An Overview Of Our Solution
Creating guaranteed market for cereal and legume crops grown by smallholder farmers especially women at the local rural and empowering them with long term loans in terms of solar water pump systems of total dynamic head of 90 meters and pump flow rate of 4600litres of water per hour to grow crops throughout the year to discourage cutting of trees for charcoal as source of income and poaching wildlife near North Luangwa Game Park. The crops like common beans, groundnuts, soy beans etc purchased at the local rural from smallholder farmers is sold to bulk buyers and processors.This has made the smallholder farmers to increase production of food as source of income because of guaranteed market created at the local rural and has mitigated cutting of trees and poaching of wildlife.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Africa
General Information
Organization type
Other
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Forests
Population impacted
More than 3000 smallholder farmers impacted
Challenge
Size of agricultural area
More than 2000 hectares
Production quantity
6000 metric tonnes of common beans,
People employed
7 mean while
Solution
Describe your solution
We have promoted changes in human activities in agricultural practice to ensure sustainable harvests/food security while also conserving, strengthening and/or restoring biodiversity on agricultural lands and surrounding environment by the guaranteed market at the local rural for cereal and legume crops grown by smallholder farmers. These crops are sold to bulk buyers and processors at the local rural unlike them moving from place to place to search for the type, quality, quantity of crops needed at market price.
Implementation
Describe your implementation
The implementation plan we would focus on is empowering 200 smallholder farmers in Mafinga District with solar water pump systems with total dynamic head of 90 metres and pump flow rate of 4600litres of water per hours so that they could be growing crops like common beans, groundnuts, soy beans etc. and have fish ponds for fish farming and we guarantee the market at the local level. Smallholder farmers to adapt to drought and effects of climate change and to increase the volume of output of smallholder farmers in the rural so that they have increased income and food security. Smallholder farmers to concentrate on agriculture as source of income unlike cutting of trees for charcoal burning which increase deforestation which has effect on the climate change. Smallholder farmers in the rural to have clean piped water which saves time on women and girls to do other activities unlike moving long distances fetching water. This also reduces attacks from crocodiles from rivers.
External connections
The external partners are Tony Elumelu Foundation, International Fund for Agriculture Development through Ministry of Agriculture, African Energy and Cedar Solar. The Tony Elumelu Foundation funded us with USD5000 to support agribusiness innovation at the local rural, IFAD through Ministry of Agriculture supported us with USD3000 for the initiative of creating guaranteed market for legume crops to smallholder farmers in Mafinga District. African Energy trained Mr. Chaka Ng'ambi how to size, install all solar equipment types. Cedar solar will be the supplier of solar water pump systems to empower smallholder farmers if funds could be sourced from any supporter of our agribusiness which seeks to prosper together with the rural community while conserving nature.
Results
What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?
Sustainable land use management that integrates the consideration of biodiversity
Describe the context in which you are operating
We have created guaranteed market for cereal and legume crops to smallholder farmers to discourage cutting of trees for charcoal as source of income. We purchase from smallholder farmers the crops at the local rural and sell in bulk to bulk buyers and processors. We also want the smallholder farmers to be growing different crops throughout the year by using solar water pump systems so that they could concentrate on farming as source of income. We have partnered with organizations like United Nations World Food Program to purchase common beans and cow peas.
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
In 2016 we sold some common beans to United Nations World Food program for them to feed the families in Zimbabwe which was affected by drought because of the climate change. In 2016/2017 smallholder farmers have increased production of legume crops because of the guaranteed market provided at the local rural in Mafinga District.
Language(s)
English, Tumbuka, Nyika, Lambya,Fungwe, Namwanga, Lala
Water
When solar water pump systems are installed women and girls will have access to clean piped water. which means they will not be moving long distances to fetch water. The time saved could be used to concentrate on other activities like studying for girl children. Less waterbone diseases.
Food Security/Nutrition
Food security at household local rural has been created because of the increase of production of different crops. Smallholder farmers are intercropping cereal and legume crops like maize and common beans. Maize is is source of energyu while common beans is a source of protein at the local rural.
Economic/Sustainable Development
More permanent jobs for youths and women have been created and are being created while preserving our environment.
Climate
By sensitizing and the guaranteed market provided to smallholder farmers at the local rural have concentrated on farming as source of income thereby preserving more trees which could have been cut for charcoal burning as source of income. This means carbon emmission has been reduced which has effect on climate change
Sustainability
The solution could be quickly replicated and scaled if supported initially by funds to purchase solar water pump systems and construction of warehouses for bulking crops purchased from smallholder farmers at the local rural. It solution requires passionate and authentic leadership who are willing to live and prosper together with the rural smallholder farmers. The solution is sustainable in the sense that the bulk crops are sold to bulk buyers and processors at a profit to sustain operation activities as well as expand to other places.
Return on investment
So far we have spent USD20000.In a short run less or no profit is made because of the intensive capital nature of activities to invest in for successful operation of the the business. In the the long run the business is sustainable and more profit will be realized because less capital expenditures will be involved like construction of warehouses for storage of crops.Only purchase of crops from smallholder farmers and selling to bulk buyers and processors will be the main activities in the long run.
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Replication and Scale
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
This solution could be successfully replicated by passionate authentic leadership.Those with the passion to live and prosper together with the rural community while preserving nature. Leaders with long term vision of future generation with the culture of creating positive to both people and nature.