Growing the Wealth of the Poor - World Resources Institute

Storing milletNationally, figures from the Niger agriculture ministry showcereal production rising steadily in parallel with the spread ofFMNR. In 1980, Niger produced 1,770,700 metric tons ofcereals, rising to 2,093,300 mt in 1995 and 2,319,800 mt in2000. By 2006, when at least a quarter of cultivated land wasconverted, production reached an impressive 4,055,984 mt(Wentling 2008b:1). These statistics suggest that the farmer-ledre-greening movement is having a clear impact on the country’sability to feed itself and improve the rural economy.Non-Timber Tree ProductsFarmers’ trees have also yielded direct non-timber benefits inthe form of fodder for livestock and edible leaves and seedpodsto set aside for times of hunger (Rinaudo 2005a:3). Anecdotalevidence suggests that diet has also improved for many FMNRpractitioners as they have a greater diversity of food sources.Some villagers in the Aguié district of Maradi, for example,harvest the leaves of a common scrubland tree, Maeruacrassifolia, which are rich in vitamin A (Reij 2008). Maradibasedfarmers have also used the proceeds of FMNR toembark on new income-generating activities, such as beekeeping(Burns 2008).While most non-timber tree products are consumed byfarming families, some districts have generated significantincome from their sale. This is especially true in Zinderprovince, where FMNR has revived cultivation of the baobabtree. Each baobab can bring in an average of US$20 a year ineconomic benefits just from the sale of its edible leaves(Larwanou et al. 2006:18). With some farms boasting anaverage of 50 baobab trees per ha, that can amount toUS$1,000 per ha a year—nearly three times the total annualincome of much of the population (calculation based onLarwanou et al. 2006:18; Winterbottom 2007).Providing Food Security,Protecting Against FamineThe return of trees to Niger’s densely populated southern plainsand dunes has also increased food security for local ruraleconomies at a time when the country is adding 440,000 newmouths to feed every year (Wentling 2008b:2). Since the cerealsmillet and sorghum make up over 90 percent of the typicalvillager’s diet, it was critical that in 2006 the country was able toproduce 283 kg of cereal per capita, almost identical to the 285kg produced in 1980 despite a near-doubling of the populationover 25 years (Wentling 2008b:3, 1).“In the late 1970s donors thought it would be impossible forNiger to produce enough food to feed a population of 10million,” says Mark Wentling, USAID’s country programmanager for Niger. “In the past three years, Niger has producedmore cereals than ever. Much of this increase can be attributedto higher crop yields achieved through the practice of FMNR…which has been critical to enable Niger…to feed its population of14 million” (Wentling 2008a).Over the last 45 years, Niger has been plagued by anaverage of one bad harvest every eight years, following agrowing season of low rainfall (Wentling 2008b:4). Farmerspracticing FMNR, who are able to stockpile some grains duringgood years and to harvest trees for food and income, are betterinsulated against these deadly cyclical droughts, which arepredicted to increase as a result of climate change (Reij 2006:2;IPCC 2007:444, 447–48).When the most recent drought and accompanying foodshortages hit the regions of Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabéri, andZinder in 2004–05, FMNR villages fared much better than thosestripped of vegetation. An estimated 15 children a week died ofhunger in Maradi during the summer of 2005 (BBC 2005). Yet151