Enhancing agricultural resilience with the SHARP+ tool to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality within the Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP)
The SHARP+ tool is currently being used as part of the Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP), a FAO-led initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). With the overarching goal of mitigating environmental degradation and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), the DSL-IP has pioneered the Integrated Landscape Assessment Methodology (ILAM). This methodology, featuring a diverse range of assessments at various scales, has selected the SHARP+ tool to collect data directly from land users, to assess their resilience, measure progress towards LDN, pinpoint strengths and weaknesses within the farming systems, and optimize project interventions.
The use of SHARP+ in DSLIP was an opportunity to pilot the integration of Behaviour Change Assessment questions focusing on different core themes according to the country of implementation, such as the cultivation of specific crops, intercropping and the use of non-timber forest products. This kind of assessment allows for a deeper understanding of the factors influencing farmers' behaviour and adoption of certain practices.
As of now, the SHARP+ tool has been successfully implemented in Malawi and Zimbabwe, yielding valuable insights into the resilience of farming households in targeted landscapes.
What did we learn in Malawi?
Assessment findings highlighted the challenges faced by farming households, notably concerning land degradation processes such as topsoil loss and gully erosion, exacerbated by flood occurrences. Despite widespread intercropping and pigeon pea cultivation, farmers expressed a need for technical guidance to optimize these practices for soil fertility and yield improvement. The project aims to bridge this gap by strenghening capacities and providing technical assistance. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding the low quality of crop residues for fuel, prompting interest in energy-efficient stove solutions. The SHARP+ methodology underscored further economic vulnerabilities, with farmers heavily reliant on crop production for income, yet facing profitability challenges due to price fluctuations. Through the application of FAO's Sustainable Landscape Production Framework (SLPF) the project can support existing producer organizations, empower farmers within the value chain, create sustainable opportunities for value addition and increase access to markets. Access to financial services also proved informal, indicating scope for organizational and institutional improvements to bolster the resilience of smallholder farmers.
What did we learn in Zimbabwe?
In Zimbabwe, the findings revealed the significant impact of droughts on farmers, coupled with soil degradation issues such as topsoil loss and gully erosion. Agricultural households have shown vulnerability to climate shocks, largely attributed to their low and increasing exposure, the extent of impacts, and inadequate adaptation strategies. Despite these climatic challenges, the use of water conservation practices remains minimal, indicating a pressing need for innovative solutions and rigorous effectiveness testing. Similar to Malawi, the economic aspects of households emerged as particularly vulnerable, primarily due to the low profitability of farming activities and limited access to financial services. Looking more deeply into incentives and barriers for the cultivation of sorghum and millet, two neglected and underutilized species (NUS) to be scaled up within the country project in Zimbabwe, the survey findings reveal a significant divergence in the cultivation of these two crops among producer organizations, showing that farmers tend to cultivate these NUS for subsistence rather than sales on markets. Moreover, the results highlighted the crucial role of both millet and sorghum in drought adaptation strategies, confirming their importance for food security with increasing climate variability.
The implementation of the SHARP+ tool within the DSL-IP program has provided valuable insights into the resilience of farming households in Malawi and Zimbabwe. The integration of the behaviour change assessment has proven valuable for understanding the motivations and dynamics influencing farmers’ resilience and adaptation, offering insights into farmers’ decision-making processes and capacity needs. Moving forward, the implementation of the tool will be expanded to Namibia, Botswana, and Tanzania, holding promise for further understanding and addressing similar challenges in these regions.