An Overview Of Our Solution
A tree that could feed the world. Solution tested with success in Togo was based on the conviction that Moringa oleifera tree has the potential to grow into a complex of agroforestry practices, and forming part of novel food systems that are genuinely nutrition-sensitive. Moringa is a fast growing, drought resistant tree. Benefits are so great: protein, calcium, potassium, vitamins and essential amino-acids, important for children’s diet. As moringa can grow in all countries of the world hunger’s map, this tree could play a key role for better nutrition and food security.
The project had 3 components: Moringa Leaf Production, Processing and Marketing. The pilot has achieved major breakthroughs in all priority areas, leading to greater access to the moringa as a key nutritional source for Togolese people.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Africa
General Information
Organization type
Corporation
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Forests
Population impacted
2,800 people
Challenge
Size of agricultural area
35 ha (250000 trees)
Production quantity
Potential production for 35 ha: 300 tons of fresh leaves (40 tons of moringa powder). Sells 1st year after implementation innovation : 300 kg of quality powder – equivalent to 2.6 tons of fresh leaves (sells will grow up year by year)
People employed
31 (30 women groups who process leaves into powder and 1 SME manager)
Solution
Describe your solution
The objective was to demonstrate that with this tree it was possible to enhance tree cover, revenues and nutrition. The approach had to be adapted to several contexts. In villages where moringa was still little known, the strategy was the “farmer’s field school”, a site where several moringa cultivation systems (coupling moringa and annual crops) were tested by agronomists from Lome University (Togo) and local farmers were involved at each stage or the trials; farmers had the opportunity to ask questions and analyse the results before taking decision to plant on their own farms. This allowed us to demonstrate that moringa based agroforestry is possible (such solution preserve forests and reintroduce trees in farmlands).
In the area where moringa was already present, with producers discouraged of bad sales, the challenge was to revitalize cooperatives members and change their propensity to cut moringa and replace it with cash crop. We introduced new equipment and training to increase productivity, better manage quality and increase sales. Proposed equipment was affordable in terms of price and efficient in terms of energy consumption.
To increase sensitization, we involved Red Cross’s mama’s Clubs: local groups of 30-50 women/village that helped us to share information on moringa to communities.
Implementation
Describe your implementation
• Specific activities to address the identified problems
‒ Farmers field school
‒ Production of leaves at village level.
‒ Development of dryers models: affordable, energy efficient and preserving nutrients contained in moringa
‒ Implementation of driers in central places; milling and wholesale packaging by women groups, with very strong quality management process.
‒ Identification of the right moringa products and channels: SMEs, Mother’s Club initiated by the Red Cross).
• Ensuring adoption
‒ Activities were entrusted with by local NGOs. This allowed us to adapt the activities to local conditions, and have an adapted communication.
‒ Kinomé took in charge the monitoring and evaluation, with the help of Togolese researchers.
• Enabling conditions
‒ A fine-tuned analysis at baseline, to understand the real needs of local people.
‒ Solid scientific data on how to plant, to process and to sell moringa.
• Key success factors
‒ We tied forces with women’s group in the all value chain.
‒ Strong communication among stakeholders based on our specific approach: Ethical Leadership.
‒ Cost-benefit analysis to take into account the opportunity costs for local population to integrate moringa into their cultivation systems and consumption.
• Obstacles and overcoming
‒ One of our objectives was to make moringa available in school canteens. At the beginning, it was difficult to make moringa exceptional properties recognized by institutions like World Food Program of National School Canteens program in Togo. They were also questioning the cost of moringa recipes. So we first shared an in depth review of existing papers. Also studied the economics canteens based on home grown school feeding (moringa into school gardens).
External connections
Ashoka (https://www.ashoka.org/): leading network of social entrepreneurs (3,000 fellows worldwide). Kinomé’s CEO, Nicolas Métro is fellow Ashoka since 2012. Moringa Project is one of the pilot project of Nutrients for all, a program of Ashoka, so lessons learnt will potentially feed program’s strategy. Also, Kinomé is bridging with African fellows involved in biodiversity, forestry, agriculture, livestock feeding,…and accompanies them through integration of moringa into their activities (ex. How to develop fertilizers from Moringa by-products).
National and international school feeding programs: in 2017, we are testing two pilot schools to test school gardens (with moringa, vegetables and fruit trees) and nutrient rich recipes. This activity is monitored by a nutritionist from Lomé University. Then results will be shared with World food program and PDC+ (national school canteen program), in order to scale up at national level.
National and international SMEs selling dietetic products: moringa from our production sites is now well knows with increasing sales in Togo and abroad (US, France).
Results
What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?
Land & environmental degradation are increasing rapidly in Togo: forest cover has dropped from 14% to less than 7% in 60 years. Deforestation rate remains one of the highest in Africa. The consequences are numerous and directly affect the populations: accelerated soil erosion, siltation of rivers basins, drying up and pollution of watercourses and impoverishment of populations. Malnutrition affects a large part of the Togolese population (between 10 and 20%) especially children, with tragic consequences on human development. Togo is also a country exposed to many tropical diseases. Therefore, providing access to a balanced diet in order to promote health is particularly necessary. In such context, school and family are privileged places to raise awareness. Moringa's benefits are so great; this tree could play a key role in the strategies for better nutrition and food security and environmental policies, as it is a fast growing tree with low implementation cost.
Describe the context in which you are operating
Togo is situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. It consists of a narrow strip of land with a total area of 56,600 km², bordered by Ghana to the West, Benin to the East and Burkina Faso to the North. The project took place in two production areas: Tabligbo (Yoto Prefecture, Maritime Region), which is the historic moringa basin; Kpalimé (Prefecture of Kloto, Region of the Plateaus), which is an extension area. As in the other regions of Togo, 70% of the active population is employed in agriculture and the incidence of poverty remains high (50-60%). In Togo, moringa cultivation and processing leaves into powder has existed for years but faces challenges: plantation dynamics were disabled by low access to domestic and foreign markets and this was due to unsuitable equipment and quality management (moringa produced by cooperatives was often contaminated). Also, producers did not studied enough the all diversity of moringa market (products, prices, key messages)
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
The project rationale is mainly to avoid/reduce deforestation by making it possible to develop agroforestry (moringa + annual crops). Also, the project aims at giving more value to pre-existing moringa trees. Before the project, Moringa producers of the Maritime region were about to cut their trees (250,000 trees) and to replace that with teak or palm trees. The Moringa project has conducted to give more value to these trees and therefore protect them from cutting. 20,000 new trees have been planted in the Plateaus Region. Thus the project saved/generates a total of 270 000 trees.
Language(s)
French, English, Ewe
Water
No scientific measures has been done but we can estimate that in such rainy and hilly region more trees implies more water saved ; soils catch and save that within water table. Moringa is not a high demanding tree in terms of water.
Food Security/Nutrition
Moringa was introduced into a new region where it was only known before as a medicinal plant. About 30 new farmers trained, have not only planted Moringa but have also integrated its consumption in diverse recipes for their family (150 persons). This was achieved without marketing: 100% of farmers surveyed in Kpalimé during final evaluation say they consume Moringa leaves in sauces – 4 times a week in average; 85% use dried leaves as herbal tea (nearly 30% declare to consume moringa tea daily).
Economic/Sustainable Development
n the second region where moringa production existed before the project, livelihoods have been improved: 1. Women have doubled their productivity: with new equipment, drying and processing Moringa takes 2 days (vs 4 days before), with a team of 4 women (vs 8 women before); 2. Workshops animated by Kinomé in 2014 to build a common vision with value chain stakeholders have led to a raise of 30% of the price paid women; 3. Sales have doubled thanks to above mentioned successes in quality management
Climate
Before the project, Moringa producers of the Maritime region were about to cut their trees (250,000 trees) and to replace that with teak or palm trees. The Moringa project has conducted to give more value to these trees and therefore protect them from cutting. 20,000 new trees have been planted in the Plateaux Region. Thus the project saved/generates a total of 270 000 trees.
Sustainability
The sustainability of our solution relies on the fact that moringa is a fast growing tree (short term investment), very resilient (drought resistant) and a response to local immediate real need: nutrition. Testimonies and scientific papers show that moringa consumption has positive impacts on health (eg. Farmers told us e decrease of fatigue and illness) so it saves health expenses. Moringa cal also enrich recipes in school canteens, providing a cost effective solution for education authorities and aid agencies. Last but not least, market demand of moringa is increasing each month.
Return on investment
Project cost was approximately 150,000 euros for 3 years and 270 direct beneficiaries. This relatively high cost is due to research, trials and tailor made trainings to start the project. For forthcoming replication, we can estimate to 20,000 euros the cost for sensitization and training of 30 new farmers, plantation of moringa and implementation of one dryer. Yet, annual turnover will be 15,000-20,000 euros/year/dryer (2 tons of moringa/year).
Entrant Image
Replication and Scale
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
Training is key, especially for: cultivation techniques and quality management in processing leavers into powder. For replication, we can estimate to 20,000 euros the cost for sensitization and training of 30 new farmers, plantation of moringa and implementation of one dryer.
This solution is adapted to a large range of stakeholders: social entrepreneurs, farmers groups, individuals, local agricultural schools.