5
prominence. The adoption of new technologies, such as integrated dairy and cropping systems, leading to increased farm productivity and income, is spreading in
central Malawi and the southern highlands of Tanzania. For example, farmers
keep few but more high-yielding cows for producing milk and meat for household
consumption and sale. These cows also provide dung which provides biogas for
cooking and light, as well as fertilizer for the crops. Combined with appropriate use
of compound fertilizer and lime, crop yields have doubled or even tripled.
The objective of this chapter is to introduce briefly the issues pertaining to natural
resource management, crop and livestock production, value addition, and innovative
technologies for small farmers as they are affected by the changing climate in Africa.
2 Agricultural Productivity and Population Growth
Agriculture is a strategic sector that provides great potential for economic transformation to achieve inclusive development through poverty reduction and ensuring
food security in Africa. This is affirmed by the African Union (AU) Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAARDP), which highlights the
importance of agriculture as the employer of more than half of the population of
Africa and hence re-emphasizes agriculture in development programs and investment choices (NEPAD 2013). The role of agriculture as an employer of the majority
of population, including youths, in Africa cannot be overemphasized. A study by
Kafle et al. (2019) demonstrated that farming is still the major employment opportunity for a large section of the population in Tanzania and Malawi, with 59% and
56% of youth, respectively, consistently engaging in farming. Agriculture being the
main employer in SSA is rated highly as a potential contributor to poverty reduction, especially in small-scale farming, if well developed (Dorosh and Thurlow
2018). The population growth of SSA has been steadily increasing, reaching 1.061
billion people in 2017 (Fig. 1; World Bank Data 2019); this makes SSA the region
with the highest average world population growth rate of 2.7% in 2017 (NEPAD
2013; 1.06). The FAO forecasted an increase in food demand by 20% in 2030 in
SSA due to increase in population (FAO 2015; FinMark Trust 2016). The increase
in production must go hand in hand with increase in agricultural productivity, to
ensure sufficient food and fiber and improve livelihood of the majority who depend
on agriculture.
The population growth in SSA can both have positive and negative impacts to
agriculture. SSA is a region with a strategic potential for rapid economic growth due
to its increasing population; it is endowed with natural resources, including water
and land (Deininger et al. 2014), and it has a high market potential. The increased
population corresponds to increased food demand (Jayne et al. 2017; NEPAD 2013),
making this an opportunity for agro-food system development to drive other nonfarming sectors, since agriculture would be more productive and profitable.
Considering SSA land coverage and diversity in agro-ecological zone (eco-region
and soil types) (Lal 2015), SSA is strategically both the supply and the market for
Agricultural and Natural Resource Sustainability Under Changing Climate in Africa
prominence. The adoption of new technologies, such as integrated dairy and cropping systems, leading to increased farm productivity and income, is spreading in
central Malawi and the southern highlands of Tanzania. For example, farmers
keep few but more high-yielding cows for producing milk and meat for household
consumption and sale. These cows also provide dung which provides biogas for
cooking and light, as well as fertilizer for the crops. Combined with appropriate use
of compound fertilizer and lime, crop yields have doubled or even tripled.
The objective of this chapter is to introduce briefly the issues pertaining to natural
resource management, crop and livestock production, value addition, and innovative
technologies for small farmers as they are affected by the changing climate in Africa.
2 Agricultural Productivity and Population Growth
Agriculture is a strategic sector that provides great potential for economic transformation to achieve inclusive development through poverty reduction and ensuring
food security in Africa. This is affirmed by the African Union (AU) Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAARDP), which highlights the
importance of agriculture as the employer of more than half of the population of
Africa and hence re-emphasizes agriculture in development programs and investment choices (NEPAD 2013). The role of agriculture as an employer of the majority
of population, including youths, in Africa cannot be overemphasized. A study by
Kafle et al. (2019) demonstrated that farming is still the major employment opportunity for a large section of the population in Tanzania and Malawi, with 59% and
56% of youth, respectively, consistently engaging in farming. Agriculture being the
main employer in SSA is rated highly as a potential contributor to poverty reduction, especially in small-scale farming, if well developed (Dorosh and Thurlow
2018). The population growth of SSA has been steadily increasing, reaching 1.061
billion people in 2017 (Fig. 1; World Bank Data 2019); this makes SSA the region
with the highest average world population growth rate of 2.7% in 2017 (NEPAD
2013; 1.06). The FAO forecasted an increase in food demand by 20% in 2030 in
SSA due to increase in population (FAO 2015; FinMark Trust 2016). The increase
in production must go hand in hand with increase in agricultural productivity, to
ensure sufficient food and fiber and improve livelihood of the majority who depend
on agriculture.
The population growth in SSA can both have positive and negative impacts to
agriculture. SSA is a region with a strategic potential for rapid economic growth due
to its increasing population; it is endowed with natural resources, including water
and land (Deininger et al. 2014), and it has a high market potential. The increased
population corresponds to increased food demand (Jayne et al. 2017; NEPAD 2013),
making this an opportunity for agro-food system development to drive other nonfarming sectors, since agriculture would be more productive and profitable.
Considering SSA land coverage and diversity in agro-ecological zone (eco-region
and soil types) (Lal 2015), SSA is strategically both the supply and the market for
Agricultural and Natural Resource Sustainability Under Changing Climate in Africa