Lessons on conservation agriculture

The beauty of conservation agriculture is in its simplicity. Like so many things in life, we try to improve and make things more efficient, only to discover that over time these short-cuts cut-short our efforts. They may make things faster and easier for a moment, but over the long-term, we lose out. Even worse, our neighbours and our children lose out. Yes, if done well, conservation agriculture can be a beautiful solution to hunger. It can promote economic growth, and make food security a possibility for those with even the fewest resources.

Sitting with my colleague Sebastian at the first African Congress on Conservation Agriculture in Lusaka, Zambia, in March. We came back from the conference with many new ideas to share with our colleagues at the Christian Council of Mozambique. 

Conservation agriculture stands on three basic principles: minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation. Where do these principles come from? By observing and understanding natural ecosystems in the world around us. When, in nature, do you see a field with just one type of plant? Does the soil spontaneously invert itself every year, suddenly exposing all of the sensitive microorganisms to the harsh rays of the sun? In a forest, does water run off the ground in sheets? When was the last time you saw bare soil in a meadow? Much like the human body, the resilience and sustainability of these ecosystems depends on a myriad of complex interactions, recycling, and feedback loops that keep things in balance. The more we remove our farming practices from the way an ecosystem naturally functions, the more work we have to do to keep everything going. Plant a single crop, and you’ll have to put more nutrients into the soil. Leave the soil bare and you’ll have to water and weed more. Plough, and the soil will become compact and hard, resulting in more water loss and more leeching of nutrients. The cycle continues to spiral. Our groundwater and rivers dry up from excessive irrigation at the commercial scale. What water is left becomes clogged with soil runoff and chemical fertilizers. Genetically modified crops boost yield and help secure against weeds or pests that could otherwise easily destroy whole fields, but we are forever reliant on those companies for seed, hoping we can make some profit before the pests in question become resistant and we have to turn to something else. Sure, with enough money and technology you can stay ahead and have good yields. But in the long-term, we lose out.

Sebastian taking notes during our field visit. Behind him a demonstration plot outside showing intercropping of Pigeon Peas and maize- a great way to keep the soil covered and restore nutrients. 

Demonstration of agroforestry techniques- Intercropping leguminous trees with field crops. The trees provide partial shade and give nitrogen to the soil, a system which can continue to give benefits for many years. 

 So, conservation agriculture seems like the perfect solution. We should all just stop plowing, rotate our crops with legumes to nourish the soil, and keep some sort of mulch or cover crop on the ground to keep the soil covered. Sounds simple, right? What about years of traditional knowledge about farming? What about social norms- what will my neighbours think? Why would I change something that is working just fine? You tell me to rotate crops, but I am not familiar with the leguminous plants you are suggesting- I want to grow traditional foods I know how to prepare. Intensive monoculture and fertilizer use was part of the green revolution- where would our world be today without that? Governments or other NGOs may be promoting and subsidizing heavy pesticide and fertilizer use, so why should I bother with the extra work of keeping the soil covered when the other way is so much easier¹? Besides, Africa uses way less fertilizers than any other continent; how will we ever catch up in terms of productivity unless we apply more? My neighbour raises livestock, and they eat all of the mulch material before I have a chance to put it on my field- are you suggesting I fence my WHOLE field to keep them out? It’s too much work; I have enough to do raising 5 kids all alone since my husband left to find work in the mines.

There are challenges to overcome, but how should we face those challenges? You have a particularly difficult chemistry problem sitting in front of you and your homework is due in an hour. Do you quickly copy the answer from a friend, who may or may not have the right answer? Do you just scribble something down, hoping you get partial marks? Do you cheat and look up the answer on the internet, knowing that does nothing to help you understand or solve the problem for when exam time comes?

Short-cuts cut-short. My highschool teacher used that phrase in class all the time. The same principles of doing things on-time, efficiently, and to high standard apply whether you are talking about chemistry homework or agricultural practices. Does this phrase suggest that innovation and initiative are discouraged? On the contrary! People who search for solutions with integrity, wisdom, collaboration, and foresight can bring about positive change. These solutions can improve efficiency, quality, accessibility, and resilience over the long-term. It is short-cuts driven by ignorance, laziness, or selfish ambition that cut short.

Adaptability is key. One of the many things I took away from my week at the conservation agriculture conference in Zambia was that there is no “one solution fits all.” No one NGO, program, or conservation agriculture program has all the answers. No one minister of agriculture promoting certain policies can solve all of the problems.  No magic phrase like “community mobilization” “farmer to farmer extension” or “participatory project development” will result in immediate uptake of CA techniques. It is a journey that needs cooperation, involvement, and servant-hearted leaders at all levels. It takes humility to admit when something isn’t working and to learn from those who’ve been on this road a lot longer than you have. It takes a listening ear to hear what community members are saying, or not saying. There are no magic short cuts, but there is much we can learn from each other and much we can discover by working together.

¹ CA in general does not condone or promote the use of fertilizers, though different NGO’s or government agencies may have their own agendas. Many CA extensionists instruct on the efficient placement and minimal usage of fertilizers in the first years to help boost soil fertility in areas that are seriously degraded. But over time, as soil fertility improves, fertilizer use can be reduced. 

The story of the time I joined the choir

Moving in with a new host family is always an experience and a half. This being my 4^th time (2^nd in Mozambique) I’d like to think I’m becoming something of an expert. But I’m not sure it is ever possible. At least this time I could speak the language! Turns out they STILL try to overfeed you even when you CAN tell them you really don’t need, or want, any more.

Two weeks ago I moved in with a family here in Tete where I am working with the agricultural extensionists at the Christian Council of Mozambique to introduce conservation agriculture techniques in the district.  I am staying with one of the admin assistants from the Christian Council of Mozambique. No one thought to tell me I’d be living with my colleague until the car pulled up to pick me up and she was inside! Dalia is the same age as me and lives with her parents, a couple brothers (also around our age), and one or two young nieces that come and go. That night, we ate rice and beans and watched brazilian soap operas on TV. After two weeks living with another Canadian MCC family in Tete, life was finally back to normal. A good normal.

Saturday I played soccer with Dalia and a group of her female friends/colleagues. With a couple of exceptions, most of them were as obviously bad at playing as I was, so we had a fantastic time! Her brothers had great fun tending the one goal and ref-ing the game. We grabbed a quick lunch at home and sang happy birthday to my host dad. We then ran off to church for choir practice (I tagged along since I obviously couldn’t stay home alone). Dalia wrote out the words for the songs so I could sing along. Saturday evening we hung out at home under the mango tree and I learned a new card game. By the end of the evening I only half understood the game (which involved a whole lot of table talk I couldn’t follow!) Sunday I went to the front of the Uneão Batista church and sang with the rest of the choir. What an introduction to the small, welcoming church! Sunday afternoon, we grilled one of the ducks they keep in the backyard and played cards until the sun set.

Moving in with a new host family always makes you take notice of things that in a familiar environment you stop noticing. Your go-to person for killing spiders is suddenly not there, so you have to find a new one. You notice things you used to take for granted, like knowing how to plug in a kettle, which you now need help with (trust me, it is scary). Finding balance between the time you spend alone and with others.  What you do to actively help out around the house. Letting others show they care for you in their own way, even if that now means giving a call when you are out past 9. How to find time for quality quiet time. The beauty of a good night’s sleep, which you suddenly need now more than ever.

Little by little, I am getting settled. I finally started winning occasionally at the card game. I then taught them a new one; we’ve been playing Dutch Blitz every evening and my brother might now be almost as good as I am! Almost. True, I’m still afraid to plug in the kettle, and sometimes have trouble starting my motorcycle in the morning. But the good news is you don't need to do it alone... that’s what brothers are for. 

My first Sunday at church in Tete- I learned this song during practice on Saturday. Someone told me the meaning and it was something like come follow Jesus. 

As for my work, I've been going out to the field quite regularly and meeting with the agricultural extensionists working there. My first week I was so exhausted at the end of every day that I think I went to bed before 9 at least 3 times. This past week I've been busy helping to train 3 new extension workers, and now I am getting ready to leave in a few days for an agricultural conference in Zambia. I am going with one of my mozambican colleagues, and my main responsibility will be to translate for him. It seems like a daunting task seeing as I only started learning Portuguese 5 months ago, but I am sure it will be a great experience for the both of us! 

The story that doesn't end- moving to Tete

…Instead of reading him a bedtime story, Calvin’s father is telling him the story of what Calvin and Hobbes have been up to since morning:

...Em vez de lhe ler uma conta, o Pai de Calvin está a lhe contar a historia sobre o que Calvin e seu boneco Hobbes estavam a fazer desde manhã.

Calvin: GOOD NIGHT?! That’s not the end! You didn’t even get us to lunchtime!

Dad: That’s right… it’s not the end of the story. This story doesn’t have an end. You and Hobbes will write more of it tomorrow and every day after. But now it’s time to sleep, so good night.

Calvin: This is a good story about us if it doesn’t end! That’s the kind of story I like best!  

Calvin: Acabo?? Ainda não chegamos ao almoço!

Pai: É certo... não é o fim da historia. Esta história nuca vai terminar. Você e Hobbes vão continuar a escrever mais cada dia depois por sempre. Mas agora é o tempo de dormir.

Calvin: Isso é uma conta boa sobre nós se nunca vai terminar! É este tipo de conta que eu gosto mais do que tudo.

A few weeks ago I spend some time reflecting on the wandering path that was 2013. I could never have seen ahead to those events I experienced. Now, who knew that I would not only plant rice in Cambodia, but that those very skills would come into practice in Mozambique? The story keeps unfolding in such marvelous ways!

Na semana anterior, reflecti sobre o caminho de 2013. Nunca poderia adivinhar as experiencias que eu já tinha experimentado. Quem sabia que eu plantaria arroz na Camboja e em Moçambique também?  Esta historia continua a desenvolver de maneiras maravilhosas!  

They tell you when you come to work with an NGO in a country overseas to not bring any expectations with you, as that is the surest way to be discontent. They also tell you that in all likelihood, what you actually end up doing on the ground will look very different from what you pictured reading the “job description” online.  Though this advice is well meant, it is something you cannot fully appreciate until you experience it for yourself.

Quando você vai trabalhar com uma organização num pais longe de tua casa, eles dizem que é melhor  não chegar com grandes expectativas sobre o trabalho. Eles também dizem que a trabalho que você faria em realidade seria muito diferente do que você acha. Este conselho parece simples, mas deve experienta-lo antes de compreender.    

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the political situation in Machanga is still tense. With occasional vehicle attacks continuing on the northern road, and flooding waters threatening to cut off the southern road, I will not be able to go to Machanga for a while yet. So, we started looking for something else for me to do for the next few months. MCC has a partner in the province of Tete called the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM). One of their project that MCC has been supporting for several years is the building of sand dams in rural communities. They also employ four local agricultural extensionists who go to these villages and demonstrate and teach conservation agricultural techniques.

Como já disse num blog anterior, a situação política-militar na região de Muxungue ainda continua. Por causa dos ataques armados e a possibilidade de inundação na rua do sul,  vou demorar mais para ir a Machanga. Por isso, precisei de procurar trabalho alternativo. A organização MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) tem um parceiro em Tete chama-se o Conselho Cristão de Moçambique (CCM). Lá em Tete, CCM construi as represas de areia e também ensina as técnicas de agricultura de conservação. 

New sand dam just finished this past november (will in time fill in with sand, the benefits of which I'll explain in my next post!)

Demonstration plot in one of the villages showing how optimum spacing, application of manure, minimum soil disturbance, and the use of mulch can increase quality and yield of field crops like maize.

A couple weeks ago, I endured the 11 hour bus ride to Tete to visit this project. I had been so proud of myself when I found the bus station using a map drawn by my Mozambican colleague on the back of an old receipt, and purchased a ticket all by myself. Apparently I bought the wrong one though, because as soon as I got home, everyone said, “you are taking THAT bus??” I didn’t think it was all that bad, if a little longer than the speedy mini-bus ones. But it left at 5 instead of 4, and that is reason enough to take the slow bus for me.

Na semana passada, sobrevivi a viagem de 11 horas a Tete para visitar CCM. Fiquei tão orgulhosa de mim que  consegui  procurar um bilhete sozinha, mas quando cheguei a casa, a minha família me tinha dito que eu compara uma bilhete da empresa de machibombo mais pior. É verdade que a viagem foi muito lenta, mas só precisei de sair as 5 horas (não as 4h), e tinha mais espaço do que as outras linhas.

After the formalities of being introduced to the staff at the Christian Council of Mozambique, I spent the rest of the week soaking in all I could: the sights, sounds, and tastes of Tete city (ate hamburgers for the first time since leaving home!); the successes and challenges of CCM’s work in Tete; and the experiences of farmers delving into conservation agriculture for the very first time.  And this leads me back to where I started... where this journey is taking me next. Last week I moved to Tete to work with CCM for a few months. I’ll be joining their agricultural extensionists, in the field, working with them to plan ahead for the upcoming vegetable season, and helping to gather stories of the farmers’ experiences. The plan is still to go to Machanga to teach at the school come July, but that part of the story has yet to be told, and who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Segunda-feira, fui apresentada aos trabalhadores de CCM.  Durante  a semana seguinte, passei a conhecer a cidade de Tete e o trabalho de CCM na região. Também comi muitas coisas deliciosas que nunca comi desde que sai de Canada (hamburger, tacos, macarão de vietnam...). Fui no campo com as extensionistas para ver as represas e os campos onde praticam a agricultura de conservação. No Fevereiro, irei trabalhar em Tete por  3-4 meses. Irei junto com as extensionistas ao campo, ajudar na horta, e fazer relatórios sobre as experiencias dos camponeses. Espero que em Julho possa ir para Machanga, mas esta decisão ainda incerta.   

And so the story goes on…

E a história ainda continua....

Graças ao professor Pinto pela correção do texto português