The 2nd African Organic Conference – Mainstreaming ... - ICROFS

2 nd AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE 2012
May 2-4, 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia
(FFS) in Zanzibar from 2007 to 2011. Many research studies have focused on the main stream research
methodology and have been for a long time biased on the use of chemical fertilizers for increase
productivity. Farmer’s perception and need for research involving the use of own local available resources
have been neglected. Farmer Field School is a season long approach and therefore provides an opportunity
for farmers to witness the results in their own fields.
The study addresses the following key question: what is the experience of participatory action research
(PAR) within the setting of FFS? Using FFS approach, this research incorporates better farmer
organizations, making use of participatory appraisal tools for their problem identification; participatory
addressing the issue of decline in soil fertility using local available material, seeing result and making better
judgment on the use of improved technology. The study includes visual identification on impact of
different organic manure for increase in yield of banana and cassava.
Increase in agriculture productivity is recognised among others as the major solution for poverty reduction
and improve in food security for smallholder farmers. This study invites a discussion about what it takes to
have farmers’ participation in learning techniques in improving soil fertility for a sustainable crop
production. Techniques which are within the economic means of smallholder farmers and that can be easily
adopted by other farmers. Future research will look into linking these farmers to the available organic
markets especially within hotel industries.
BUILDING&ON&SUCCESS:&PGS&AND&THE&ORGANIC&VALUE&CHAIN&IN&SOUTHERN&AFRICA.&
AUERBACH, R & HAUPTFLEISCH, K.
Abstract
While the organic sector world-wide has grown steadily for fifty years, and the sector in East Africa has
developed rapidly over the past ten years, Southern African organic farming (except for Zambia) has
largely remained the province of a small group of white commercial organic farmers, and, like East Africa,
has been largely export driven. Recent South African government policy has shifted towards organic
agriculture, and the African Union has come out publicly in support of Organic Agriculture as a sensible
development path for Africa. The Department of Trade and Industry Organic Value Chain study is
critiqued, and related to successes with participatory guarantee systems and sustainable community
investment programmes in southern KwaZulu-Natal and near Johannesburg. A strategy for southern
African organic development is outlined, building on positive aspects of the Millennium Villages Project
and east African organic development strategies.
Key words: African organic farming, sustainable local investment, participatory guarantee system
EFFECT&OF&MIXED:MANURE&COMPOST&AND&FARM&YARD&MANURES&ON&GROWTH&AND&
YIELD&OF&MAIZE&
BELLO, W. B 1 . AND ADEJUYIGBE, C.O 2 .
1 Department of Agricultural Technology, Oyo State College of Agriculture, P.M.B 10,Igbo-ora Oyo State
Nigeria.
2 Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
Nigeria. Email;- waswarith@yahoo.com, Phone Number: 08069787575
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at Oyo State College of Agriculture Research farm in Igboora, to
characterize Farm yard manures with its maize base composted materials mixture of equal quantities (cowdung,
poultry, and Pig manures with maize stover in 3 of plant maize stover to 1mixed manures) on the
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BOOK OF ABSTRACTS