmers reveal them as skilled, and knowledgeable and oftentimes highly innovative.

WAS YOU THERE---DID YOU SAW ? Farmers described how they were growing different varieties of crops and modifying planting dates and practices to cope with the shorter growing season. Those in livestock rearing recounted how climate change had changed the pastures and feed stocks. Those in Aquaculture described their reactions to inundations and higher temperatures

UN STUDY CONFIRMATION  INDEED, KURUKULASURIYA ET AL ( /58) FROM A SURVEY OF ELEVEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES, CONCLUDED THAT FAMERS ARE NOT ONLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS BUT WERE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING CERTAIN ADAPTATION MEASURES SUCH AS GROWING DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND MODIFYING PLANTING DATES AND PRACTICES TO ACCOUNT FOR SHORTER GROWING SEASONS.

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH  participative approaches are required when applying scientific findings to complex social systems,  it is a case of intervening where both farmers and scientists are prepared to learn from each other and modify as they manage farming systems

CHOICE OF PROJECTS  CALL FOR PROPOSALS  A CRACK TECH COMMITTEE SELECTS  BATNF BOARD APPROVES

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE ORACLE

AND THE CLAIRVOYANT TOO !

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS  Stakeholders' meeting/Consultative forum (Upon approval project implementation is discussed based on feasibility study including technical, funding, equity, grants, loans, environmental, etc).

ONLY THE BEST IPs  PROFICIENT IN CSA TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICE  IITA  NIHORT  ADPs  FADAMAS  SYGENTA  ETC

IMPLEMENTERS MEETING

TRAINING SESSION FOR SS FARMERS

CASSAVA ENTERPRISE PROJECT OYO STATE

VEGETABLE ENTERPRISE PROJECT- AJARA, LAGOS STATE

RICE ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT-DOKKO, NIGER STATE

POULRY FAARMING TRAINING FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH---OYO STATE

THE WAY WE WERE

The way we are

BATNF  HELPING SMALL HOLDER FARMERS TO FEED NIGERIA  LIFTING FARMERS OUT OF POVERTY  IMPROVING RURAL COMMUNITIES  BOOSTING NATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SAY WHAT?  THERE IS NO STOPPING US NOW!

DOMO ARIGATO  From BATNF  and ME