Link to Professional
Issue 52
December 2009
Farmers in Burkina Faso GIS helps preserve
A multimedia database
use multimedia tools to livelihoods and conserve
records the biodiversity of
wildlife in Tanzania
the Cook Islands
teach fellow producers
Biodiversity
Editorial
Contents
2 Editorial
Survival of the most
Survival of the most adaptable
3 Perspectives
adaptable
Food security through diversity
Cary Fowler
Feature
2 withstand future environmental changes.
009 is the 150th anniversary of the
4 Farmers teaching farmers However, many of these wild relatives
publication of The Origin of Species,
Miep Lenoir face extinction. Scientists have to
in which Charles Darwin outlined his
quickly find and collect samples –
theory of evolution. In the first chapter,
Opinion usually seeds – before these species
on variation under domestication, he
disappear forever.
says, ‘Variability is the source of all the
7 Eco-efficient agriculture The International Centre for Tropical
choicest productions of the garden’. This
Andy Jarvis Agriculture (CIAT) is now using
statement holds true today, as the
geographic information systems (GIS) to
variation in domesticated crops is still
Case studies identify locations where these vulnerable
used by plant breeders to emphasize
species might be found. CIAT then enters
desirable characteristics such as drought
8 Pastoralists picture land use the data into GPS devices so that
tolerance or pest resistance. Breeding for
Massimiliano Rossi and Italo Rizzi collectors out in the field can locate the
these traits helps farmers to maintain a
plants and gather the seeds for storage.
productive agricultural system and
9 A balance of life and livelihoods It is not only plants that suffer from
provide food security. And, to ensure
David Williams the increased pressures on the land. In
that crops can continue to survive the
the Elerai region of Tanzania, the Maasai
ever-changing environment, ICTs are
10 A base for biodiversity data communities felt their pastoralist
now increasingly used to record,
Gerald McCormack livelihood was becoming increasingly
monitor, promote and preserve
constrained. One option was to give up
biodiversity.
Q&A their traditional lifestyle and turn their
Throughout history, food production
land over to agriculture. The community
has steadily risen to meet the needs of
12 The richest natural resource was reluctant to do this and instead
the world’s growing population. Until
Kwesi Atta–Krah sought a way to make use of the variety
quite recently, that increase in
of life around them. They collaborated
production came mostly from the
with the African Wildlife Foundation
expansion of farmland. Then, in the mid
(AWF) and used GPS receivers to record
1980s, more than 50% of the increase
ICT Update important land features, such as the
came from intensified agricultural
location of households, grazing lands,
production; using crop varieties that
water points and wildlife numbers.
provided a higher yield to get more from
With an accurate picture of their land
the existing land.
ICT Update issue 52, December 2009.
resources, the Elerai Maasai were able to
In the Sissili region of Burkina Faso,
work with AWF experts to develop a
the Federation of Farmer Organisations
ICT Update is a bimonthly printed bulletin with an
accompanying web magazine
plan for the region. They decided to lease
of Sissili (FEPPASI) worked with
(http://ictupdate.cta.int) and email newsletter.
part of the land for the construction of
scientists at the Environmental and
Each issue of ICT Update focuses on a specific theme relevant
an ecolodge, where tourists can stay to
Agricultural Research Institute in
to ICTs for agricultural and rural development in African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, and includes feature
view the wide array of animals that roam
Ouagadougou to test fertilization and
articles and annotated links to related web resources and
the area. The extra income ensures that
seed multiplication techniques for a
projects. The next issue will be available in January 2010.
the Elerai community can continue their
number of crop varieties. The research
Publisher: CTA Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural
traditional way of life and, by making
identified the varieties that would be
Cooperation (ACP-EU). CTA is an institution of the ACP Group
of States and the EU, in the framework of the Cotonou
the area a nature conservancy, they have
specifically suited to the environment
Agreement and is financed by the EU. Postbus 380,
helped to protect the movement of
around Sissili.
6700 AJ Wageningen, the Netherlands. (www.cta.int)
wildlife between a number of other
FEPPASI then trained a group of
Production and content management: Contactivity bv,
connecting parks and farmland areas
farmers to use video and digital cameras
Stationsweg 28, 2312 AV Leiden, the Netherlands.
(www.contactivity.com) that run across the border between
to produce agricultural training
Tanzania and Kenya.
materials. The group of trainers now use
Coordinating editor: Rutger Engelhard / Editor: Jim Dempsey /
Copyediting: Tim Woods (English), Patrice Pinguet (French) /
Conserving biodiversity helps to
the videos and photographic images to
Layout: Anita Toebosch / Translation: Patrice Deladrier / Cover
protect livelihoods and can ensure that
advise fellow farmers on improved
Photo: Wayne Hutchinson / Alamy / Editorial advisory
our agricultural systems can adapt and
growing techniques for the new crop
committee: Peter Ballantyne, Oumy Ndiaye, Dorothy Okello,
Kevin Painting
remain productive in the future. After all,
varieties.
Special thanks to Luigi Guarino, senior science coordinator at as Darwin explained all those years ago,
the Global Crop Diversity Trust.
Relative loss ‘It is not the strongest of the species that
Copyright: ©2009 CTA, Wageningen, the Netherlands survives, nor the most intelligent that
All of these new, domesticated crop
http://ictupdate.cta.int survives. It is the one that is the most
varieties originally came from wild
adaptable to change’. And, without the
plants. And these crop wild relatives, as
rich source of diversity for farmers and
they are called, are still a source of the
plant breeders to draw on, our future
genetic material that will allow for the
This license applies only to the text
portion of this publication.
food security is uncertain. ■
development of crop varieties that can
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2 December 2009 ICT Update issue 52
There are a small number of Technology also plays an important
scientists around the world who role in the preservation of crop
specialize in breeding crop varieties, biodiversity. At the Global Crop
crossing one variety with another to Diversity Trust we are now using a
try to combine them in a way that combination of technologies to create
would make the crop good for farmers predictive computer models. If we
to grow. This is because the modern know where a particular variety of
Cary Fowler varieties of most of our agricultural crop originally came from we can (executivedirector@croptrust.org) is the crops have a limited life-span. After a then predict some of the executive director of the Global Crop while they fall prey to pest or diseases, characteristics of that variety. For Diversity Trust (www.croptrust.org) or they don’t do so well in the example, if the variety comes from an
environment, or a new, higher yielding arid area then we could test that for
variety comes along. drought tolerance rather than a
Food security through diversity W Crop yields have increased sample that came from a very wet or
hen people think of biodiversity,
tremendously in the last few decades tropical country.
they usually think of the
and that is largely due to plant Computer modelling also helps us to
diversity of species, the range of
breeders using this diversity to create make climate change and development
animals and plants inhabiting the
new varieties. And while I believe that projections, which can help to pinpoint
world. In agriculture, we usually talk of
the world needs a highly productive varieties that are endangered through
crop biodiversity, which is slightly
agricultural system, it also needs one rising water levels or expanding urban
different. Farmers deal in domesticated
that is resilient and sustainable. The environments. The models would tell
crops, and the raw material for plant
variety of crops grown in the field has us that we have to quickly collect
evolution is the diversity within any
an impact on the long-term future of samples from that area.
given crop.
agriculture, especially if that variety These are early days for putting ICTs
There are, for example, more than
needs a lot of water, pesticides or to use for preserving biodiversity, we
200,000 different varieties of wheat,
fertilizer. are only now starting to take
and each of them has a unique set of
But productivity and sustainability are advantage of the technology. In the
characteristics. Some varieties have the
currently under threat, and agriculture is near future, we will be able to use
potential to produce higher yields
facing probably the greatest challenge of mobile phones and other
others may be resistant to certain pests
its history, a history that dates back to communication networks to offer crop
and diseases or be able to adapt to
Neolithic times. Twenty years from now, varieties to farmers in a much more
changes in the climate. This diversity
as our climate changes, it is very likely targeted way. We can use the
within a species, which at its most
that we will need new varieties of crops, technology to provide information on
basic level is genetic diversity, contains
varieties that we don’t have right now. the best varieties for very specific
the richness of traits and characteristics
There is going to have to be a massive conditions, and locations to give the
that the crop has to offer. It contains
effort to locate the genetic diversity in best yield and protection from pests,
the ‘options’ that the crop has for
our agricultural crops, the traits for diseases and the changing
future development.
extreme heat resistance or extreme environment.
drought tolerance, and to move those I cannot imagine how society is
into the plant breeding pipeline so that going to adapt to climate change if
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Rex FeAtuReS / MARI teFRe / GlobAl CRop DIveRSIty tRuSt / Rex FeAtuReS
Perspectives
farmers have them when they need crops don’t also adapt. I cannot
them. imagine how we are going to save the
tropical rainforests if we have an
Global solutions unproductive agricultural system. I
This, however, is one world problem, cannot imagine how we can deal with
perhaps the only one, that we can water shortages in the future if we
solve. The enormous amount of don’t have a productive agricultural
diversity that exists in most system, since irrigated agriculture
agricultural crops is like a gigantic already uses 70% of the world’s
toolkit of options for the future freshwater supplies.
development of agriculture. We know It is not a solution to every problem,
how to conserve that diversity and we but I think preserving crop diversity
have the institutions in place to do it. can solve and certainly contribute
There are now a number of important some answers to many issues affecting
seed banks throughout the world that the planet today. We have the tools and
preserve samples of hundred of raw materials for an agricultural
thousands of varieties, and they are system that will guarantee future food
backed up by the Svalbard Global Seed security, the question is: are we going
Vault in the Arctic. to be smart enough to conserve it? ■
3
http://ictupdate.cta.int
W In four years, FEPPASI’s advisors
and video cameras, to document the
hen FEPPASI, the Federation of
have trained about 2,500 farmers in
tests of crops varieties in the field and
Farmer Organisations of Sissili,
innovative production, food processing
to create training materials.
started its activities in 1998, the
methods, marketing skills, the
Feature organization wanted to find out which
Spreading local practices production of organic fertilizers, and
crop varieties and production techniques
techniques for the sustainable
FEPPASI initially trained a group of 20
were most suitable for the specific soil
management of natural resources,
farmers as advisors, who could then go
and climate conditions of Sissili
using videos, photos and digital
on to train and advise other farmers in
province, in south-central Burkina Faso.
presentations. For example, one photo
their respective districts. Since the
Until then, farmers depended on
stream explains the step-by-step
advisors are farmers from the same
knowledge and techniques passed on
process of turning yams into flour.
area, the trust and acceptance levels
orally from generation to generation,
According to FEPPASI, the use of
are very high compared to an advisor
without having access to new
these support materials has considerably
from the capital city. This group of
developments and innovations in the
reduced the length of workshops and
advisors were subsequently trained in
sector, and without having the
enhanced their impact. There are many
basic ICT skills and how to use these to
opportunity to experiment.
success stories to tell. Monitoring and
create training materials.
Assistance from government
evaluation data reveal that the farmers
‘Previously, people fell asleep during
extension workers was not suited to
who received training have been able to
our training sessions,’ says Korotimi
the specific conditions of the area, and
double and even triple their yields.
Barry, a former evaluation officer at
their information was often outdated.
Farmers teaching farmers After researchers in Burkina Faso identified the best crop varieties for the Sissili region, a local organization, FEPPASI, introduced ICTs to inform farmers and explain new growing techniques. As a result, production is up to nine times greater than before.
In anonymous questionnaires
FEPPASI. ‘With the digital camera, we
In order to provide farmers with more
collected in 2006, 2007 and 2008,
can show images of the development in
relevant information, FEPPASI started
farmers expressed the numerous ways
the agricultural test fields. In our
a research programme in collaboration
in which they had benefited. ‘I have
meetings with producers, these images
with the Environmental and
found contacts online to sell almonds
allow us to make visual comparisons.
Agricultural Research Institute (INERA)
and shea,’ said one. ‘I manage the
We beam the images and discuss the
to test different varieties of crops,
production techniques to produce
causes of the successes and failures of
fertilization techniques and seed
yellow and white corn,’ said another.
the different fields. We also make
multiplication techniques.
One farmer, who now processes yams
videos of the farming techniques and
In one research project, for example,
into flour, couscous and cake, has
show them during the training
FEPPASI tested 25 different varieties of
increased his income by adopting
sessions.’
corn, of which seven proved
better business practices: ‘The products
Barry adds that it was difficult to
particularly suitable to the soil and
are better presented through the use of
convince farmers about crop varieties
climatic conditions of the province.
labels and I sell more.’ An impact study
simply by telling them that their
They started to promote these seven
carried out by INERA revealed that, on
neighbours in the other village
varieties to farmers and teach them
average, agricultural production had
produced more per hectare. Now, with
accompanying production techniques.
increased from 0.5 tonnes per hectare
images, people can visualize the
Since 2005, FEPPASI has been testing
in 2003 to 4.5 tonnes in 2007.
improvements. The images make it
the potential of ICTs to train farmers
Sissili farmers have also used the
possible to overcome the limited
and to help professionalize their
internet to develop techniques to select
understanding of certain topics, a
businesses. In that time, the
and improve seeds from the best of
significant problem given the high
organization has managed to gradually
their crop varieties. For example,
illiteracy rate among the population
integrate ICTs into its day-to-day
producer Moumouni Niébié searched
(about 80% of producers in this region
working processes. They regularly use
online and found an organization in
cannot read or write). For trainer
multimedia tools, such as digital photos
Benin that specializes in production
Mahamadou Korogho, the use of digital
methods for yams. Niébié contacted
content has become essential in his
them and learned how to produce yam
work. ‘During training sessions, I don’t
Miep Lenoir (mlenoir@iicd.org) is a knowledge sharing officer seeds from fragmenting yam roots. To
feel at ease anymore without a
further improve the quality of seeds
computer,’ he says. ‘When I can show
at the International Institute for Communication and
used by its members, FEPPASI took
pictures of exemplary productions, the
Development (www.iicd.org)
pictures of several crop varieties and
participants applaud.’
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4 December 2009 ICT Update issue 52
ReuteRS / luC GnAGo
member of an online exchange and
However, these courses created
selected the best. Niébé’s corn field was
news group, putting them in touch
expectations regarding equipment and
among the fields selected. He said,
with other farmer organizations and
connectivity that FEPPASI was not able
‘FEPPASI selected a number of
federations in the country, and with
to meet at that time, as it had a weak
producers who applied the new
external partners. When necessary,’ he
and unstable dial-up internet
production techniques well, and guided
adds, ‘a farmer in remote Sissili can
connection and only two computers
them to produce improved seeds, so the
contact his colleague in other areas to
per centre.
other farmers have access to good
get correct information on cereals and
In 2009, the dial-up internet
quality seeds as well.’
other products in only a few minutes.’
connection was replaced by a VSAT
FEPPASI’s group of farmer advisors
Also, the FEPPASI website and
connection in Leo and Boura. As this
act as intermediaries between the farmer
newsletter ‘Sissili Vala Kori’ (Sissili
connection is expensive, FEPPASI
communities and INERA. When disease
farmers’ voice) have increased the
looked to recover the costs by sharing
affects a certain crop, for example, the
profile of the organization and led to a
the connection with several other
advisor takes a picture of the plant and
greater number of contacts within
organizations nearby for a fee. This has
sends it by email to the research
Burkina Faso and beyond.
turned FEPPASI into an internet
institute. When similar pictures come
While FEPPASI initially wanted to
provider, with positive connectivity
from different villages, the institute
create information centres where
results, but at the same time runs the
knows there is an outbreak and can take
farmers can access relevant content
risk of moving the organization away
measures to limit the damage.
directly, a different model has evolved.
from its core objectives.
Management The telecentres, for example, are used
FEPPASI also expanded the
by a minority of literate farmers to find
telecentre in its headquarters, making
The FEPPASI headquarters in Leo, the
market opportunities and communicate
seven computers available for
capital of Sissili province, and the two
with buyers and sellers on national and
members. ‘Our connection in Leo is
district offices in Boura and Bieha (at
international levels. Illiterate members
now often better than in Ouagadougou,’
about 50 km west and 30 km east of
– the majority – benefit from the
says Joseph Dagano, president of
Leo respectively) are connected to the
centres indirectly through training
FEPPASI. According to Dagano, a
internet. The three locations function
courses.
farmer who is a member of their
as information centres where members
The group of farmer trainers use the
organization is less likely to be
can use the computers.
centres to create and store specific
misinformed or taken advantage of.
In the first two years of the project,
audiovisual content adapted to the
‘With the telecentre in Boura, the
FEPPASI trained about 150 farmers in
local conditions and based on local
district farmer organization is now a
basic computer and multimedia skills.
5
http://ictupdate.cta.int
Related
links
Federation of Farmer Organisations of Sissili FEPPASI provides information and training to develop the skills of farmers, promote technological innovations in agricultural production, and assist farmers in the marketing of agricultural products. ➜ www.feppasi.org Environmental and Agricultural Research Institute INERA specializes in the development, implementation and coordination of environmental and agricultural research in Burkina Faso. ➜ www.inera.bf International Institute for Communication and Development IICD is an international organization specializing in enabling people in developing countries to make use of ICTs to improve their livelihoods and their quality of life. IICD works in the sectors of agriculture, health, education, governance and citizen participation. ➜ www.iicd.org
FeppASI
research. At the moment, however, four years. Joseph Dagano understood taken from network partner Sahel
there is no central storage system for the importance of ICTs long before Solidarité.
all the training materials produced. many others in the sector. When they Agricultural advisors from
Trainers are reluctant to share their started to work with ICTs in 2005, government agencies in the capital city
own materials with colleagues or farmers, as well as donors, did not did not know the specific conditions of
online. FEPPASI will need to develop immediately see the advantages. An the area. FEPPASI decided to invest in
an institutional policy on knowledge old anecdote that is often repeated in its own research and ICT training, and
management that encourages, as well the organization concerns a donor who create its own training materials. The
as guides, trainers and extension once said: ‘Farmers need food, not organization’s advisors look the same
workers to process and share their computers!’ Dagano knew where he as the farmers, speak the same
content. wanted his organization to go, and language, with the same accent, and
Although the farmers are now initial resistance did not stop him. tell their own stories. Farmers are more
growing the new crop varieties, their FEPPASI was able to integrate ICTs inclined to adopt new production
increased production does not at its own pace, gradually exploring techniques from someone they feel is
automatically lead to increased the possibilities and learning how to like them. Through improved research
incomes. For that, FEPPASI also uses exploit them for maximum advantage. and training courses facilitated by
ICTs to improve marketing and sales. In The project objectives set at the fellow farmers, Sissili producers are
the last few years, they have assisted beginning evolved over time as improving the quality of their seeds
farmers to collect data on their increased confidence gave way to new and growing new crop varieties that
production, their costs, and revenues. ambitions. This would not have been best suit their province’s climatic and
Having worked with ICTs for four possible from the start; the soil conditions.
years, the next step is to create a organization needed time to These lessons show that the
database that can aggregate the data incorporate the technology, build skills, successes the farmers of Sissili have
collected in that time to make and discover how ICT tools can best enjoyed through FEPPASI’s work were
projections and calculations of crops suit their interests. not purely a result of technology. It
and productivity throughout the Networking with local ICT training was about having a clear vision of
province. Based on these data, FEPPASI partners and other organizations has what the organization wanted to
will be able to access credit for its also been crucial for FEPPASI, enabling accomplish and how ICTs could
members through gathering and selling them to get technical advice, and share facilitate this, taking into account the
their products in larger quantities. challenges and ideas. For example, importance of local trainers, locally
they recently started organizing nightly developed content, local support, and
Leadership events in villages to provide more the freedom to gradually change
There are several lessons that can be information on their work, using a objectives according to new
drawn from FEPPASI’s work in the past beamer and a generator, a concept insights. ■
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6 December 2009 ICT Update issue 52
Eco-efficient agriculture
Our food system is built on the traits contained in crop wild relatives. Researchers are now
using geographic information systems to help protect this valuable genetic resource.
A species samples that have been collected
ll the domesticated crops grown in
Related
in the wild. But the sad truth is that
farms around the world today have
resources
many species have not been collected,
evolved from wild plant species. But
Opinion or are facing extinction in the wild due
very few people give much thought to
Gap Analysis of Agricultural
to the loss of natural habitats. We
these crop wild relatives, even though
Biodiversity
therefore need to make a concerted
they are critical to our global food
The Gap Analysis project is
effort to ensure that we do not lose
security.
developing a system that will allow
these vitally important traits, which can
The peanut (Arachis hypogaea), for
people collecting information on
help humanity produce more and better
example, was domesticated somewhere
species diversity to know which
crop harvests.
in the border region of Paraguay,
areas around the world, traits and
Argentina and Bolivia by local
Efficiency taxa are still unrepresented among
indigenous groups around 3,000 years
target CGIAR genebank collections.
At the International Centre for Tropical
ago. The new crop arose from the
➜ http://gisweb.ciat.cgiar.org/
Agriculture (CIAT), we are now using
fortuitous crossing of three wild species,
gapanalysis/
geographic information systems (GIS) to
each providing traits that were
predict where important species might
favourable for cultivation and human
be found. Collectors can then use global
consumption. Almost every crop we
positioning systems (GPS), loaded with
cultivate across the world has a similar
the data, to locate the vulnerable species
story.
and collect their seed. The CIAT analyses
Crop wild relatives are the foundation harvests. They include natural enemies
have helped to raise the profile of crop
of our agricultural system. And we still to agricultural pests and diseases,
wild relatives and ensure that greater
need them. They grow in the fields and which reduce crop losses. They include
attention is paid to their conservation.
the natural ecosystems that we see wild berries and fruits that can
There are, for example, a total of 69
every day, but often go unnoticed. More provide communities with nutrition in
species of crop wild relatives that are in
recently, however, some people have difficult times. Yet we are losing a
some way related to the cultivated
started to take notice. great number of important species at a
peanut. Of these, 17 species are under
Crop breeders use wild relatives when rapid rate.
significant threat of extinction from the
crossing plant varieties to bring in novel CIAT have also been using GIS to
expansion of agriculture in Brazil,
traits that might, for example, introduce look at how climate change might
Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia. Our
greater resistance to pests and diseases, cause increased rates of extinction of
analyses have demonstrated that a
or provide resistance to extreme climate these species, and the results are grim.
further 15 species are significantly
conditions. The breeders use seeds from We predict that over the next 40
threatened with extinction from climate years, climate change alone could
change. mean that we will lose as much as
These alarming figures have brought 20% of all species – one in five wild
attention to the problem and encouraged species.
a number of national and international So what can we do about it? CIAT is
initiatives. The urgent need to conserve working to develop eco-efficient
species has led to the establishment of a agriculture. This is a vision for
number of projects to collect seeds from agriculture where it continues to be
species under threat, and to include productive and provide food and
these species in conservation plans for nutritional security to all, including
national parks and other protected areas. the world’s poorest, but at the same
Crop wild relatives provide a unique time is efficient in the use of inputs
opportunity to show the great value of (less fertilizer, fewer pesticides) and
conserving biodiversity. Our entire food provides environmental sustainability.
system is built on the unique traits that We need a productive agricultural
they contain. For other plant and system to provide enough food and
animal species, our analyses are nutrition, and we need to conserve the
showing similar threats. We are losing wild species upon which continued
natural ecosystems at a rapid rate, and productivity depends. It isn’t easy, but
many important wild species are being we need to learn to value biodiversity.
Andy Jarvis (a.jarvis@cgiar.org) is programme leader, decision lost. In doing so, we will ensure that our
These species include insect species
and policy analysis, at the International Centre for Tropical domesticated crops will have the
that provide a service to agriculture by
Agriculture (www.ciat.cgiar.org) resources to adapt and survive future
pollinating crops and increasing our environmental changes. ■
7
http://ictupdate.cta.int
Pastoralists picture land use A team of researchers combine maps, satellite images and participatory mapping techniques to develop an accurate picture of land use among pastoralists in southern Ethiopia
T balances on which their livelihoods are
he amount of land given over to
based.
growing crops has dramatically
Drawing a sketch map to show the
increased in the last few decades,
Case study Related
resources of an indigenous community
leading to a reduction of available
resources
became an important contact point
grazing land in many places.
between local knowledge systems and
Pastoralists are restricted to grazing
Enhanced Livelihoods in the
the scientific world. This is particularly
their livestock in smaller pastures,
Mandera Triangle
important because traditional
which results in overgrazing and added
The ELMT programme supports the
relationships with the environment
pressure on the land. Inevitably, some
people living in arid and semi-arid
have been so poorly understood and
plants and animals can no longer
areas of southern Ethiopia to move
neglected in recent times. When
survive in these areas. And, as the
away from a dependency on
working with pastoralists, for example,
species disappear, valuable knowledge
emergency relief to long-term
the outlines gave researchers a better
of the local fauna and flora is also lost.
economic development.
understanding of local perceptions
In an effort to better understand
➜ www.elmt-relpa.org
about the status and quality of
changing land patterns and preserve
pastures, rangelands, water sources,
indigenous knowledge, researchers are
livestock types, the movement of
using participatory mapping
people and their relative pressures on
techniques. Spatial visualization tools,
the local ecosystems.
such as three-dimensional modelling,
But subjectivity and inconsistency in
rural appraisal community maps, maps and satellite images. Women in
spatial representation, especially when
printed maps and even screen-based particular showed a great ability and
considering a large area of land, meant
computer planning exercises with accuracy for locating features such as
that these maps were only of limited
communities, can help to give an cultivated land and private enclosures.
use when they were used outside the
overview of natural available resources Men were more reliable in pointing out
original village or read by non-
and how they are shared among the administrative boundaries, while the
pastoralists. The question, therefore,
various land users. young livestock scouts could quickly
was how to translate symbols on a
Although these community maps recognize migration routes.
piece of paper in a way that could be
were often little more than lines drawn By combining the input of the
understood by everyone. One solution
in the sand, or sketches on paper, they different groups, the team was able to
was to involve the communities in the
played a key role in giving gather complete and accurate
interpretation of high resolution
communities the chance to express information on infrastructure, the
satellite images.
their needs and understand the delicate locations of wet and dry grazing areas,
livestock migration routes, water
Recognition sources and administrative boundaries,
The Lay Volunteer International as well as detailed information on the
Association (LVIA) tested this sharing of natural resources across
methodology for the first time in Moyale multiple territorial units.
and Miyo woredas (districts) of southern The team manually entered all the
Ethiopia at the beginning of April 2009. data they had collected into a GIS
The project used the same idea as (geographic information system)
community maps, but substituted a piece program. They then produced a number
of paper with geo-referenced maps and of posters and maps which they took
remotely-sensed imagery. back to the communities to verify the
LVIA identified four woredas, spread details.
over more than 2,300 km2, and used The study area still has a wide
1:25,000 scale maps to carry out a variety of animal and plant species.
series of participatory exercises with 15 Because of this, the government has
different groups of pastoralists. In designated a large part of the study
combination with high resolution region as a protected area, and it could
satellite images, the community soon be established as a reserve. While
members were asked to identify a the main focus of the research was to
Massimiliano Rossi (lvia.ethiopia@ethionet.et) is the project variety of features on the maps. preserve indigenous knowledge and the leader and Italo Rizzi (progetti@lvia.it) is a project office The team discovered that after only pastoralists’ way of life, the results will
a few minutes of explanation, the
coordinator at Lay Volunteer International Association also improve understanding of the
pastoralists could consistently and
(www.lvia.it) needs of all land users and help to
accurately interpret features on the maintain a rich diversity of life. ■
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8 December 2009 ICT Update issue 52
A balance of life and livelihoods
Faced with difficult choices, a Maasai community in Tanzania was able to get an accurate
picture of their land resources with the help of conservationists and GPS receivers.
S The project began in 2004, and an
ituated at the foot of Mount develop an ecolodge in the Elerai
initial priority was to find out exactly
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and just Conservancy, in an effort to provide
what resources were available on the
10 km south of Kenya’s Amboseli sustainable income from tourism. The
Case study land, how they were being used, and to
National Park, Elerai has a lot to offer ecolodge also gave the community an
identify possible areas of conflict
tourists. The region’s woodlands and interest in protecting the wildlife and
between the wildlife and the local
savannah are home to lions, cheetahs, the habitat. The lodge operators pay
population. To achieve this, AWF
leopards, antelope, buffalo and giraffe, an annual rent to the community, plus
worked with the community and
plus a wealth of birdlife. The land is conservation and overnight fees for
technicians from local NGOs and
owned by the Elerai Maasai every visitor. Under the lease
government authorities to conduct a
community, who live and tend their agreement, all unskilled labour will be
resource mapping survey. This involved
livestock throughout the 5,000 acres. sourced from the Elerai community,
collecting data on the existing
But with less access to open, and if there are any skilled positions,
infrastructure and assessing
undeveloped lands for grazing, the they will get first consideration.
community land use needs.
Elerai community face a difficult With the creation of the Elerai
AWF trained community members to
problem: do they continue with their Conservancy, the growing communities
use handheld GPS (global positioning
traditional pastoralist livelihood, which avoided a future of farming dwindling
system) receivers to record the exact
is increasingly constrained, or, like plots of marginal land. Instead, they
location of households, water points,
many Maasai, do they reluctantly turn are keeping most of their land open for
grazing lands, wildlife sightings and
the land over to agriculture? wildlife tourism and their traditional
other significant features. By
Fortunately for the Elerai community, pastoralist way of life.
combining their local knowledge with
there was an alternative: create a way
Corridor
advanced mapping tools, the resource
to benefit from the wildlife they live
mapping teams efficiently collected a
alongside. By itself, Elerai could not sustain large
wealth of data in a relatively short
The people of Elerai worked with the wildlife populations; the site is not big
space of time. In fact, more than 95%
African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to enough to be a viable conservation area
of the mapping was conducted in
develop an ecotourism model for their on its own. But the region’s high
about six days.
land, and turn Elerai into a density and diversity of wildlife depends
At the end of each mapping day,
conservancy. This included an on the ability of the animals to move
AWF staff downloaded the data onto
improved land management strategy between a network of adjoining land
laptop computers and compiled the
that has allowed the community to units. Although relatively small, Elerai
results with GIS (geographic
keep their land open for both livestock has added an important piece to a
information system) software. Using
and wildlife. matrix of public and private
A3 printers, they printed large maps conservation lands that span the border
for the resource mapping teams to between Kenya and Tanzania.
review the next day. Community Elerai now forms part of AWF’s
members helped to annotate GPS Kilimanjaro Heartland, which links
observations and identify gaps for neighbouring national parks, privately-
further mapping. owned land and community-owned
land into a conservation network of
Choices more than 7,600 km2. This larger-scale
Following the completion of the conservation area, one of nine AWF
survey, AWF collated and analyzed the Heartlands, secures critical wildlife
data to present to the community. The habitats and movement routes, and
community used the information to introduces opportunities for a more
develop a land use plan, featuring sustainable tourism sector that respects
management zones that will meet their regional cultural heritage.
future land needs while also securing Perhaps more importantly, Elerai
valuable habitats for conservation. The served as a conservation model that
plan contained guidelines for the AWF has since replicated elsewhere.
effective management of the zones, The success in Elerai has proved that
which included wildlife and tourism, this approach, of combining wildlife
cultivation and settlements, and conservation with the preservation of
David Williams (dwilliams@awf.org) is the director for livestock grazing areas. community livelihoods, is a viable
Armed with a detailed overview of
conservation geography with the African Wildlife Foundation alternative to the subdivision, fencing
their land, the Elerai community chose
(www.awf.org) and expanding cultivation of lands
to work with a safari operator to seen in similar settings. ■
9
http://ictupdate.cta.int
GeRAlD MCCoRMACk / Cook ISlAnDS nAtuRAl HeRItAGe tRuSt
A base for biodiversity data For the last 20 years, the Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust has been collecting the details of the country’s fauna and flora in one multimedia database.
T regularly receives 1,000 visitors a
he Cook Islands, a small island biodiversity database, probably because
week, mainly from people in developed
developing state (SIDS), has an there has been little international
countries. The Trust also published the
online database designed to record support for making such information
Case study database on interactive CDs for schools
details of its biodiversity: marine and available in SIDS. But in 1990, the
in the Cook Islands, which have limited
terrestrial species, indigenous and Cook Islands government supported a
or expensive web access.
introduced species, mammals and proposal to develop an electronic,
The database presently records 4,500
plants, fungi and bacteria. multimedia-focused database to make
species out of an estimated total of
The country consists of fifteen small information on local plants and
around 7,000 socially or biologically
islands covering only 240 km2, but it is animals available, including related
significant species in the country.
spread over an area of about 2 million traditional and community knowledge.
About 2,500 species (55%) on the
km2 in the central South Pacific. Since then, the government has
database have one or more images to
Agriculture, mainly horticulture, brings invested more than NZ$ 1 million into
aid recognition. The main challenge is
in approximately US$ 15 million a the Natural Heritage Trust to run the
to identify and photograph species in
year, around 5% of its GDP. project. The Trust has one professional
the field, which is where the public will
No other small developing country is staff member responsible for collecting
encounter and hopefully recognise
known to be creating a comprehensive and collating information on local
them.
plants and animals.
The Trust’s primary goal was to
Recognition tabulate data on the social and
Gerald McCormack (gerald@nature.gov.ck) is director of the biological significance of a species and
It took many years of fieldwork, but
Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust. Visit the Cook Islands then list key identification features
the database, which is hosted at the
Biodiversity Database at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org along with a detailed image. This data
Bishop Museum in Honolulu, USA,
is reasonably comprehensive for the
finally went online in 2003 and
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10 December 2009 ICT Update issue 52
TechTip
Searching the Cook Islands
species or taxa by name in one
larger or otherwise conspicuous
Biodiversity Database
search
terrestrial species, but the lack of
• users can search across taxa for
available biologists to input data has
socially and biologically significant
meant that the detailed information is The search page on the database allows
groups, such as medicinal use
often inadequate for many groups. the user to find a species by typing the
• default results are displayed as
There is still an immense amount of first part of one of its names in Latin,
thumbnail images, which presently
basic fieldwork required on Cook English or Mãori. The species are arranged
cover about 60% of the species
Islands biodiversity. in a hierarchical system of taxonomy and
• the thumbnail zoom enlarges images
Although it is not the purpose of this higher taxon names are also searchable.
to allow more detailed comparison
database to record the location of all Users can input multiple names with
on the results page
collected specimens, it increasingly semi-colon separators to find multiple
• primary images are of live specimens
refers to a few specimens or species or higher taxa, or allow for
to assist with field identification.
photographs for each island to vouch spelling uncertainties. And, although for the claimed presence of a particular Cook Islands Mãori is often written with
Weaknesses:
species. In the future, collection points standard letters only, there is a character
• users cannot find species by listing
will be georeferenced and displayed on input function on the site to enable
or selecting their features
active maps. searches using orthographically correct
• voucher data is not georeferenced to
The database entry for each species Mãori.
enable active GIS displays
includes an image to aid identification
• users cannot currently contribute
and, where possible, supporting Searching for the taxonomic group –
images and other information.
secondary images, videos and audio butterfly or mammal, for example – works files. The image files are as small as well for most users trying to identify an
From the lessons learned in developing
possible so that they load rapidly in a unknown animal. In contrast, many large
the database, the Trust will launch a
web browser, but can still be viewed groups, such as the 1,200 local flowering
new, improved version in 2010.
well on a screen and when printed to plants, are not easily divided into
Registered editors will be able to edit
show the main species features. subgroups by the public. In the future, the
data online and general users will be
Database videos are also small, under Trust will develop a system so that users
able to add information at the bottom
20 seconds in duration, to make it can find the species by easily observable
of each species page, with the
possible for users to download them on features, such as leaf shape and flower
possibility to upload images and other
a dial-up or slow broadband internet colour.
data directly into the database,
connection.
although these will be moderated Currently, however, it is the advanced
More input before appearing online. search criteria that are perhaps most
The new database will be a major useful for the general public. These menus
The database had the advantage of
advance in the management, retrieval, enable the user to search for habitat,
growing slowly, which provided time
display and editing of data. It is based distribution, threatened status, medicinal
to experiment with many data options
on open source software and the usefulness or biosecurity significance. For
and to develop the search menus for
application supports editing via example, a student on the island of Atiu
different user groups, from
compatible web browsers on a variety can find the birds that are native and
taxonomists to biosecurity staff to
of devices, including desktop endangered in the Cook Islands and that
home gardeners. Over the last 20
computers, laptops, PDAs and exist on Atiu.
years, the Cook Islands Natural
smartphones. The system can also be
Heritage Trust has learned some
delivered as a stand-alone application Since most of the islands are a long way
valuable lessons and discovered some
from a computer hard disk, USB thumb from each other, the names for many
important strengths and weakness in
drive or CD/DVD. plants and animals evolved independently.
their biodiversity database.
The main work in the future, as in The database records and maintains
Strengths: the past, will be finding, identifying, these differences, and gives users the
photographing and uploading opportunity to select species names
• all biological groups are available
information on unrecorded species. But according to region. For example, on
within a single database
with more people able to contribute, Rarotonga, the White-tailed Tropicbird is
• searches are available for Latin,
thanks to the new database the Rãkoa, while on other islands it is the
English and Mãori names, and names
developments, the load should become Tara, Pirake, Pirake or Tavake Mokomoko.
of higher taxa
much lighter. ■
• users can search for more than one
An alternate results page consists of
one line of text per species to provide
a concise list. The list includes the
scientific, English and national Mãori
names, along with the family name and a
concise English descriptor, such as wasp,
fern, seaweed. The group descriptor is
particularly useful for interpreting the
diverse taxa found using the advanced
search criteria menus.
GeRAlD MCCoRMACk / Cook ISlAnDS nAtuRAl HeRItAGe tRuSt
11
http://ictupdate.cta.int
Q&A
Can those farmers help to conserve
through breeding and biotechnology and
biodiversity? Is the preservation of
also through the age-old processes of
biodiversity purely for scientists and
selection by local farmers, is based on
international institutions, like Bioversity
agricultural biodiversity.
International?
What are the biggest threats to ➜ Farmers, especially small farmers, are
biodiversity? And why is it important
Dr Kwesi Atta–Krah crucial to conserving biodiversity. We
that we do something to conserve
(k.atta-krah@cgiar.org) is already know that small farmers conserve
biodiversity now?
deputy director general of more biodiversity than was previously
➜ It is very difficult to give a single
Bioversity International believed. What they need is a good reason
ranking for ‘threats to agricultural
(www.bioversityinternational.org) to do so, one that can counter the promises
biodiversity’ because so much depends on made by big seed companies and
the specific circumstances. In some places government ‘experts’.
The efforts of farmers in conserving
biodiversity need to be supported and
The richest natural resource complemented by national agriculture
research programmes and gene banks, and
also by organizations such as Bioversity
International.
Why is agricultural biodiversity habitat destruction and conversion
There is often conflict in many
important? threatens crops and the wild relatives of
countries between conservation and
existing crops. Drainage, for example, or
➜ Agricultural biodiversity is a key natural
agriculture. Is it possible, through
irrigation, can displace the biodiversity that
resource in the provision of food, fuel,
promoting biodiversity, that the two
used to thrive in those places. In other
fibre, pharmaceuticals and much more.
could exist side-by-side?
places, the spread of new varieties, often
Agricultural biodiversity also regulates
the product of advanced breeding ➜ Conservationists have tended to see
environmental variability, supports
programmes, displaces traditional and farmers as the enemy, with a ‘fence
important ecological functions, such as soil
more reliable landrace varieties that everyone out’ attitude. But the fact is that
formation and water cycling, and is an
farmers have depended on. By the time the farmers, pastoralists, forest dwellers and
essential component of cultural identity
farmers discover that the old varieties may others manage a sizable portion of the
and diversity.
have been more reliable and resilient, Earth’s surface, and it would be much more
All crop and livestock improvement, both
they’re gone, unless they’ve been conserved constructive to work together so that
somewhere. Development and growing farmers can conserve biodiversity. In this
urbanization can also be major threats to way, farmers will help to conserve other life
biodiversity. forms and ecosystems too. I’ve heard it said
that intensive agriculture with fertilizers
Why is it important to conserve the and other high tech solutions would leave
biodiversity of crops in ACP countries? more ‘wilderness’ for conservation. But
➜ Some crop species are simply unknown what will the effect of intensive agriculture
elsewhere. Fonio (Digitaria exilis) is peculiar be on the wilderness and on the
to the drier parts of the Sahel. In the environment in general?
Caribbean, there are hot peppers (Capsicum
Could genetically modified crop
species) that are adapted to the conditions
varieties solve the problems of
there, and often you find more different
productivity and climate change we
varieties in a single home garden in many
might face in the future?
ACP countries than in a whole country
elsewhere in the world. These regions are ➜ I do not believe that genetically
particularly rich in agricultural biodiversity. modified organisms have the capacity to
solve the problems of productivity and
Should small-scale farmers in ACP climate change on their own. Our genetic
countries be concerned about resources provide the basis for how we
biodiversity? adapt to the effects of climate change and
➜ In the simplest case, a farmer may grow other global challenges. Therefore, we need
two varieties of sorghum; one in the to ensure that these resources are being
bottom lands where it gets adequate water, used appropriately today, and also
one at the top of the valley where it gets conserved for tomorrow. Where will the
less water. Maybe sometimes it rains too raw materials for modifying varieties come
much, and the lower one is washed away. from if not from conserved agricultural
The upper one thrives. Or there may be a biodiversity? If just a little bit of the money
drought, and the upper one fails. Replace and commitment that currently goes into
those with a single variety that is supposed genetic modification went into research
to be grown in both places, and the crop is into the better use of agricultural
at risk from both floods and droughts. biodiversity, I believe that we would be well
Having several varieties, and several crops, on the way now to truly sustainable food
is a form of insurance policy. security. ■
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12 December 2009 ICT Update issue 52
