INMASP - Integrated nutrient management to attain sustainable productivity increases in East African farming systems
The EU-funded multi-partner R&D project "Integrated nutrient management to attain sustainable productivity increases in East African farming systems" (INMASP) aimed to make a measurable contribution to the sustainable improvement of the livelihood of smallholder farm families. The project focussed on three representative farming systems facing serious decline in soil fertility and crop productivity in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Quantitative and qualitative research approaches were combined within the framework of farmer field schools in East Africa. INMASP started in January 2002 and ended in December 2006.
Objectives | |
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Methodology: Farmer Field School | |
The Farmers Field School (FFS) concept was the institutional framework in which the project activities were implemented. Based upon experiences of this concept in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Asia and Africa and some limited experiences in Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), this approach was developed for the specific circumstances in East Africa. Based on the experiences stakeholders were engaged in discussing institutionalisation the FFS approach in the existing research and development system. A start for wider implementation was made through training local trainers in FFS methodology to facilitate more the establishment of more FFS's in and outside the research sites. |
Activities and outputs | |
Project activities were implemented in Kiambu and Mbeere Districts of Kenya; Wakiso District of Central Uganda; Pallisa, Tororo and Busia Districts of eastern Uganda; and Kindo Koisha District of Southern Ethiopia. About 300 households participated in the project in the 11 FFS spread across Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. In addition 4 FFS were also started in the irrigated lowland areas of Kindo Koisha, Southern Ethiopia. Under WP 1, a curriculum jointly formulated with farmers were implemented in the 15 FFS that participated in the project to enhance farmer understanding of INM, crop, livestock and socio-economic constraints identified during the diagnostic stages of the project. FFS process was documented, exit strategies implemented and graduation ceremonies held to mark the end of the FFS process. |
Conclusions | |
At the end of the active project period, about 400 households had participated directly in project activities with many others being indirect project beneficiaries. Potential technologies for addressing soil fertility decline were tested with participating households as well as technologies on INM-crop-livestock interactions, giving farmers opportunity to select technologies suited for their circumstances. There was an increasing focus on addressing the sustainability of the FFS beyond the project period by initiating income generating activities and institutional structures that facilitate the operations of FFS groups beyond the active project funding period. Strong emphasis was also put in initiating policy processes for reversing soil fertility decline and large scale implementation of farmer field school approach. |