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Integrated nutrient management to attain sustainable productivity increases in East African farming systems - Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda (INMASP)

The EU-funded multi-partner R&D project "Integrated nutrient management to attain sustainable productivity increases in East African farming systems" (INMASP) aims to make a measurable contribution to the sustainable improvement of the livelihood of smallholder farm families. The project is focussing on three representative farming systems facing serious decline in soil fertility and crop productivity in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. Quantitative and qualitative research approaches will be combined within the framework of farmer field schools in East Africa. INMASP started in January 2002 and will continue until December 2006.

The project has the following objectives:

1. To develop an institutionally sustainable approach of identifying, testing, monitoring and evaluation of farm- or catchment-level technologies addressing soil nutrient management constraints, using principles and institutional aspects of the Farmer Field School approach;
2. To develop and test a quick and efficient tool to diagnose productivity and sustainability of farming systems in East Africa focusing on soil nutrient management and combining quantitative and participative qualitative approaches;
3. To generate appropriate and effective technologies to address problems of soil nutrient depletion aimed at a long-term increase of productivity and profitability of farming systems in East Africa, and
4. To develop a participative policy formulation process involving researchers, extensionsists and district policy makers aiming at formulating appropriate district policy recommendations and policy instruments to address soil nutrient depletion leading to a sustainable increase in productivity of farming systems in East Africa.

More information on the project website or contact André de Jager (LEI-DLO, WUR).

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