Integration of Farming System components Group High potential, high market access Alastair’s group

The (hypothetical) site Good soils Two cropping seasons: small rains (barley has low disease incidence) Maize, wheat, and teff are common Good market access, including herbicide and fertilizer More cattle than small ruminants There is an export market for small ruminants for meat (e.g., Dubai) Domestic meat market is reduced by fasting; Orthodox Christians fast 2 days/week and 2 months/year for Lent Vegetables as a high-value crop Can plant chickpea after maize for double-cropping Groundnuts are not suitable Double cropping is done on non-light soils: – Barley is followed by fava bean or lentil – After wheat, plant fava bean or lentil Parts of site have problems with waterlogging during heavy rains Wheat rust is present Seed availability is a constraint for wheat, maize, and legumes (no private sector) High migration rates to cities

Key opportunities – traditional productivity Crops that provide better feeds to produce more meat (fattening) and milk (need cold chain) Genetic methods to improve livestock quality (selection within sheep and goat breeds) Fertilizer and seed choice adapted to rain and soil conditions Higher planting density and new varieties increase productivity per unit area Facilitate breeding of breeder seed, higher quality and viability

Key opportunities -- nutrition Legumes for home consumption QPM for home consumption improves child nutrition and reduces stunting Water harvesting on light soils for vegetable production in off-season Fruit trees can be grown on farm

Key opportunities – post-harvest/value addition Hermetic metal silos and plastic bags Plastic bags to prevent pest losses

Key opportunities – soil health Residue management to allow adequate cover and use field for appropriate levels of grazing Plant cover crop during dry season to keep down weeds (oats, vetch) and then use for fodder Planters to enable no-till conservation agriculture and lower labor need Forage trees for soil moisture retention, compost, nitrogen fixation

Key opportunities – labor/non-farm income Tools to reduce women’s labor include herbicide, mechanical planting, diversification. Herbicide use reduces weed pressure over subsequent years of use Small threshers Village-based agro-industries and job creation Collective action for markets and inputs, storage Trees can provide on-farm firewood that obviate the need (for women) to walk for several hours to retrieve fuel

Available technologies Rust-resistant bread and Durum wheat varieties are available. They require herbicides and fertilizer for high yields. Ten legume varieties are available (fava bean, chick pea, lentil, field pea) for this site Five maize varieties (one OPV) for highlands are available, plus one varieiy quality protein maize (QPM) Another hybrid maize produces tillers for feed Farmer typology associated with household priorities Labor calendar Forage, fruit, and fertilizer trees

Early wins Seed supply for legumes, wheat, maize varieties Feeding systems Herbicide and fertilizer supply Improve agronomic practices

Tradeoffs Crop residue fed to animals is not available for fields. If not fed to animals, manure fertilizer is not available. Fodder versus grain production: single purpose and dual purpose Labor to cattle gives money to men, and may detract from household income Free grazing versus double-cropping in off season Increased labor may fall to women, who already have a very full work day Cash flow to buy inputs

Farmers with small ruminants and cattle Improved feed (farmers are more inclined to invest in forage) – Maize with quality stover (dual purpose food/feed) – Forage legumes (dual purpose food/feed) On boundaries or steep land – Trees for fodder (goats) and water retention – Napier grass on bunds and erosion control

Farmers with only small ruminants Improved feed (farmers are more inclined to invest in forage) – Forage legumes (dual purpose food/feed) On boundaries or steep land – Trees for fodder (goats) and water retention – Napier grass on bunds and erosion control

Outcomes OutcomeIndicators and TargetsInterventions Food securityReduce hungry period by 2 months; % of population that is food secure Cereals variety NutritionReduce child undernutrition by x % Milk protein; water harvesting for vegetable production Gender equity% control of household expenditures, % household workload Eggs and milk consumption and sales; Trees for firewood; Herbicides reduce women’s labor NRMTrees for water retention and fertility (N); manure for soil; erosion prevention Poverty reductionSell milk, vegetables, legumes, meat, surplus cereals, by-products (leather)