Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

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    • I have suggested that the Chyrsalis Centre School "Change Makers" in Uganda try a "Three Sisters Garden".  In particular I suggested that the students try using non-GMO "Lazy Housewife" green pole beans",  non-GMO Waltham" butternut squash and a non-hybrid non-GMO variety of sweet corn.  I am a little worried about the corn stalks being strong enough to hold the pole beans and what variety of squash or watermelon we should use to control the weeds.  I have suggested the students contact local experts when selecting the varieties of beans, corn, and squash to grow.

      My biggest problem is obtaining the proper seeds for this project.  Uganda has a very restrictive seed import policy based on FAO recommendations,.   I believe the implementation of FAO policies by African countries has gone way beyond what the FAO intended, The policies favor European vegetable importers who only want certified non-GMO products that are not grown in countries that grow GMO products.  The FAO needs to review the seed import policies that they have suggested to African countries.

      The proper seeds for this project are very rare in Uganda but common elsewhere in the world including European countries.  If the Change Maker students are successful. I will suggest the Change Makers donate some of the seeds that they produce to their friends, the women and children who work in the rock quarry in Kampala, in the hope that these poor people will help us in the future.  I am certain that the Change Makers at the Chrysalis Center can dramatically help the poorest women and children working in the stone quarries in Kampala improve their food security and income by developing the Native American technology so that it can be used in Uganda

      Measures to align policies and laws with the transformative goals

    • It took me a while, but I now understand why I can't get the seed supplies I need to help small farmers stop starvation in Botswana, Uganda,Cameroon, and most other African countries. Initially I noted that most African countries have a very limited number of seed suppliers and that these seed suppliers sold a very limited number of products.  I also was told by the Botswana embassy personnel that they wanted to use only non-GMO seeds.  

       After a little investigation I determined that African countries sell most of their vegetables in the European market and Europeans wanted to buy only non-GMO products. Botswana embassy personnel noted that it is very difficult to distinguish between a GMO seed product and a non-GMO seed product.  Most African countries limit the number of seed companies in their country and also limit the import of seeds into their country to ensure that they are selling only non-GMO products.

       It also is very difficult and expensive to get an Import Permit to import seeds into an African country even when you are importing seeds that have been declared to be non-GMO by a US grower such as those at Seed Saver Exchange.  I must use only the seeds that are available unless I want to spend more than two years to get the proper Import Permit and Phytosanitary certification. I may need to wait a few years to obtain non-GMO, non-hybrid green pole bean seeds or non-GMO, non-hybrid corn seeds with strong stalk if I am lucky. These seeds are very common in other parts of the world including Europe.

      The following website provides an example of what seeds are available in the US https://www.trueleafmarket.com/collections/all-market-seeds
       
      The FAO needs to review the seed supplier biodiversity and food security policy recommendations that they have made to African countries based on the implementation of current FAO policies. A more robust seed supplier industry is needed in most African countries.
    • In response to question 6a) evidence-based examples of successful interventions in urban and peri-urban food systems with the principles behind what made the process work;

      Part 1 of Joe Studwells' book "How Asia Works" describes the policy decisions that China and other Asian countries implemented to solve their food security problem. The policies that Deng Xiaoping implemented to solve China's food security crisis are described here. https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/sub7/item347.html

      The World Food Program;s contribution to solving the food security problem in China is described here https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-11-07/A-look-back-to-the-1980s-China-s-…

       

    • The FAO may want to consider promoting policies that improve the heirloom garden seed industry in most African countries.  Only South Africa has a robust garden seed industry in Africa (see Livingseeds Heirloom Seed Co, for example).  Other African countries have limited the production of open pollinated, .non-hybrid non-GMO seeds. African countries have limited the use of heirloom garden seeds so that their use will not interfere with the commercial production of vegetables for the European market.

      I suggest that the FAO recommend the use of Victory Gardens (over poverty) so that people in poverty can increase their food security.  In particular, I suggest that the FAO recommend the use of the Three Sisters garden technique to increase food availability in African urban and peri-urban environments. Many African countries do not have the heirloom garden seeds typically used for a Three Sisters garden in the US (Kentucky Wonder and Lazy Housewife green pole bean seeds as well as Country Gentleman, Golden Bantam and Bloody Butcher sweet corn),

       

    • An agriculture engineer/scientist/policy maker should need $25 and 1 acre of land to demonstrate how a poor family in an under developed country could earn $5000/year as well as provide food security for his family   These are the resources many poor families may have available..  Dr. Booker T Whatley (Tuskegee University) showed how US  farmers could earn more money with a relatively small amount of land in his 1987 book "How to Make $100,000 Farming 25 Acres". Many US farmers use his ideas.

    • Practical Problem with Science-Policy Interface

      I hope to use the Three Sisters Companion Gardening Technology to increase the income and food security of families working in the Ugandan rock quarries. The Three Sisters Gardening technique requires that participants understand the Three Sisters Gardening planting strategy as well as corn and squash "hand pollination" procedures.  It is my understanding that a lack of pollinators is causing a lot of agriculture productivity problems for small Ugandan farmers. You can look at their corn or watermelons and in 5 seconds determine if the corn or watermelon is being pollinated properly. Hand pollination procedures can help solve the pollination problems.  Hand pollination may be "new technology" to extremely poor Ugandan farmers.

      It took me awhile, but I now understand why I can't get the seed supplies I need to help small farmers stop starvation in Uganda. Initially I noted that most African countries have a very limited number of seed suppliers and that these seed suppliers sold a very limited number of products.  I also was told by Ugandan personnel that they wanted to use only non-GMO seeds.  

      After a little investigation I determined that African countries sell most of their vegetables in the European market and Europeans wanted to buy only non-GMO products. They noted that it is very difficult to distinguish between a GMO seed product and a non-GMO seed product.  Most African countries limit the number of seed companies in their country and limit the import of seeds into their country to ensure that they are selling only non-GMO products.

      It also is very difficult and expensive to get an Import Permit to import seeds into an African country even when you are importing seeds that have been declared to be non-GMO by a US grower such as those at Seed Saver Exchange.  I must use only the seeds that are available in Uganda unless I want to spend more than two years to get the proper Import Permit and Phytosanitary certification. I may need to wait a few years to obtain non-GMO, non-Hybrid green pole bean seeds or non-GMO, non-Hybrid corn seeds with strong stalks in Uganda if I am lucky. These seeds are very common in other parts of the world including Europe.

      To counter this lack of seed availability I am focusing on methods for increasing production of small Ugandan farmers that do not rely on improved seeds.  I am focusing on the use of "Hand Pollination" of corn, squash, and watermelons.  Hand pollination can significantly improve the small farmer production of corn, squash, and watermelons in regions that lack insect pollinators (bees) including parts of Uganda.

      Ugandan women and children working in the Kampala rock quarries do not have the food security and income that they could have.  Ugandan officials are implementing a seed policy that goes well beyond what European and International personnel are recommending.  European and International personnel do not want to see Ugandan women and children suffer due to an over-the-top application of a seed policy that the international community has advocated.

      I hope that the Uganda State Trade Association officials will work with the FAO, the Ugandan Government and Ugandan university personnel to solve this problem before poor Ugandan women and children suffer additional unnecessary food shortages

      Here is an argument for not using GMO seeds

      https://grain.org/article/entries/427-twelve-reasons-for-africa-to-reject-gm-crops

      Here is an argument for using GMO seeds

      https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/10-things-everyone-should-know-about-gmos-in-africa/

      Here is my understanding of why African nations are reluctant to use GMO seeds

      https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/07/why-is-africa-reluctant-to-use-gmo-crops/

    • Dr. Egal and the FAO may want to work with the Gates Foundation to address the food insecurity issues that Dr. Egal described in her recent comment (including the effect of governance and population shift on food security). Here is background information that may be of value.

      Bill Gates and his advisors investigated methods for reducing global poverty in 1990. At the time Mr. Gates was forming a new company called Teledesic that planned to offer broadband connectivity using a constellation of low-earth-orbit satellites. He wanted ideas that concurrently addressed “Global Issues”. These “Global Issues” are:

      • Health
      • Food
      • Water
      • Energy
      • Education
      • Environment Protection
      • Security
      • Population Shift
      • Governance
      • Crime

      Solving all Global Issues concurrently proved to be an overwhelming problem. My company management suggested to Mr. Gates that I hire people from ten different countries to prepare a report that showed how the Teledesic project might help solve one of the 10 Global issues in each of the 10 countries.  Instead, Mr. Gates decided to abandon the Teledesic project and concentrate on the Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation in turn decided to focus on the Global Issues of Health, Food, Energy, and Education. In this way the Foundation would not be overcommitted financially.

      A problem with the Gates Foundation more focused approach is that a poverty program may fail due to a “Global Issue” not being addressed.  In many countries political violence and crime could ruin a well-constructed food security, youth employment, and poverty reduction project.  The FAO needs to ensure that all “Global Issues” are addressed even though their primary focus is on food. University personnel with help from government officials, technical personnel, and NGO personnel can support the FAO by identifying better methods for small farmers to earn a living. University personnel must fully flush out the risks of “Global Issues” ruining their good intentions.  The Harvard “Case Method” and Business Process ReEngineering (BPR) principles have proven to be helpful in providing a structured method to study the consequences of each idea.

    • Mr. Mayi may want to consider the following idea based on his recommendations.

      • A good seed policy must be put in place and addressed locally;
      • Draw up a list of staple crops and develop a value chain around these crops in order to provide solutions in terms of employment and food security;

      For Table 5.1 Actions and the Inequalities they address

      Action – Improve the diversity of garden seed products available in all parts of Africa so that all African small farmers have at least the same diversity of garden seed products that are available to the South African home gardener

      Inequalities they address –African women small farmers have unequal access to garden seed resources needed to produce new consumer products

      A home gardener or small farmer in South Africa has access to a wide variety of garden seed products.  See https://livingseeds.co.za/ or https://www.seedsforafrica.co.za/ . For example, the South African small farmer can grow at least 25 types of melons and 20 types of watermelons using the seeds that are available to South African home gardeners.  This allows the South African small farmer to offer the South African consumer a wide variety of products.  In contrast, far less garden seed products are available in other African countries.

      In other parts of Africa, the woman small farmer entrepreneur is very limited by the types of garden seeds available in their country and the difficulty of obtaining seeds available in other countries.  In most parts of Africa women small farmers cannot buy corn seeds that produce corn with strong stalks that are required by the three sisters gardening technique.  They cannot easily import seeds that were developed by Native Americans such as Navajo melons see https://www.nativeseeds.org/products/2023-seedlisting-catalog .  They also cannot easily import  desert melon seeds that were originally grown in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Namibia to demonstrate African melon heritage to African consumers.  

    • Happy Holidays

      In response to Chapter 5 "Actions to reduce inequalities in food and other systems to improve FSN" and  

      Question 9 " Can you suggest success stories from countries that were able to reduce FSN inequalities?"

      Many African countries have laws that are more suited for medium to large agriculture organizations and not for small farmers. The supplies needed by a small farmer are different that those of a medium or large farmer.  The seed supplies that are offered in many African countries are not diverse, robust, or appropriate if small farmers are to meet FSN needs.  I am pretty sure the lack of appropriate seeds is causing problems for the small African farmer meeting the FSN needs of their country. The FAO needs to clarify their guidance to African politicians so that African seed supplies will meet the FSN needs envisioned by the FAO.

      In contrast, the Chinese were able to develop methods between 1979 and 1992 that helped the small farmer provide for the FSN needs in China.  Getting the right supplies to the farmers was addressed by Chinese businessmen while Chinese law makers focused more on land and financial reform.  Some African nations are trending to use the ideas that the Chinese used between 1979 and 1992. Perhaps the FAO can identify exactly what supplies small farmers most need and can afford given their financial constraints so that small farmers can swiftly meet the FSN needs in their country. There was more to the Chinese actions than land and financial reform.

      I once tried to grow rare Native American products in South Africa to show cooperation between people of Native American and Zulu descent as a tourist attraction.  The Zulu women farmers with whom I was working considered my ideas as entrepreneurial opportunities that they typically did not get because they were Zulu women.  It took me a couple of years to get permission from the South African government to import a few seeds.  Unfortunately, we ran into a pollination problem that I did not expect. I did not try to export any more of the rare seeds due to my previous agreement on how many seeds I would be allowed to have for export to South Africa.

      Success stories from countries that were able to reduce FSN inequalities

      Raising goats appears to be the best way for small farmers to get out of poverty and meet FSN needs.  

      For those small farmers that cannot afford goats, I recommend that they earn additional income raising onions, sunflowers, green pole beans, and passion fruit first. Small farmers will need to monitor local markets to determine what products offer the best return on investment. They do not want to lose their investment by supplying a particular product that was overproduced. At one time watermelons farming was an excellent investment but there now may be an oversupply in some African countries.

      For those small farmers that are in bad shape I recommend that they use the "three sisters gardening technique" to grow corn or sunflowers, green pole beans, and squash. The farmers will need to know how to hand pollinate corn and squash to maximize their production.

      Here are some success stories

      Goats https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/refugee-family-finds-hope-after-receiving-gift-catalog-goats

      Onions https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1521373/grow-onions-taste-money

      Sunflowers https://www.bukedde.co.ug/agric.%20%26%20environment/114205/how-to-grow-sunflower

      Passion Fruit https://www.africa-uganda-business-travel-guide.com/kaduru-and-his-american-wife-find-fortune-in-uganda-passion-fruit-farming.html

      Companion planting/Three sisters gardening https://www.renature.co/articles/companion-planting-is-key-to-food-security/

      Hand pollinating corn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj4aW-TiD3M 

      Hand pollinating watermelons and squash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqfXPe58Zis and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFRoNfEjDKg

      Thank you for considering my comments

      Dr. Paul Rigterink

    • European food policy has been a disaster for the biodiversity and robustness of the African seed industry. This was not intentional.

      It took me awhile, but I now understand why I can't get the seed supplies I needed to help small farmers stop starvation in Uganda or other African countries. Initially I noted that most African countries have a very limited number of seed suppliers and that these seed suppliers sold a very limited number of products.  I also was told by Ugandan personnel that they wanted to use only non-GMO seeds.  

      After a little investigation I determined that African countries sell most of their vegetables in the European market and Europeans wanted to buy only non-GMO products. They noted that it is very difficult to distinguish between a GMO seed product and a non-GMO seed product.  Most African countries limit the number of seed companies in their country and limit the import of seeds into their country to ensure that they are selling only non-GMO products.

      It also is very difficult and expensive to get an Import Permit to import seeds into an African country even when you are importing seeds that have been declared to be non-GMO by a US grower such as those at Seed Saver Exchange.  I must use only the seeds that are available in Uganda unless I want to spend more than two years to get the proper Import Permit and Phytosanitary certification. I may need to wait a few years to obtain non-GMO, non-Hybrid green pole bean seeds or non-GMO, non-Hybrid corn seeds with strong stalks in Uganda if I am lucky. These seeds are very common in other parts of the world including Europe.

       

    • Here is some information on GMO seed policies in response to the comments made by Prof. MADHURA SWAMINATHAN

      Here is an argument for not using GMO seeds

      https://grain.org/article/entries/427-twelve-reasons-for-africa-to-reject-gm-crops

      Here is an argument for using GMO seeds

      https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/10-things-everyone-should-know-about-gmos-in-africa/

      Here is my understanding of why African nations are reluctant to use GMO seeds

      https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/07/why-is-africa-reluctant-to-use-gmo-crops/

    • The FAO needs to help small farmers implement the Chinese economic growth formula in their countries in order to reduce inequalities in food  security and nutrition..  In particular, the FAO needs to identify "cash crops" for small farmers. Here are some examples of "cash crops" for small farmers in Uganda

      How to grow sunflowers (in Uganda)

      https://www.bukedde.co.ug/agric.%20%26%20environment/114205/how-to-grow-sunflower#:~:text=Sunflower%20seeds%20should%20be%20planted,procedures%20provide%20optimum%20seedling%20establishment.

      How to grow Onions in Uganda

      https://www.flawlessconsultsug.org/how-to-plant-and-grow-red-onions-in-uganda.html

      https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1521373/grow-onions-taste-money

      Kaduru and his American wife find fortune in Uganda Passion Fruit Farming (note business decisions)

      https://www.africa-uganda-business-travel-guide.com/kaduru-and-his-american-wife-find-fortune-in-uganda-passion-fruit-farming.html

      If you are not familiar with the Chinese Economic Growth Formula Joe Studwell's book, "How Asia Works" describes the basic ideas. (see https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/How-Asia-Works )  Here is a short book review of Studwell's book by Bill Gates in which Mr. Gates describes how he is trying to implement the Chinese Economic Growth Formula in African countries. From Japan to Djibouti - Can the Asian miracle happen in Africa? Can the lessons from Asia’s rise apply on another continent?

      https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/How-Asia-Works

      Mr. Gates summarized the Chinese economic growth formula in the following manner:

      1. Create conditions for small farmers to thrive.
      2. Use the proceeds from agricultural surpluses to build a manufacturing base that is tooled from the start to produce exports.
      3. Nurture both these sectors (small farming and export-oriented manufacturing) with financial institutions closely controlled by the government.

      China had greater corruption, poverty, and starvation than many countries before 1979.  China recovered between 1979 and 1992 by having many farmers grow crops on 1/2 hectare of land using highly labor-intensive household farming techniques. Small farmers can implement the same techniques that were used by the Chinese.

      Studwell (p. 329) noted that China’s average GDP growth rate was 9.9 per cent in the twenty-eight years from 1980 to 2008. In addition, Kroeber in “China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know” (p 248) noted that two African countries, Rwanda and Ethiopia, have adopted a more or less explicit policy of imitating the Chinese growth model. Over the past decade, Ethiopia has been the fastest growing economy in Africa, with an average GDP growth rate of 11 percent since 2004.  Rwanda is not far behind, at 8 per cent. Kroeber (p 34) also noted that between 1981 and 2011, the number of people in China living in what the World Bank describes as absolute poverty sank from 840 million to 84 million. Here is how Deng Xiaoping implemented these economic reforms in China https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/sub7/item79.html

      One reason the Chinese economic growth formula has not been implemented in other countries is the difficulty of implementing the first objective that creates conditions in which small farmers will thrive. The policies used by the Chinese to implement the first objective depended heavily on land reform and highly labor-intensive household farming.  These policies are described briefly in the following reference http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/sub7/item347.html . More detail about the policies used by the Chinese to implement highly labor intensive household farming can be found in the following references (Studwell, “How Asia Works”, Kroeber “China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know”, and Naughton “The Chinese Economy - Transitions and Growth”).  These references also describe why it is difficult to implement the Chinese economic growth formula in other countries.

       

    • I hope to use the Three Sisters Companion Gardening Technology to increase the income and food security of families working in the Ugandan rock quarries. The Three Sisters Gardening technique requires that participants understand the Three Sisters Gardening planting strategy as well as corn and squash "hand pollination" procedures. It is my understanding that a lack of pollinators is causing a lot of agriculture productivity problems for small Ugandan farmers. You can look at their corn or watermelons and in 5 seconds determine if the corn or watermelon is being pollinated properly. Hand pollination procedures can help solve the pollination problems. Hand pollination may be "new technology" to extremely poor Ugandan farmers.

      It took me awhile, but I now understand why I can't get the seed supplies I need to help small farmers stop starvation in Uganda. Initially I noted that most African countries have a very limited number of seed suppliers and that these seed suppliers sold a very limited number of products. I also was told by Ugandan personnel that they wanted to use only non-GMO seeds.

      After a little investigation I determined that African countries sell most of their vegetables in the European market and Europeans wanted to buy only non-GMO products. They noted that it is very difficult to distinguish between a GMO seed product and a non-GMO seed product. Most African countries limit the number of seed companies in their country and limit the import of seeds into their country to ensure that they are selling only non-GMO products.

      It also is very difficult and expensive to get an Import Permit to import seeds into an African country even when you are importing seeds that have been declared to be non-GMO by a US grower such as those at Seed Saver Exchange. I must use only the seeds that are available in Uganda unless I want to spend more than two years to get the proper Import Permit and Phytosanitary certification. I may need to wait a few years to obtain non-GMO, non-Hybrid green pole bean seeds or non-GMO, non-Hybrid corn seeds with strong stalks in Uganda if I am lucky. These seeds are very common in other parts of the world including Europe.

      To counter this lack of seed availability I am focusing on methods for increasing production of small Ugandan farmers that do not rely on improved seeds. I am focusing on the use of "Hand Pollination" of corn, squash, and watermelons. Hand pollination can significantly improve the small farmer production of corn, squash, and watermelons in regions that lack insect pollinators (bees) including parts of Uganda.

      Ugandan women and children working in the Kampala rock quarries do not have the food security and income that they could have. Ugandan officials are implementing a seed policy that goes well beyond what European and International personnel are recommending. European and International personnel do not want to see Ugandan women and children suffer due to an over-the-top application of a seed policy that the international community has advocated.

      I hope that the Uganda State Trade Association officials will work with Ugandan Government and Ugandan university personnel to solve this problem before poor Ugandan women and children suffer additional unnecessary food shortages

      Here is an argument for not using GMO seeds

      https://grain.org/article/entries/427-twelve-reasons-for-africa-to-reje…

      Here is an argument for using GMO seeds

      https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/10-things-everyone-should-know-a…

      Here is my understanding of why African nations are reluctant to use GMO seeds

      https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/07/why-is-africa-reluctant-to-use-g…

    • I am working with Agriculture engineers at the University of Cordoba, Department of Cordoba, Colombia. The University of Cordoba agriculture engineers have world class community outreach efforts in which each agriculture engineer is assigned to train extremely poor campesinos in one to four municipios within the Department of Cordoba. In order to help the extremely poor campesinos I have suggested the following procedure.

      Identify the methods that poverty stricken campesinos feel they can best get out of poverty by monitoring the applications for agriculture micro loans to different micro loan organizations such as Kiva

      Provide You Tube vocational training videos so that the extreme poor have training material on tropical lowland agriculture and small animal raising. The Government of Colombia has provided excellent You Tube training videos on how to grow papaya in the Department of Cordoba

      Periodically have a student or professor come to the community to teach classes and answer questions. The Department of Cordoba agriculture engineers currently teach classes on the growing of papya, yucca, and white yams.

      My suggestions for the FAO are the following 

      Provide YouTube training videos that are appropriate for different tropical and arid lands areas. The You Tube videos should be classified by Koppen climatic zones and altitude if they are to be used in tropical regions

      Focus on making suggestions that are appropriate for raising small animals given the supplies that are available within the region that is being targeted. There is nothing more frustrating than hearing an expert recommend ideas such as micro irrigation when the supplies are not available with the region he/she is targeting.

      Provide experts who know principles of Business Process ReEngineering so that the FAO can provide best business practices to their recommendations

      Best wishes.

    • Here are two reasons that some technical solutions that promote economic development for women in poverty do not succeed.

      1) People in extreme poverty need to make money immediately.

      2) People in extreme poverty do not have a large amount of investment funds.

      The microloan industry has identified how women in extreme poverty hope to increase their income. AEAS needs to develop ideas that will help these women. For example, I particularly like the idea of AEAS preparing YouTube videos that provide vocational training for rural women living in poverty.

      Here are examples of YouTube vocational training videos that might be needed by people who want to increase the income of extremely poor women who raise pigs in a tropical lowland or arid land environment.

      What do successful pig farmers do differently that other farmers should do?

      What is the best way for extremely poor women in a tropical lowland or arid land environment to provide food security and nutrition for pigs and chickens?

      What is the best way to build a pigsty in an arid or lowland tropical environment?

      Given commonly available food, what should extremely poor women be feeding their pigs so that they thrive?

      Given common diseases of pigs in an arid lowland tropical environment, what preventive measures should be extremely poor women be taking for pigs?

      Here are examples of YouTube vocational training videos that might be needed by a person who wants to increase the income of extremely poor women who raise chickens in a tropical lowland or arid land environment.

      http://www.accessagriculture.org/making-business-home-raised-chicks

      http://www.accessagriculture.org/working-together-healthy-chicks

      http://www.accessagriculture.org/taking-care-local-chicken

      http://www.accessagriculture.org/feeding-improved-chickens

      Note that these videos show rural women in the process of increasing their income and providing better nutrition. The video scripts can be heard in a variety of languages. In particular, the videos are produced with poor women in mind. Without information of this type workers in the field will not have access to the technical knowledge they need to help extremely poor women.

    • The U.S gave political asylum status to thousands of Afghans in the 1980’s.  One Afghan Center was in California on the Union City / Fremont border not far from what became 'Little Kabul'. The people in the Afghan Center were very interested in helping their Afghan countrymen combat poverty and were excellent at determining what ideas might work. Their primary focus was lobbying organizations to help Afghanistan.

      In the case of poultry, it was important to get as many Afghan people familiar with modern poultry production and modern small business practices as possible.  The UN FAO Poultry Development Service in Rome Italy did an excellent job in this regard.  If I remember correctly, UN FAO personnel conducted 1 hour courses every week on poultry production and small business development in many parts of Afghanistan.  It took 6 months for an Afghan woman to complete their course. 

      The UN FAO personnel in Rome should answer the detailed questions that you posted since they were in charge of the technical direction of the FAO poultry program in Afghanistan. I believe that Afghan women will become major producers of poultry. I also believe that Afghan women will become excellent businesswomen. You may want to read the FAO report “Poultry Projects enhance lives of afghan women” and USAID report “Case Study of Poultry and Grape/Raisin Subsectors in Afghanistan” for more information on present status of poultry production in Afghanistan. It takes time for new ideas to be implemented.  The Afghan government personnel may need more technical and business development help (and perhaps very limited policy help?).  

      I know in the 1980s that Bell Telephone Labs did a major internal study on why it took 15 years on average for new inventions to become commercial products.  Many of the problems that the Bell System encountered in converting research to development and operation are exactly the problems that the FAO encountered.  In particular, you need to train development and operation personnel in the new technology and finance the costs of starting development and operation facilities. Bell Labs management felt that researching a new idea costs 10% of the budget while developing the idea cost 90% of the budget. I fear that international development personnel may not have the necessary business experience to convert a new idea from research to development to operations.  For example does the FAO have an expert who can increase exports to Afghanistan of the following supplies: basic home canning kits (consisting of a water bath canner, (6) 1-pint mason jars, (6) lids, canning guide, jar lifter, lid wand, canning funnel, bubble freerTM ), additional mason jars and lids, pressure canner/cookers, portable food storage facilities, greenhouse equipment, garden hand tools, garden fencing, garden equipment suitable for preparing large gardens for schools, small trucks for transporting supplies, garden seeds, nursery stock, and horticulture information? 

      I feel that Mojamma Jafar Emal has done an excellent job although I do not know him.  He deserves the full support of the UN FAO, World Bank, USAID and the NGOs.

      Paul Rigterink

    • In 2003 I worked with the Afghan Project personnel in Freemont California to develop ways on increasing thw income of women in Afghanistan. Our discussions centered around my paper on poultry production. See "Doubling the Income of Africa's Poorest Farmers" at my website at https://sites.google.com/site/PaulRigterink / We also discussed the use of home canning. See "A Plan for Improving Food Security in Afghanistan" at my website

      Subsequent to our discussions the Afghan Project personnel were able to help convince the FAO Poultry Development Service, USAID, the World Bank etc to start a major number of backyard poultry projects (0-50 chickens) in Afghanistan. Unfortunetly, they were not able to convince these agencies to develop followup plans so that the women could fully take advantage of modern poultry technology. Followup plans would include descriptions of how to raise 50-500 chickens (family farm size) and how to raise 500-10,000 chickens (commercial farm size) (the technology is slightly different as described in my poultry paper above. Policy personnel need to establish a policy that Afghan women raising poultry should be introduced to the technologies for raising 200 and 1000 chickens. The differences in the stages of establishing a commercial poultry farm need to be fully explained to Afghan women. Afghan women raising 1000 chickens will have a lot more control of their lives because they will have much more control of the purse strings of their family.

    • Dear Sangeetha

      You may find the ECHO Tropical Video Series (Part 2 of 6) - Grafting Tropical Fruit Trees and Avocados to be useful.  It can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BbSjTVEDCc, click on the > in the far right hand column of the uploads area to get to the video. You can also do a search using keywords Colombia, youtube, papaya, Cordoba

      For a success story see article "Colombia launches new project to boost papaya exports", Campesinos de Cordoba exportan papayas a Canada"

    • I am working with the agriculture engineers at the University of Cordoba in Monteria Colombia to start a video training program called “Success in Cordoba and Uraba”.  In this program we will make videos of extremely poor Colombian citizens who have made a successful first step out of poverty using better agricultural procedures. It is expected that international development personnel will help write the video scripts. Examples of the videos we will make include videos of people who have doubled their income using better cassava planting procedures developed at the University of Cordoba, videos of people who have successfully overcome the technological hurdle of producing 3-10 chickens to producing 50-1000 chickens, and videos of people who have successfully overcome the technological hurdle of producing 1-5 pigs to producing 15-50 pigs.  These videos will be distributed to 20 municipios in Cordoba (there are 30 but the 10 agriculture engineers only work in 20) so that other campesinos can do use the same ideas. In these You Tube vocational videos we expect to capture experiences about women’s roles in agriculture and agribusiness value chains in order to shape policies and interventions to recognize and support women’s contribution to livelihood security.

    • Women and young farmers will need access to seeds, root stock, animal stock, fertilizer, animal feed, pest and disease control chemicals, veterinary supplies, farm insurance, irrigation equipment, fencing, feed stock, packaging, and transport to have a successful farm.  If some of these supplies are not available when needed the farm will most likely fail.  The Gates Foundation AGRA, PASS, and SEED programs are helping to supply some of this material in Africa.  Food Tank needs to verify that "all" the materials needed by women and young farmers are available in areas where they work in Africa by reviewing what is available at agro-dealer shops and suggesting what else needs to be supplied to the FAO and NGOs.  In addition Food Bank should review the poultry training that the FAO supplied in Afghanistan.  Perhaps Food Bank can suggest improvements to FAO poultry training and suggest other countries where this training would be beneficial. Food Bank should also review why the Caja Agraria in Colombia was not successful.  See my papers at https://sites.google.com/site/paulrigterink/ for additional information.

    • >>РУССКАЯ ВЕРСИЯ НИЖЕ <<

      I fully support this idea.  Here are some other suggestions.

      What would be the first steps governments should take to create a regional agricultural trade mechanism that ensures food supplies including during periods of market shocks?

      The government and FAO should investigate if there is enough farm equipment, fencing, seeds, nursery stock, fertilizer, pest control, disease control, weed control, fungicides, packaging, marketing expertise, transport, storage, and farm insurance to ensure food supplies (including during periods of market shocks).  In Afghanistan, the FAO spent a lot of effort to train women to raise poultry.  These Afghan women should be raising at least 300 chickens each now in my opinion.  If this is not the case, the FAO should investigate what additional measures are needed to increase the poultry supply in Afghanistan.  Similar comments could be made about grain production, produce production, fruit production, raising goats (including are all the needed veterinary supplies available?), etc. Obviously, farmers may have all the water they need and all their crops could still die of disease.  An integrated agriculture approach is needed if one wants to ensure the food supply. If the agricultural supply chain is dependable, more people will invest in food supply development.

      Perhaps the land and water development people could show how they are working with other types of agriculture experts to solve the food supply development problem.

      Я полностью поддерживаю эту идею. Вот еще некоторые предложения.

      Какие первые шаги должны быть предприняты правительствами, чтобы создать механизм региональной торговли сельскохозяйственной продукцией, обеспечивающий поставки продовольствия, в том числе в периоды рыночных потрясений?

      Правительству и ФАО следует изучить, достаточно ли имеется сельхозтехники, ограждений, семян, саженцев, удобрений, средств для защиты от вредителей, борьбы с болезнями и сорняками, фунгицидов, упаковочных материалов, опыта в маркетинге, транспорта, помещений для хранения, а также возможностей страхования фермы для обеспечения поставок продовольствия (в том числе в периоды рыночных потрясений). В Афганистане ФАО задействовала много усилий для подготовки женщин по вопросам разведения птицы. По моему мнению, эти афганские женщины на настоящий момент должны выращивать, по меньшей мере, 300 кур каждая. Если это не так, то ФАО следует изучить, какие дополнительные меры необходимо предпринять для увеличения поставок птицы в Афганистане. Подобные замечания можно сделать в отношении производства зерна, производства продукции, производства фруктов, выращивания коз (включая вопрос наличия всех необходимых ветеринарных принадлежностей) и т.д. Очевидно, что даже при наличии у фермеров доступа к необходимой воде, сельхозкультуры могут погибнуть еще и от болезни. При желании обеспечить бесперебойные поставки продовольствия необходим комплексный подход к сельскому хозяйству. Если сельскохозяйственная цепочка поставок является надежной, все больше людей будут инвестировать в развитие продовольственного снабжения.

      Возможно, люди, занимающиеся освоением земель и водных ресурсов, могли бы продемонстрировать, как они сотрудничают с экспертами по сельскому хозяйству в других областях в отношении решения проблемы развития продовольственного снабжения.

      Пол Ригтеринк

    • 1. If you had made an intervention at the side event on rural women at the 8th session of the Open Working Group in New York, what would have been its key message?

      The FAO needs to create "demonstration farms" in various rural regions and climatic zones that will accelerate sustainable development for rural women.  For example, suppose the FAO started a “demonstration farm” on one hectare of tropical/arid land to show poor rural women, who in the past earned $2/day, how to make a better living.  How much money would the FAO spend on the following:

      • Cost of borrowing money
      • Land rental
      • Land clearing
      • Land tillage
      • Farm equipment
      • Fencing
      • Water use
      • Irrigation equipment
      • Seeds and nursery stock
      • Fertilizer
      • Pest control
      • Disease control
      • Fungicides
      • Packaging the products
      • Marketing theproducts
      • Transport
      • Farm insurance

      Given the list above, what investments would the FAO expect a rural woman, who earned $2/day in the past, to invest in her farm?  What investments made by the FAO "demonstration farm" would not be made by a poor woman farmer?  How does the FAO make their “demonstration farm” more realistic to the needs of a poor rural woman farmer?  Based on FAO estimates and pactical experience in different regions, how much of a microloan would rural women need in order to substantially achieve food and nutrition security in the future?

       

    • 1. Are all relevant issues and areas related to fostering responsible agricultural investments adequately addressed in the Zero Draft? If not, what should be changed?

      Farmers living on a small plot of land need better information and access to supplies.

      For example,

      Does an agriculture investment organization supply information on the right type of fertilizer, pesticide, herbacide, and seeds to use for a particular type of crop?

      Does an agriculture investment organization insure that the appropriate supplies needed by a small farmer are available including tools, nursery stock, veterinary supplies, fencing, irrigation equipment, packaging, transport, marketing information, crop insurance, fertilizer, pesticides, herbacides, etc. 

      Without all the proper supplies and better information, small farmers will not be able to increase their cash crops and small animal production; Often they will not be able to pay back their investment if there is unusual weather.   An agriculture investment organization needs to insure that all the supplies and information are available so that their investments are appropriate.  This is currently not being accomplished.