Conservation Agriculture Knowledge and Information Management:

The case of ACT

byHamisi Mzoba and Saidi Mkomwa

Email: info@act-africa.org

5th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture, Brisbane, Australia 26-30 September 2011

Scaling Up CA in Africa

Outline

• Knowledge and Information Management functions for ACT

• Tasks and pathways• Key stakeholders for CA information

sharing• SWOT analysis• Way forward

Knowledge and Information Management Functions

One Stop Information Support Facility

Knowledge memory “bank” and learning

Stimulate & strengthen strategic thinking and networking on CA and Natural Resource Management

Promotion, lobbying and advocacy

Training support on CA and Sustainable Land Management``

functions cont…..

Web-based platform for knowledge and information support to members and others (www.act-africa.org)

CA databases and intranets support for on-going CA/NRM projects

Electronic newsletters and special topic forums.

Tasks and Pathways

Conservation Agriculture National task forces (CANTFs)

List serves, on-going projects and on-line communications

Conservation Agriculture Regional Working Groups e.g. CARWG currently supported by FAO-Southern Africa.

Tailor made and International CA training courses

Tasks and Pathways cont… Web based sharing, blogging Promotional materials (booklets, fliers, posters, brochures) Audio visuals (Radio, Televisions etc) Meetings (workshops, Conferences etc) Use of social networks communications (Face book,

Twitter etc)

Key stakeholders for CA KIM sharing:

Farmers (small, medium and large scale) Technicians Development partners Policy makers Researchers Academia Private sector Media

Strengths Existence of local, regional and international knowledge

networks e.g. ACT, Infonet-Biovision, African land care network and Eco-agriculture, FAO-CoP among others.

Conservation Agriculture National task forces (CANTFs) for managing country specific information

Conservation Agriculture Working Groups e.g. CARWG (for ease in coordination of CA stakeholders in specific regions).

ACT sub-regional offices and partners organization across the globe

Own and partners CA organized meetings and events (e.g WCCA)

A growing databank of identity of key stakeholders and CA service providers across the continent.

Weaknesses

Project focused other than network wide focus Limited data gathering structure and tools. Isolated operations among stakeholders

promoting CA Lack of catalogued and accessible documentation

centre Poor flow of information on on-going CA

projects and activities across the continent

Opportunities

Access to a wide range of development partners in subject thematic areas of CA/NRM, climate change etc

Active and functional CA National Task Forces in some countries

Supportive Regional Economic Communities (RECs) Use of social networks communications (Face book,

Twitter, blogging) Exchange fora among key stakeholders (Farmers, policy

makers, technicians) Access to key stakeholder information systems and data

bases

Threats

Lack of comprehensive data usable for policy advocacy Undocumented success stories among key stakeholders Lack of common definition and understanding of CA

among practitioners Lack of centralized factual information and data on CA Highly variable CA farmer conditions across agro

ecological systems Lack of value chain approaches

Way Forward Formation of platforms for information sharing and exchange of

experiences among all stakeholders Develop tools for information gathering from project leaders and

other contributors Strive to build effective national task forces in all CA-active

countries. Engage the CA task forces to supply national level related

information Conduct a GIS supported mapping of CA adoption, prospects and

spread To promote dissemination of targeted CA alternatives and

approaches through training and capacity development To reinforce existing knowledge networks on CA, building their

institutional capacities and establishing sustainable South-South and North-South research partnerships to allow exchange and dissemination

In Conclusion:

How do we capture without bias, the CA success stories/failures, share information, coordinate and network to ensure effective support to CA scaling up?

Accessibility to knowledge and information of CA will create more demand (networking) among stakeholders.

THANK YOU