4
dairy and cropping systems, leading to increased farm productivity and income, is
spreading in central Malawi and the southern highlands of Tanzania. For example,
integrated dairy and cropping systems are spreading and farmers are keeping few
but more high-yielding cows in both regions. These cows produce milk and meat for
household consumption and sale, but the dung provided is used for biogas production for cooking and light, as well as fertilizer for the crops. Currently, dairy goats
provide milk and meat for approximately 100,000 Tanzanian smallholder farmers.
The idea of personal transformation for changing our attitude for greater good and
for sustainable agriculture is also a part of this process.
1 Introduction
Providing food security, reducing soil degradation, maintaining forests and improving soil and ecosystem pools, adapting climate smart agriculture, and reducing poverty are the major challenges in Africa. These challenges are further aggravated by
the ever-increasing population, which is expected to rise from 0.87 billion in 2010
to 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 billion in 2050 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (United
Nations 2015). This increased population also leads to increased food demands, and
FAO (2015) has forecasted that the food demands will increase by 20% by 2030 in
SSA. Nearly 95% of agriculture in Africa is rainfed, and it is highly susceptible to
drought and the projected climate change; and the increasing temperature has further aggravated the situation, adversely affecting the natural resources, agricultural
production, and the livelihood opportunities for small farmers. Adverse effects of
climate change on agricultural production and the environment have made the SSA
region one of the global hot spots, leading to severe soil degradation, depletion of
nutrients and soil organic matter (SOM) stocks, scarcity and contamination of water
resources, and reduction of the above- and below-ground biodiversity.
Soil resources in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are diverse but suitable for agricultural land use and can support the growing of a wide range of food crops, horticultural crops, plantations, and livestock-based systems. However, these resources have
experienced the severity of degradation by diverse processes (i.e., erosion, salinization, soil organic carbon or SOC, and nutrient depletion); and this has resulted into
stagnated crop productivity, insecurity in food supply (one in four Africans), and
mal- and undernourishment. The problem of food and nutritional insecurity is further
aggravated by drought and heat waves caused by changing climate.
One of the ways of increasing and ensuring sustainable agricultural production is
financing value-added investments and promotion of value addition to agricultural
products (World Bank 2018). For example, in Malawi, the agricultural sector is
limited by market access constraints and limited integration/coordination of most
agricultural value chains. Therefore, the Malawi government has identified investments in agribusiness, value addition, and investments into the domestic markets as
priority intervention areas, with emphasis on crops (Malawi Government 2017).
Recent developments are, however, encouraging as livestock is also gaining
B. R. Singh et al.
dairy and cropping systems, leading to increased farm productivity and income, is
spreading in central Malawi and the southern highlands of Tanzania. For example,
integrated dairy and cropping systems are spreading and farmers are keeping few
but more high-yielding cows in both regions. These cows produce milk and meat for
household consumption and sale, but the dung provided is used for biogas production for cooking and light, as well as fertilizer for the crops. Currently, dairy goats
provide milk and meat for approximately 100,000 Tanzanian smallholder farmers.
The idea of personal transformation for changing our attitude for greater good and
for sustainable agriculture is also a part of this process.
1 Introduction
Providing food security, reducing soil degradation, maintaining forests and improving soil and ecosystem pools, adapting climate smart agriculture, and reducing poverty are the major challenges in Africa. These challenges are further aggravated by
the ever-increasing population, which is expected to rise from 0.87 billion in 2010
to 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 billion in 2050 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (United
Nations 2015). This increased population also leads to increased food demands, and
FAO (2015) has forecasted that the food demands will increase by 20% by 2030 in
SSA. Nearly 95% of agriculture in Africa is rainfed, and it is highly susceptible to
drought and the projected climate change; and the increasing temperature has further aggravated the situation, adversely affecting the natural resources, agricultural
production, and the livelihood opportunities for small farmers. Adverse effects of
climate change on agricultural production and the environment have made the SSA
region one of the global hot spots, leading to severe soil degradation, depletion of
nutrients and soil organic matter (SOM) stocks, scarcity and contamination of water
resources, and reduction of the above- and below-ground biodiversity.
Soil resources in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are diverse but suitable for agricultural land use and can support the growing of a wide range of food crops, horticultural crops, plantations, and livestock-based systems. However, these resources have
experienced the severity of degradation by diverse processes (i.e., erosion, salinization, soil organic carbon or SOC, and nutrient depletion); and this has resulted into
stagnated crop productivity, insecurity in food supply (one in four Africans), and
mal- and undernourishment. The problem of food and nutritional insecurity is further
aggravated by drought and heat waves caused by changing climate.
One of the ways of increasing and ensuring sustainable agricultural production is
financing value-added investments and promotion of value addition to agricultural
products (World Bank 2018). For example, in Malawi, the agricultural sector is
limited by market access constraints and limited integration/coordination of most
agricultural value chains. Therefore, the Malawi government has identified investments in agribusiness, value addition, and investments into the domestic markets as
priority intervention areas, with emphasis on crops (Malawi Government 2017).
Recent developments are, however, encouraging as livestock is also gaining
B. R. Singh et al.