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Take it To the Farmer. Take it To the Farmer. Impetus. Widespread acknowledgment that, worldwide, there are: varieties (seeds); cropping practices; machinery / devices / technologies; market/other information Which farmers can use now to: increase yields;
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Impetus • Widespread acknowledgment that, worldwide, there are: • varieties (seeds); • cropping practices; • machinery / devices / technologies; • market/other information Which farmers can use now to: • increase yields; • combat disease, drought, climate variability, reduced inputs, and other challenges; • limit other risks to their incomes and livelihoods
Alternatives ? “Offer To The Farmer” “Work With The Farmer” “Let The Farmer Decide” ‘Answers’ developed with farmers. Not top-down. TTF is a movement which requires, on the part of partners: Humility Respect Openness Creativity Determination
Key Components • Working WITH farmers • iterative process of showing farmers technology, learning from them, improving / modifying the technology, showing again, etc. • Regional • countries have different agroeconomic / climatic zones • Hubs • regional nodes in a network hub.pptx • (partly) replicable Replic.pptx • Supporting Communications • Systems approach • different crops, different agronomic practices, different approaches to mechanization, different cost structures • Impact driven • easily quantifiable impacts, many in $ terms
TTF TTF success will depend on commitment to success by CIMMYT and other TTF collaborators and joint commitment to TTF principles.
TheMasAgroinitiative • Basic research • Long and midtermimpacts • Appliedresearch • Fieldlevelimpact • Short and midtermimpacts Worldwide LatinAmerica Mexico
TheMasAgroinitiative • Basic research • Long and midtermimpacts • Appliedresearch • Fieldlevelimpact • Short and midtermimpacts Worldwide LatinAmerica Mexico Agroindustria & Agricultores
Tasa de crecimiento del PIB agrícola (1997-2001) (%) 7.0 6.0 Dominican Republic Panama 5.0 Peru Nicaragua 4.0 Brazil Chile Ecuador 3.0 Costa Rica Guatemala Argentina LAC 2.0 Bolivia México Venezuela Paraguay Colombia 1.0 Honduras El Salvador 0.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 Gasto Público en Agricultura como % del PIB, promedio 1997-2001 e. Source: Valdes, 2008a, “Agricultural Public Spending: Description and Assessment Relevant to Latin America,” using FAO, 2005b, “Base de Datos de estadísticas e indicadores del gasto publico agrícola y rural (GPAGRURAL), Oficina regional para American Latina y el Caribe, Santiago. Agricultural GDP growth rates are based on World Development Indicators Database, World Bank.
Zero vs. Conventional ZT CT Govaerts et al., 2005
Conservation Agriculture • Comprises three basic components • Soil surface cover => rational • Minimal soil movement • Crop rotation => economical
Research platform • Trial with long term perspective • Clear controlled differences between treatments • Development of component technologies (Fertilizers, weed control, …) • Training centre for technicians • First contact and working example for farmers
1 farmer trainer – 1 technician • To work together with the farmer • Meeting point for all actors • Central knowledge center • Anchor point • Sears of the field • The expert at farmers level • Ownership • Feeding back
Technical training Commercial Services Technician 1 Farmer trainer Observing the process Generating the socio-economic info Soils Targeted extension materials Transfer of knowledge
Input dealers Post harvest technologies Precision agriculture Breeding Machinery Research institutions
The hub concept • benchmark sites for research on the impacts of CA • focal point for regional (agro-ecological) capacity-building and scaling out of research and innovation systems • regional CA networks are established to facilitate and foment research and extension of CA innovation systems and technologies • example of the functionality of CA systems
structure to work together with partners including farmers • to test various best-bet technology options with farmers • to integrate these options to improve farm level economics and family well-being • to provide a demonstration platform to extend these technologies to surrounding farmers • to provide a training/demonstration platform to bring together all actors from other areas with similar production systems and conditions • to provide a platform to do relevant research • To integrate the production chain around common objective
Interventions • Socio-economic evaluations to optimize the value chain • Varieties • Conservation agriculture based cropping systems • Fertility management • Post Harvest technologies • Capacity building
Impacts • Farmer leaders that are the center of a productive and integrated chain for a sustainab;e development of Mexican agriculture. • High and stable yields • Least impact on the environment • Highest income for the farmer. • How to evaluate the impacts • Economic model • Conservation Earth
Valles Altos 2010 • ASGROW • INIFAP • FIRA • Fundación Estado de México • Fundación Produce DF • Gobierno Estatal de Puebla • Talleres de maquinaria • Impulsora Agrícola • UACh, UAM, UAEMex, CINVESTAV, ITSOE • SAGARPA Federal y oficinas Estatales • Asociaciones de productores • MasAgro
A platform Farmerpractices Proposed BBT Option: What should not be done Flexible CA area
Platforms • Will be evaluated • Interdisciplinary • Training
Modules • Should have a connection (two way) with a platform • Extension area recognizes the module and is connected to it
Targeted communication • Diferentes públicos cautivos • Agricultor innovador • Técnicos • Agricultores influenciados por el agricultor innovador • Iniciativa privada • Público en general • Centros de investigación • Asegurar retro-alimentación • Eventos con la interacción de los actores agrícolas. • EnlACe (Suplemento de las actividades de los módulos). • Caricaturas educativas para las áreas de extensión.
Results • 106 appearances in the press • >2500 famers in farmer event (not counting the massive events) 75% male
Appoaches • TTF is the umbrella • SAGARPA • Monsanto project • Small projects • The TTF buys capacity where it is best available => structure • TTF builds the catalyzing structure to streamline existing funds • Annual report => Stakeholders • PPP • Franchising => local initiatives
Project up to now • Uses the existing basis • Central Highland hubs => CA • Pacific north => CA + Sensor • Bajio => CA + Sensor • Chiapas • General technical consultation • Hub meetings • Now we receive the P1, P2, P3 projects • Project structure with Working groups and regional actions
Project up to now • Different working groups came together • Fertility! • Training • Platform development • Tecnicocertificado • Hubs • 3 hubs fully operational • 2 in transition • 2 to be developed
Challenging reality • Broken public system => complex and heterogenic realities • Competition between different actors • Non existing extension service • Weak human resources and education • No linkage between public and private sector • Miss-trust in private sector • Public policies => votes
Successes • Farmer the central actor, the integrator of technological options as well as actors • Accountable approach => BID buy inn • Tecnicocertificadoas a central driver • Marketing tools => How to change behavior • SEP integrated in the project • Very close integration of Universities (students), research platforms and modules • Integration of the research network with the hub activities • Catalytic function • Hubs create a sense of market
Challenges • Logistics • MasAgro => politics • Integration of all components in 1 project and not sub-projects • CIMMYT admin and embedded way of working • Not optimal prepared working groups • Work with private partner technicians (Impulsora example)
Challenges • Running behind the facts • INIFAP miss-trust (Maize) • How to structure the ‘organic’ development when scaling out • ‘CIMMYT stealing the money’ => Fundaciones? • How to bring up to speed the hubs => human resources, multi-taskers • Easy to fall back into linear thinking • Make people work together!