PreParing to climate Proof - Send a Cow

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Instead it is an attempt to systematically scope and screen the main impacts that the organisation is having on its loca
Preparing to climate proof The next challenge for Africa’s rural poor

Send a Cow The Old Estate Yard, Newton St Loe Bath, BA2 9BR Registered charity number: 299717 Tel: 01225 874 222 [email protected] www.sendacow.org.uk

To find out more about Send a Cow’s work, to discuss the findings of this report in more detail, or for a copy of the Environmental Monitoring Plan Recommendations and suggested baseline indicators not included within this report, please contact: Martin Long, Head of Programmes on : 01225 874 222.

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© Send a Cow 2008

The Foundation Series: ‘Passing On’ learning

Contents: The Foundation Series: Introduction

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Executive summary

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A role model: Building the foundations

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The research: The study area

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The research: Environmental impact

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The research: Carbon scorecard

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Conclusion: A step closer to climate proofing?

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Recommendations: Next steps

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background: Why farmers make good development workers Never tell a young person that something can not be done. God may have been waiting for centuries for somebody ignorant enough of the impossible to do that thing. Dr J A Holmes In 1988 a group of dairy farmers sent a plane load of pregnant heifers from the UK to Uganda. At the time, Uganda was emerging from a long civil war. Communities and farmland had been destroyed, and livestock slaughtered. Meanwhile, in the UK, EU milk quotas meant heavy fines for farmers producing too much milk. The UK farmers responded in the only way they knew how – by finding a practical solution. By sending cows to Uganda, rather than the UK abattoirs, they could humanely reduce their own herds whilst providing communities in Uganda with a much needed lifeline. Within a very short time families had access to milk, manure and money. But handing over ‘exotic’ cows directly to poor African families was something no other UK charity had ever done before, and it didn’t come without controversy. What the sceptics at the time did not realise was that the farmers had done their research. They had seen dairy projects, involving European cattle, thrive in Tanzania. They had forged strong allegiances with Ugandan livestock and agriculture

Authors: Richie Alford and Simon Penney Editor: Kirstine Dunhill Design: Designbull.co.uk Cover photo: Graham Quar

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© Send a Cow 2008

professionals – many of whom continue to work with Send a Cow today. And they actively embraced the tradition of livestock ownership and local practices of reuse and rejuvenation: modernising them with pioneering knowledge of animal wellbeing practices and organic agricultural systems suitable to an increasingly harsh climate and ever decreasing land sizes. Using farming language Send a Cow was able to quickly forge strong links with communities and work with them to develop an approach that combined the best of African and British farming knowledge – and to continue to work with them to adapt that approach to new countries, terrains and communities. The result today is a programme that effectively balances the needs of African people, their livestock and the environment. As Send a Cow plans for its next 20 years, it is looking at ways to continue to develop and refine its approach – particularly important in the face of climate change. The Foundation Series is an essential part of this process.

The Foundation Series: ‘Passing On’ learning

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Introduction:

Preparing to climate proof:

What is the Foundation Series?

The next challenge for Africa’s rural poor

The Foundation Series is a collection of research papers introduced to share 20 years of Send a

For the first paper in the Foundation Series, Send a Cow looks at tackling one of the biggest challenges facing governments and aid agencies today – and asks what it means to ‘climate proof’ Africa’s rural poor. It is very much a first step, but one designed to investigate what constitutes an environmentally sound programme – and identify what can be done to move grass roots action closer to protecting small-scale farmers from the vagaries of climate change.

Cow’s learning in Africa, and set out the foundations for a best practice approach to agricultural development that has small-scale farmers at its heart. The series will look at the core components of the Send a Cow programme: social development, sustainable organic agriculture, animal wellbeing and climate proofing. It will also illustrate how each of the components is intrinsically linked. In addition, the series will use evaluations from a number of independent researchers to identify the elements of its programmes that have been responsible for transforming the lives of so many poor communities in rural Africa – whilst highlighting the areas that still need to be developed.

Over the past 20 years, Send a Cow has seen how knowledge in sustainable organic agriculture and natural resource management has helped those most vulnerable to increased climatic variability, namely Africa’s small-scale farmers, restore productivity to their land and increase their ability to cope with extended periods of drought. It has seen how knowledge, livestock and savings, accumulated through sale of surplus produce, are giving families a head-start when needing to rebuild after floods. It has also seen

how training in social issues, such as group dynamics and HIV/AIDS awareness, is just as vital in ensuring long-term environmental sustainability as rejuvenating land. As it plans for its next 20 years, Send a Cow also recognises the limitations of focusing on grassroots action alone. Send a Cow can ensure its own programmes are environmentally sound, and encourage a new wave of thinking in Africa that will better equip rural communities to protect themselves – either through practical action or through local level lobbying. Yet it will only be through shared learning within the industry that realistic solutions that address the plight of the small-scale farmer in the face of climate change will be identified – and ultimately adopted by the policy makers that have the power to make a difference.

by Richie Alford, Policy, Research and Advocacy Officer, Send a Cow

Importantly, the series will also illustrate how Send a Cow’s ‘pass-on’ system – a system by which livestock and knowledge are shared throughout communities – has resulted in the widespread implementation of best practices beyond the communities involved directly in Send a Cow projects. This includes those associated with activities such as animal care, gender positive behaviour and, crucially, environmental awareness. By Martin Long, Head of Programmes, Send a Cow

Passing on Learning Over the past 20 years, Send a Cow has helped thousands of families work their way out of poverty through the provision of livestock, training and advice. And through pass-on, a system by which the first female offspring of each gift animal is passed on to another needy family, thousands more benefit. Recent multiplier research carried out by the Bright World Consult, Uganda, identified that in addition to livestock, environmental practices are also passed from person to person and from community to community.

Other practices adopted by secondary beneficiaries include:

The research indicates that for every primary beneficiary supported by Send a Cow, the techniques it provides in sustainable organic farming practices are adopted by:

is collected and taken to them, improves animal wellbeing, ensures a healthy diet, prevents animals roaming around (which in turn protects fragile environments), and simplifies the process of collecting manure and urine – vital ingredients for the organic farming practices taught by the charity.

• an average of 2 children, when leaving the family home to set up on their own • an average of 7 community members, when they see increased productivity on their neighbours’ land

• an average of 19 farmers adopting the practice of planting trees as a sustainable source of fodder and firewood • an average of 3 farmers building fuel-efficient stoves • an average of 5 farmers adopting the Send a Cow policy of stall grazing* *Housing livestock in spacious, airy shelters whereby food

It is our Christian duty to act as ‘gardeners’ and protect our planet for future generations. By giving livestock and training in sustainable agriculture, Send a Cow enables the poorest of the poor to live sustainably and combat some of the effects of climate change, such as erratic rainfall patterns. This report addresses the issues well. Many more organisations should do the same sort of analysis and calculations. Sir John Houghton Former Co-Chairman of the Scientific Assessment Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

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The Foundation Series: Passing On learning

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Executive Summary:

A role model:

An environmentally sound programme

Building the foundations A harsh landscape

Climate change today is definitely a subject of tremendous concern in Uganda. We have experienced changes in our weather patterns, we’ve experienced changes in the amount of rainfall and we’ve experienced the receding of Lake Victoria. Yet Send a Cow Uganda is having a positive impact on the environment. The training that we give emphasises environmental protection and emphasises the growing of trees and vegetation to hold the soils in place and contribute positively to the environment. Sam Kawumi, Executive Director, Send a Cow Uganda.

The environment has continuously risen up the agenda of the wider world over the past few decades. And Send a Cow has, since its inception, taken a keen awareness of its role in the environmental management of the locations in which it has been working. Increasingly, it has also developed an awareness of its impact on the wider, and indeed, global environment. Promise Consulting was commissioned by Send a Cow to undertake an initial assessment in terms of the environmental impact of its work in Africa – work that represents the start of a serious commitment by the organisation to improve its environmental performance and take seriously the responsibility it believes it has as a steward of the earth. It should be pointed out that this report is not a traditional Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Instead it is an attempt to systematically scope and screen the main impacts that the organisation is having on its local, national, and international environments. It is also an attempt to put in place both the foundations on which further data may be collected to form a more in-depth answer – and the policies to ensure that any positive impacts are carefully managed so as any secondary and tertiary impacts do not, in fact, cause unintentional environmental harm. The main objectives of the research were, therefore, to understand and identify all major environmental impacts across the Send a Cow system, recommending processes for mitigation where necessary; to undertake and report a basic carbon calculation for a ‘typical’ Send a Cow project; and to provide recommendations for incorporating environmental monitoring and evaluation into the organisation-wide environmental policy. This paper initially focuses on the primary impacts of Send a Cow’s work on the environment – a majority of which stem directly from the provision of livestock to communities in Africa and the subsequent training it provides in sustainable agriculture. In particular it looks at how combining traditional farming practices with pioneering organic agriculture has led to families reporting

significant increases in crop yields and reductions in the use of commercial fertilisers and pesticides which they no longer need to purchase. In terms of future proofing the farmers it is working with, in undertaking this report Send a Cow has also started to lay down the foundations required to help it identify, and then prepare for, potential environmental disasters and issues – the most likely being those related to climate change, including unpredictable rains, droughts and floods. There is no doubt that the intervention of Send a Cow in Uganda is radically improving the lifestyle and standards of living for the farmers and communities involved in its programmes. This report highlights that Send a Cow has a significant direct positive environmental impact at the local level, a small to medium effect at regional level, and a small impact even at the national and global level.

by Simon Penney, Promise Consulting Promise Consulting provides professional environmental consulting services for both not-forprofit organisations and commercial enterprises. It has offices in the UK and Canada and is opening offices in Lima, Peru and Kampala, Uganda. It works with a network of specialist associates in five additional countries. It currently supports charitable projects in India and Uganda. For more information about Promise Consulting contact Simon Penney: [email protected] or visit: www.promiseconsulting.org.uk and watch the Promise promotional video.

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Over 70% of the population of Africa are subsistence farmers, dependent on what they can grow from their land for survival. For centuries they successfully farmed this land. However, factors such as war, disease, population growth and, increasingly, climate change, are making this ever more difficult. Plots are getting smaller and in many areas soils have become seriously deteriorated. Deforestation, over-farming and the use of chemical fertilisers, which were once actively encouraged by governments and development agencies, are all to blame – and have resulted in reinforcing the levels of poverty experienced by rural communities. Furthermore, parents often die before they have passed on their age-old knowledge to their children. HIV/AIDS, in particular, is debilitating the economically active generation – adults who would also normally be bringing up children and caring for the elderly.

Strong communities – a vital resource Send a Cow works through local community organisations, primarily women, who have come together to find solutions to the problems they face. Strengthening these groups is fundamental to the support that Send a Cow provides. Locally recruited members of staff decide which groups to work with and then help them define their own criteria for poverty within their local context – such as lack of land, disability or widowhood. The group will then decide who amongst them is in most need of help. Furthermore, alongside courses in animal wellbeing, organic farming practices and natural resource management, Send a Cow also provides training in subjects such as gender equality, group dynamics and HIV/AIDS awareness – as well as ongoing support from qualified staff and peer farmers (farmers who have become trainers themselves). Peer farmers play a vital role in helping Send a Cow enter new regions. Peer farmer exchange trips are organised whereby promising farmers from the new project area are chosen to travel to existing programmes where they will see Send a Cow’s work in action. They will then return to both encourage and train their own groups.

Send a Cow training may be the most fundamental educational experience that many recipients will have ever had. It is often liberating for individuals to realise they are adult human beings with opinions, a mind and great potential. The way in which initial groups have become self-sufficient and capable of sharing their skills with others is testament to the wisdom of this approach. Simon Penney, Promise Consulting

As peer farmers take an increasingly active role, appropriate support networks are put in place and, over time, communities become self-sufficient with groups managing the process of passing on livestock and knowledge themselves.

Balancing people, livestock and the environment Animal wellbeing is fundamental to Send a Cow’s programmes. All recipients need to build a spacious shelter and grow a crop of fodder grass in preparation for their animal. The shelters protect animals from disease and extreme weather, whilst ensuring they receive a healthy, well-balanced diet. They also help protect the environment by preventing animals roaming free, and facilitating the collection of manure and urine – vital ingredients for sustainable farming. This whole process can take as long as 18 months; a big commitment for a poor farmer. However, for those who have seen Send a Cow projects in action, and appreciate the impact being part of the programme will have on their lives, it appears to be a sacrifice they are happy to make. Importantly, the livestock packages Send a Cow provides are adapted dependent on local conditions and recipients’ circumstances. For young orphan families, for instance, goats or beehives may be more suitable than a cow. In other countries, improving local livestock might be the answer – introducing a village bull scheme by providing a local farmer with a good quality breeding bull.

Send a Cow sources all its livestock in Africa.

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A Role Model:

Research:

Working with the environment

The study area

All the techniques taught by Send a Cow have been developed to work in harmony with the environment – typically traditional techniques that have been modernised to help families better cope with extended periods of drought. Farmers are also encouraged to change traditional practices that work against nature in favour of taking up more sustainable alternatives. Send a Cow courses include training in:

Why Uganda?

Keyhole gardens are the best thing I

Sustainable farming techniques: • Composting of animal manure to improve soil structure and rejuvenate tired land, resulting in the improvement and diversification of crops • Building of keyhole gardens and bag gardens, techniques that encourage the micro-climates necessary for year-round production of vegetables • Use of animal urine and manure to produce natural pesticides and plant food

Natural resource management: • Introduction of agroforestry practices, such as the planting of a sustainable source of fast-growing trees for firewood, building materials and animal fodder

have learnt. There is good drainage underneath – whilst on top I have fertile soil. Now I am able to grow enough food throughout the dry season – and using natural pesticides means there is not a single hole in these vegetables! Many people round here aren’t able to grow vegetables – so I am showing them how they too can grow their own. Suma Makabele, farmer, Tanzania

Kumi

Send a Cow works in nine African countries, directly in four and in partnership with the US NGO, Heifer International, in a further five. However, it was not pragmatic, efficient, or indeed environmentally appropriate to review each location separately. Therefore, a decision was made to take one location and use it as a base model eventually to be applied to other locations in which the organisation works. The work being undertaken in Uganda was selected by Send a Cow to be a representative example of its operations, and to provide a case study for the environmental appraisal process. It is also its longest running programme, making it possible to evaluate the long-term impact of its work. The case study looked at the work being undertaken in the east of the country, as this provided easy access to a number of different climatic zones. Two districts were chosen as they also best represent the conditions most typically seen in other Send a Cow programmes across Africa, ensuring this report has a wider relevance than to Uganda alone. These areas were Kumi and Sironko.

Sironko

The economy of this area is based almost entirely on subsistence agriculture. The soils in the area are clay loam with medium productivity and soil erosion is considered a significant problem. Rainfall distribution is bi-modal (April to May and July to August) and there is a dry season between December and February. The vegetation has a number of different components including savannah grassland, with trees, thickets and riparian vegetation. There are natural woodlands and plantation forest reserves – although these reserves have experienced significant degradation largely due to cultivation, tree cutting and charcoal burning.

• Building of fuel-efficient stoves, significantly reducing the amount of wood required for cooking • Introduction of simple water harvesting techniques, such as the capturing of rain water, the building of wells and the digging of trenches.

Uganda, its environment and climate change

Sironko is divided into lowland, upland and mountain regions. The study area was located within the upland area. Over 90% of the land use is committed to agriculture, with 96% of the population smallholder farmers reliant on agriculture as the key economic activity. Mechanisation is largely non-existent. The annual rainfall in is 1,200mm to 1,500mm and has an equal distribution throughout the year. The soils, largely volcanic in origin, have been subject to significant geomorphologic and paedogenesis processes. This, in turn, has influenced the vegetation found in the area, which are primarily grasses, forests and swamps. The area suffers from land degradation in part due to farming practices, population pressure, deforestation, bush burning, overgrazing, vulnerability of soil to erosion and decreasing soil fertility.

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• Uganda has a history of neglecting soil and land management. This has led to a decline in soil fertility, which is believed to be the key environmental challenge facing Uganda today (National Environmental Management Authority). • Loss of soil fertility is a contributing factor to many problems facing the country, including rural to urban migration and food shortages – and is further compounded by population growth. • Other aspects affecting the productivity of the land include soil erosion, waterlogging, flooding, acidity and de-vegetation. • In 2004/5 Uganda was reported to be rapidly losing its biodiversity, perhaps in the region of 1% per year. This loss was mainly due to habitat conversion, introduction of alien species, pollution and over-harvesting • Climate change is a key issue for Uganda - with biodiversity and increasing crop failures particularly sensitive to this issue.

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Research: Environmental impact of projects This section outlines the key environmental impacts as assessed by Promise Consulting during field work carried out with farmers involved in Send a Cow’s projects in eastern Uganda. The calculations represent a snapshot of one particular group, which though representative cannot be used for other groups, and the calculations may change over time. Each of the impacts across each component of the business were identified. Impacts at local, regional, national and international level were considered. Areas of impact included, but were not limited to: land resources, water systems, climate, animal communities and biodiversity, other natural communities, cultural impacts, social economic issues, infrastructure and transport.

Global warming potentials (CO2e) Different gases have different potential for contributing to global climate change. This function is referred to as Global Warming Potential, the normal unit for which is the Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e). Carbon Dioxide (CO2) = 1 CO2e Methane (CH4) = 23 CO2e Nitrous Oxide (N20) = 310 e management. As most feed provided by Send a Cow farmers is grown locally, and the milk consumed within neighbouring communities, the carbon costs of feed and milk transport are minimal. During the five-year lifespan of the study, a number of offspring are born, reared and remain on the farm. In GHG terms, these cows contribute a similar amount to the original animal and have been included within the calculations. Another form of environmental impact is the potential run-off from organics (such as urine and manure from livestock) or agricultural chemicals (such as those used for control of ticks and other pests) which, in turn, could lead to the pollution of surface and ground water. Furthermore, ‘foreign’ livestock breeds will also have an impact on the gene pool of local livestock. This is another consideration in terms of future proofing Send a Cow programmes, although, due to poor animal management inherent throughout Africa, much of the local genetic quality is in decline. Send a Cow’s approach is therefore to improve the quality of local livestock through an initial injection of pure-bred livestock (or a village bull or buck), leading to availability of good quality cross-bred cattle.

Throughout the report it is important to consider what the situation would be without Send a Cow’s intervention. That is to say although some activities within the Send a Cow programme still result in the greenhouse gases (GHGs), they do, in fact, represent a reduction in what would happen otherwise. The information was gathered from a sample dairy cow group of 42 members with associated calculations based on the assumed actions of that group over a five year period. The group is one of 38 groups supported by the Send a Cow Eastern Uganda office. The group started working with Send a Cow in 2003 and is considered a ‘typical’ group. It is assumed that the minimum farm size is two acres.

Livestock Cows and other livestock release carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, all of which are powerful GHGs. These emissions are unavoidable, though they can be reduced with good feeding

Trees Before any animal is placed, Send a Cow requires that a farm must show the capacity to produce enough fodder to feed the animal for the whole year, insisting that at least 100 leguminous multi-purpose trees are planted and established on each farm. This is important for the programme because trees capture carbon through their leaves and trunk, nitrogen through their roots and also provide natural drainage. They also increase the content of organic matter in the soil, which in turn, increases its fertility and water-holding capacity. Leaves are then used to provide a protein feed source for the animal, and the branches for fuel wood. Being fast-growing trees, the pruning of leaf material for fodder has a limited effect on total biomass growth. The strategic placement of trees on sloping land can also help prevent soil erosion. For the sample group, there was a total of at least 4,200 trees established.

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Grassland In addition to trees, at least one acre of grassland must be established. Often, the land used for growing grass is unsuitable for crop production, or the grass fits into a natural crop rotation system. In the study area, this was predominantly elephant grass, an erect type of grass, known for production of large volumes of biomass. This grass is managed using a cut-and-carry system, whereby the farmer cuts individual grass plants back to a height of 30cm removing all the vegetative growth above that height. The grass re-grows and will be cut back at a future date. The farmer works around the field, cutting back enough plants to meet the animal’s needs for that day. In this system, the maximum amount of biomass remains in the field, continuing to capture carbon. It is important to note that as this grass is fed to the animals, and any waste material is used in the composting process, the carbon capture value of this grass has not been included in the data. Although the benefits of this approach far outweigh the negatives, it is also important to note that there may be a small change in vegetation and that this needs to be managed to avoid loss of biodiversity. For the sample group, there was a total of at least 42 acres of grassland established.

Soil and compost Composting is a core element of the Send a Cow programme – and a key component in the emissions generated as a result of Send a Cow’s work. However, soil and vegetation are both key carbon sinks (stores of carbon) and composting the best way to convert plant material into a soil improving fertiliser. Without the capture of carbon that occurs through the composting process, much more would be released into the atmosphere when plant material rots. And, without compost, soil fertility will continue to decline. Send a Cow teaches all members of its groups the principles and methods of compost making. Through the implementation of these practices, each farmer is able to restore fertility to the soil and improve its structure and water-holding capacity. This leads to signficant improvements to staple crop yields, with many farmers experiencing four to five-fold increases.

By significantly improving the ratio of cultivated versus noncultivated land there is more vegetation to soak up carbon. Furthermore, these improvements are retained for, on average, a three-year period, compared to one season with chemical fertilisers. After three years, compost is reapplied to the land to kick-start the process all over again. All this is possible with minimal cost to the farmer – the availability of a natural fertiliser replacing the need to purchase chemical alternatives. For the sample group this equates to approximately 30 metric tonnes of compost returned to the soil, based on each farmer producing six compost heaps per year.

Travel and other emissions Send a Cow country programme staff travel extensively by road to support the development of the groups. Significant time is invested in each group, through structured training courses as well as frequent support visits to each household. This time investment is essential to ensure that the maximum impact of the Send a Cow approach is achieved with each household supported. International travel is a further unavoidable and necessary activity for Send a Cow. There is a regular flow of staff on long-haul flights to and from the continent, and also on short-haul flights between African countries. This adds value to the work of the organisation by ensuring best practice is delivered across all country programmes. It also encourages strong accountability and transparency in the use of funds and ensures that the most current picture of the work is shared with UK audiences. Providing feedback for existing donors and encouraging support from new ones is vital for raising the funds necessary for Send a Cow to deliver its programmes. When proportioned out over the groups, this contribution from local travel and from air travel within Africa between the UK and Africa is not as high as one might consider. For the sample group this equates to 36,000kms of road travel and 10,000kms of long and short-haul travel.

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Research: Carbon Scorecard

We do not yet know whether a focus on labour-intensive agriculture on small farms will be the best route for poverty reduction under a different climate scenario. There are good reasons to suggest that small farmers, on account of their lower capital requirements, small size

Why produce a carbon scorecard? A 2006 report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) entitled ‘Livestock’s Long Shadow’ has seen livestock’s contribution to global emissions of GHGs widely publicised. The report indicated that livestock was responsible for 18% of the world’s GHGs. There is little doubt that the livestock industry contributes significant quantities of GHGs to the atmosphere. However, it is important to note that it is primarily the big commercial agriculture systems of the West (increasingly appearing in developing countries) which are largely responsible for these impacts – encouraged by a complex mixture of market forces, economics, consumer demand and the environmental capacity of the local area. One of the main objectives of this report is to provide an initial independent assessment of the environmental benefits resulting directly from the Send a Cow programme based on small-scale sustainable farming systems that include just one or two carefully managed animals.

Data and calculations It is important to note that a number of assumptions have been made in order to estimate the emissions associated with one project over a projected time period of five years. This should therefore be considered as a guide to the high priority impacts that could arise as a direct result of Send a Cow’s work – and a solid start for Send a Cow in terms of evaluating the environmental credentials of its work.

Secondary impacts and the carbon scorecard It is important to note that other practices encouraged by Send a Cow, such as the introduction of fuel-efficient stoves and the reduction of ploughing and soil turning, have not been incorporated into the calculations – although they do contribute to carbon reduction. So too, should secondary impacts, such as a reduction in the use of synthetic pesticides.

and access to flexible (family) labour force will be better at adaptation than larger capital-intensive farms. ODI, Climate Change: Implications for DFID’s Agriculture Policy, March 2007

It is also important to note that if the carbon emissions were calculated for all the secondary impacts of the Send a Cow programme this might radically alter the picture given by the carbon scorecard. In the discussions Promise Consulting had with the farmers, it became clear that possible increases of income measurable in hundreds of percent were leading to greater opportunities, including sending children to school in places as far away as Kampala. This travel alone, plus a move to increasingly urban lifestyles and aspirations would eventually see families become a great deal more carbon intensive. However, Send a Cow exists to give people who have contributed least to global warming the chance to escape a life of poverty. It is not to deny them their right to a better way of life, because that inevitably means an increased carbon footprint. The reason this report was commissioned was to put in place the foundations for future learning. As such, Send a Cow is now well placed to address the primary impacts of its work – whilst starting to consider how the training it provides can help people make their own decisions about the future with the environment in mind. According to the United Nations Statistics Division, Uganda’s CO2 emissions per capita are a fraction of the UK’s at 0.07 tonnes compared to the UK’s 9.40 tonnes (UNSTATS 2004).

1.0M Trees: 310,000

kg CO2e (millions)

0.75M

Over a five-year period, one Send a Cow group captures approximately twice the amount of carbon than is emitted. Long-haul flights: 1,355 Short-haul flights: 2,616

0.50M

Road travel Uganda: 6,878

Compost & Soil: 770,700

Compost making: 233,100

0.25M Livestock emissions: 339,100

0M

Carbon Capture Total: 1,080,700

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Research: Life on ‘Green Farm’ A case study Helen Kongai lives in Ngora, a sub-district of Kumi, one of the study areas used by Promise Consulting in its evaluation. Helen was once a poor farmer herself, but is now one of Send a Cow Uganda’s agricultural development officers responsible for providing training and support to communities in both Kumi and in Sironko – the other study area visited by Promise. Her home, ‘Green Farm,’ borders the regions of Karamoja and Moroto – areas of semi-desert where only thorny, drought-resistant shrubs usually survive. This provides a stark contrast to the volcanic and relatively fertile soils of Sironko, which nestles in the foothills of Mount Elgon and where soil erosion, rather than desertification, is the greater threat. Helen has played a key role in adapting the training Send a Cow provides in sustainable agriculture to address the diverse problems facing these regions – initially turning her own farm into a training and research centre where she demonstrates the benefits of organic farming practices. Prior to working with Send a Cow, Helen had received support from organisations that recommended the use of chemical fertilisers. On implementing the training she had received from Send a Cow, Helen realised that there was a real contradiction between those that focused on using chemical fertilisers, and Send a Cow’s focus on organic methods.

I had seen how Send a Cow listened to farmers about traditional techniques, helping them to identify why they are

By using her land to make comparisons Helen was able to demonstrate that the use of manure-based fertilsers led to a threefold increase in her millet harvest, vegetable crops that grew all year round, and the introduction of fruits, such as oranges and pineapples, that had previously been impossible to grow in the region.

no longer working, and looking at ways to adapt them to the modern day and the surrounding environment. This is the approach we took when we started work

Helen also discovered that with increased fertility, a local weed known as Stryger – a weed that saps nutrients from the soil, weakening other plants around it – died out. It was also easier to keep Rosette disease at bay, which had previously attacked staple crops such as groundnuts. She also experimented with Napier grass and, once harvested, planted groundnuts to prove that they would grow well where fodder grass had once grown. Helen went on to use this ‘test’ to illustrate how groundnuts provide good ground covering – further preventing land moisture loss.

Alongside digging trenches and encouraging farmers to introduce ground cover plants, the introduction of Napier grass and fodder trees also proved very significant in this area – helping trap top soil and further reducing the amount of nutrients washed away during the rainy season.

Confirmation that organic farming methods produced the best results encouraged Helen to become a Send a Cow extension worker and inspire others to take an organic approach to farming. One of her biggest challenges to date has been tailoring the training she received from Send a Cow to the diverse landscape of Sironko.

But most surprising was that the process of stall grazing animals has also been widely praised by communities in this region for preventing soil erosion, both in terms of easing the process of manure and urine collection and the associated damage to land that occurs when animals roam freely.

With many groups in the region living on the lower slopes of Mount Elgon, the first adaptation was to introduce trenching, helping families capture water and ensure that nutrients drain into the soil rather than being swept away with valuable soil when the rains came.

“Now there will be no more animals roaming around ruining the land. Stall grazing is one of the best techniques taught to us. Even our neighbours are now providing their animals with fodder in troughs since seeing the benefit to our land,” Eserada Masereja, chairperson for Gogokyi group in Sironko.

in Sironko. Helen Kongai, Send a Cow extension worker

Carbon Loss Total: 583,049

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Conclusion:

Recommendations:

A step closer to climate proofing?

Practical advice

This report provides a solid foundation for Send a Cow to become a lead organisation in the application of environmental awareness and stewardship in the way in which it carries out its work, not only in Uganda but across Africa. Simon Penney of Promise Consulting provides a clear and informative picture of the current environmental issues of the work of Send a Cow and his report will facilitate the charting of the organisation’s development as it continues to make a significant contribution to sustainable development in Africa. A Rocha International

Any human activity will have a variety of impacts on the physical, social and economic environment of an area. Send a Cow is no exception to this. This report has outlined a number of key impacts that are occurring. In addition, these initial impacts will give rise to a number of secondary and tertiary impacts, some of which may be far more damaging than the primary impacts reported on.

Promise Consulting recommendations include: At farmer level • An increased emphasis on the environmental impact in Send a Cow’s training packages, particularly with regard to a farmer’s capacity to withstand and recover from external shocks • An increased emphasis of the environmental impact of lifestyle choices made by farmers and staff as a consequence of the increased income generated through SAC interventions

Conclusion By providing livestock and training to poor families in Africa, Send a Cow is providing many people with a dignified and selfsustaining opportunity to reduce, and indeed, in many cases escape the pressures that extreme poverty can bring.

Send a Cow commissioned this research to find ways to further improve an approach it believes is already effectively balancing the needs of people, livestock and the environment. As a result Promise Consulting has provided practical advice that will help Send a Cow set solid objectives to take its work in this field to the next level. In particular Send a Cow now has a clearer understanding of what it needs to do to further prepare the farmers it is working with for the ever-changing face of climate change.

It is the initial findings of Promise Consulting that the cumulative environmental impacts of Send a Cow in Uganda are more positive than they are negative. They are currently small at the national and international level, but significant to very significant at the local and regional level. What we need to ask now is if having a positive environmental impact is enough to protect farmers from climate change? As has been emphasised throughout, this report should be considered a start rather than a finish. In order to implement long-term improvement in environmental performance and move in the direction of sustainability, particularly in the face of increasingly unreliable weather patterns, there needs to be longterm commitment from the top of any organisation, throughout its membership, through its partners and other stakeholders over whom it has influence.

At continental level • Continue planning for adaptation to likely environmental and climatic change, identifying appropriate measures through scenario development

At country programme and UK office level • Introduction of a monitoring system to collect relevant data to travel, energy use, and other activities that could have a negative impact on the environment. • Development of acceptable targets for use of energy, level of travel for country programmes to function effectively • Development of an Environmental Policy for each country programme

Evidence of Climate Proofing In the last twelve months, farmers supported by Send a Cow in Uganda, Lesotho and Ethiopia have, respectively, encountered a flood, a drought and changes in the traditional pattern of rainfall. In all cases, this is leading to increased pressure on food availability, and awareness that these occurrences are happening all the more frequently. The principles implemented by the farmers, learnt through Send a Cow training courses, have enabled them

to withstand the adverse conditions better, and recover more quickly once the conditions are more favourable. Whether it is by enabling crops to grow for longer due to the increased water retention in dry spells, the increased water absorptive capacity of soil in heavy rain, or the ability to accumulate savings, Send a Cow farmers are better placed to cope with change – and to rebuild after facing environmental challenges.

In particular the report has identified the importance of the organic approach to sustainable agricultural development, with compost making and tree planting essential components. There is also a strong need to continue adapting the Send a Cow approach to further incorporate measures that consider likely environmental and climatic change. Possibly the most important step made by the organisation to date however, is publishing these findings as part of its Foundation Series. By doing so Send a Cow is not only sharing 20 years of learning in order to encourage best practice within the sector, it is also raising the alarm for urgent action on behalf of the world’s small-scale farmers – those already living with the day-to-day reality of climate change.

12 The Foundation Series: Passing On learning

The Foundation Series: Passing On learning

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