The challenge of HIV/AIDS: Where does agroforestry fit in? - World ...

68World Agroforestry into the FutureImproved fallows in Zambia is an intermediatecase, in which a more complex managementpractice relevant to several enterprisesis being scaled up. Facilitators are using severalstrategies in addition to those used byfodder shrub facilitators, including engaginglocal government in a facilitative role, lobbyingfor policy changes, and promotinga network of partners. These have greatlyadded to the success of the innovation andto its spread across eastern Zambia.The case of NVS/Landcare in the Philippinespresents the most extensive set ofinnovations, a technical one accompaniedby an institutional one. The technical innovationis simple, yet serves as a platformfor a multiplicity of other technical innovationsand, indeed, a transformation of thefarming system. The institutional innovation,Landcare, has had far-reaching ramifications,as federations of farmer groups canwield not only increased economic powerbut political power as well. In addition tothe strategies used by those promoting foddershrubs and improved fallows, facilitatorsin the Philippines have obtained localgovernment financing and have facilitatedthe establishment of federations of groups.Moreover, they have persuaded policymakers to incorporate the Landcare approachinto local and national policy.But as different as the case studies are, theyface five similar challenges:• Articulation of a clear exit strategy, toleave farmers on their own to continueto implement and disseminate the innovations,with limited local backstopping.• Maintaining the bottom-up, participatorynature of the scaling up process,which contrasts with the top-downapproaches of many government servicesand NGOs.• Adapting the scaling up innovations andprocesses from one site or country foruse at another site or country.• Deciding under what circumstancesfacilitators should seek to scale up technologies,and under what circumstancesto scale up the process by which adoptionand adaptation have taken place.In other words, is a scaling up strategyapplicable only for a particular technology,or can it be used for several innovations,for any type of agricultural innovationor for agriculture in general?• Making sure that the benefits of scaling upout-weigh the costs. This includes promotingor formalizing farmer-to-farmer informationsystems, and encouraging farmerorganizations such as Landcare to take onsome of the functions of these systemsAll of the above issues are at least to someextent researchable. For example, carefulassessments of the costs and benefits, andadvantages and disadvantages of differentstrategies can be made. Simple plannedcomparisons of different scaling up mechanismscan be undertaken. Just as learningand knowledge sharing are critical functionsin the scaling up of innovations, theyare critical for identifying effective andefficient scaling up strategies. Investmentin understanding scaling up processeswill reap important rewards leading to improvedlivelihoods of beneficiaries.AcknowledgementsThe comments and suggestions of ChrisGarforth and Robert Tripp on earlier draftsare gratefully acknowledged.ReferencesAjayi, O.C., R. Katanga, E. Kuntashula and E.T.Ayuk 2002. Effectiveness of local policiesin enhancing adoption of agroforestry technologies:The case of by-laws on grazingand fire in eastern Zambia. Pp. 93–99 in:Kwesiga, F., E. Ayuk, and A. Agumya (eds)Proceedings of the 14 th Southern AfricaRegional Review and Planning Workshop,3–7 September 2001, Harare. SouthernAfrica Development Community–WorldAgroforestry Centre (SADC–ICRAF) RegionalProgramme, Harare, Zimbabwe.Binswanger, H.P. 2000. Scaling up HIV/AIDSprograms to national coverage. Science288: 2173–2176.Böhringer, A., E.T. Ayuk, R. Katanga and S. Ruvuga2003. Farmers’ nurseries as a catalystfor developing sustainable land usesystems in southern Africa. Part A: Nurseryproductivity and organization. AgriculturalSystems 77: 187–201.Böhringer, A., N. Moyo and R. Katanga 1998.Farmers as impact accelerators: Sharingagroforestry knowledge across borders.Agroforestry Today April–June 1998,World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF),Nairobi, Kenya.Campbell, A. and G. Siepen 1994. Landcare:Communities Shaping the Land and the Future.Allen and Unwin, Sydney, Australia.Catacutan, D.C. and C.E. Duque 2002. LocallyledNatural Resource Management. Proceedingsof a regional workshop, 8–9November 2001, Valencia City, Bukidnon,the Philippines.Catacutan, D.C., A.R. Mercado and M. Patindol2001. Scaling up the Landcare andNRM planning process in Mindanão, thePhilippines. LEISA (Low External Inputand Sustainable Agriculture) Magazine17(3): 31–34.