Climate smart vegetable production

Smallholder vegetable farmers in Tanzania face challenges of lack of information, inputs, markets and climate change. This results in low yields, low profitability, poor food security and  and high malnutrition. This also results in rural-urban migration especially for the youth. Yet the rural economy can be transformed by using climate smart agricultural practices, newer techniques and technology and good marketing in order in order to increase both productivity, food security and incomes. Adoption of good agricultural practices and marketing and hence increase in profitability is a step-by-step process that is normally pioneered by lead farmers with other farmers following later. A survey of farmer-managed vegetable demonstration  farms in Tanzania in 2019 showed that a farmer can potential get a net profit U$3,718 per year from 0.5 ha. This can go a long way in contributing towards lifting people out of poverty.
 

Like the rest of Tanzania, Iringa and Shinyanga regions are vulnerable to adverse weather and have farmers who have poor skills and lack of information on production, lack good access to inputs and markets and get low yields. This makes the whole supply chains very vulnerable, a situation that is worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly so in the vegetable sector which is critical for improving food security, household incomes and nutrition. Current cultivation practices are, insufficient land preparation and lack of raised beds, soil compaction and waterlogging, no use of basal fertilizers or farm yard manure, dense plant population (seen as a risk mitigation strategy, but yielding poor results, ineffective use of trellis, poor quality seedlings (direct sowing), insufficient knowledge & experience of pest management strategies, ineffective nutrient management and pest and disease management, unsafe use of pesticides, no grading of harvested products. These challenges are worse by poor access to information, inputs and markets.

By providing long-term technical support, my company East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) catalyses the uptake of improved production practices in communities struggling with low yields, poor market access, and climate change. Specific practices include: 

- Improved land preparation (including optimal layout and raised beds). 

- Sustainable soil management (understanding soil as a living system) 

- Improved seedling production (showcasing different systems of seedling production from  improved open bed nurseries to the use of leaf pots and seedling trays). 

- Effective pest and disease management (including safe and judicious use of pesticides). -

Effective nutrient management (correct type, placement and timing of fertilisers). 

- Use of trellising  in crops such as tomato and cucumber

- Use of mulching (rice straw and plastic)

- Better water management 

- Business management (variety selection, crop planning and farm record keeping) 

The resulting demand for higher quality farm inputs drives the development of competitive and sustainable agri-input markets. In this win-win situation, farmers benefit from improved knowledge and access to a wider range of products eg seed, plastic mulch, trellis net, seed trays, better quality agri-chemicals. 

Iringa is one of the regions of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania while Kahama District (Shinyanga Region) is one of the districts of the North West (Lake zone). With combined population of 2.5 million, both have very large rural populations that are poor and who largely rely on farming as a source of livelihood. Most of them a smallholder farmers who mainly grow field crops (rice, maize, sorghum, millet and cassava) but also grow vegetables for their household consumption and for sale. We have field teams on both regions who are based in Iringa District (Iringa Region) and in Kahama District (Shinyanga Region. We work with key farmers to who host field demonstrations.Two cropping seasons for vegetables are utilised per year. each one of our Technical Field Officers (TFOs) hosts 20 demos per cropping season with keys farmers. Each demo will be used to train 30 farmers. We also collaborate with extension agents, including NGOs and government, for maximum impact and sustainability. We reach 150000 farmers (households) and impact over 100000 annually. We are replicating this work in Nigeria and Uganda.

Buy supporting smallholder farmers, our solution supports small scale producers to produce better products even in difficult environments. We empower them with better skills and knowledge coupled with better access to inputs and markets so that they have destiny in their own hands. We also empower them with climate smart practices, techniques and technologies so that they are resilient to climate change and hence able to support their livelihoods even when the climate is not favourable. 

We provide an all-hands-on-deck evidence-based and climate smart extensions services that are epitomized by demonstrations as a method of knowledge transfer. “Seeing is believing”, we say. Our technical field officers have years of experience in working in the rural communities of and being agents of change in those communities. While we also use other methods of extension, we firmly believe that there is no substitute for “boots on the ground.” We have a strategy of using key farmers to establish field demonstrations (with each demo reaching about 30 farmers) which align to the specific needs of each farming community. Core farmer groups (within these networks) are intensively trained to meet supply requirements focused on continuity, quantity and quality of products. It is the experience of EWS Knowledge Transfer that using field demonstrations which showcase replicable and profitable production practices to provide intensive training (through all key stages of crop cycle) for several seasons is enough to change mindset and to put farmers on track towards becoming more innovative and risk taking. Once this happens farmers are better able to find solutions to new problems and to distinguish between genuine and profit driven advice from agri-input suppliers.

What sets us apart?
We are in a unique position of combining good seeds with good agricultural practices (GAP), which brings a total package to our farming communities. Our ground game is unparalleled. We combine this support with engagements of agro-input dealers and market surveys.

Improved land preparation (including optimal layout and raised beds).  ● Sustainable soil management (understanding soil as a living system)   ● Improved seedling production (showcasing different systems of seedling production from  improved open bed nurseries to the use of leaf pots and seedling trays).  ● Effective pest and disease management (including safe and judicious use of pesticides).  ● Effective nutrient management (correct type, placement and timing of fertilisers). 
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East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer  Background information


● Use of trellising   ● Use of mulching (rice straw and plastic)  ● Water management  ● Business management (variety selection, crop planning and farm record keeping)

Our initiatives are being used in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, The Phillipines, Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeri. You can check some of our success stories on:
https://kt.eastwestseed.com/farmer-stories

The company’s sustainable solution to market development has been recognized through the  Access to Seed Index. In addition, Simon Groot, the founder of the company, was awarded the 2019  World Food. This recognized his transformative role which empowered millions of smallholder  farmers to earn greater incomes through enhanced vegetable production; benefitting hundreds of  millions of consumers with greater access to nutritious vegetables for healthier diets. 

From its very beginning EWS company has centered its business model around the win-win existing  between farmers and company. Developing varieties with the specific agronomic and marketable  traits has led to opportunities for both farmers and the company to grow their businesses. 
Recognizing the need for improved on-farm skills and innovation, East-West Seed has for many  years supported intensive training to farmers; as a precursor to commercial activities in less developed markets

At the current scale in Tanzania alone it serves 15000 farmers (households) per year. That is 75000 (households) in 5 years. In the next five years we have an ambitious plan to serve 1 million farmers in all the countries we are working in. 

Our goal is to serve 1 million farmers in the next 5 years which will will serve over 1 million farmers, directly impacting 5 million people. The knock on effect of product demand, input demand, consumers etc will mean that the intervention impact many more lives 

Financial - While the commercial side of East West Seed supports knowledge transfer, the funding is not enough for us to achieve our goals. So we need partners who can work with us. 

Technical - We have a good team backed by good technology.

Cultural - Some barriers to change may be cultural, eg eating habits, cultural believes, religious beliefs etc. However, we believe that people are also likely to change when they see good things. 

Legal -this may apply when we go to new countries but we always follow the legal channels.

Market barriers - Access to market may be due to poor infrastructure or market cartels that control who supplies or who does not. One of our roles is to engage with the marketers. 

Financial - While the commercial side of East West Seed supports knowledge transfer, the funding is not enough for us to achieve our goals. So we need partners who can work with us. 

Technical - We have a good team backed by good technology.

Cultural - Some barriers to change may be cultural, eg eating habits, cultural believes, religious beliefs etc. However, we believe that people are also likely to change when they see good things. 

Legal -this may apply when we go to new countries but we always follow the legal channels.

Market barriers - Access to market may be due to poor infrastructure or market cartels that control who supplies or who does not. One of our roles is to engage with the marketers. 

The Team in Tanzania is 10 staff but it is backed by a commercial team of 40. 

Position

Qualification

Experience in the horticulture sector

Comments, if any

Head of Knowledge Transfer in Africa

Masters Degree

30 years

Oversees Knowledge Transfer teams in Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria

Knowledge Transfer Manager for Tanzania

Masters Degree

11 years of experience

Business Analyst (Accountant) for Tanzania and Africa

Masters Degree

6 years of experience  in accounting

9 Technical field officers (including Team Lead)

Bachelors Degree or Diploma

Experience ranges up to 5 years

All youth (less than 35 years old) and hence have the energy

A Knowledge Transfer support team based in Thailand

This includes The Director, Knowledge Transfer Manager (also responsible for Knowledge transfer material production and M&E), IT specialist, Business Analyst, Technical Specialist etc

A Knowledge Transfer support team based in Thailand

Other support

We have a whole team of 40 staff in our commercial wing (East-West Seed Tanzania) who provide us with office space, financial management systems, vehicles, staff support etc

In Tanzania we are collaboration with USAID, RIKOLTO, SEVIA Limited, local distruct, councils etc. We share information and sometimes hold joint activities. In other countries we have parternered with SNV, The Netherlands Government, DAI, VegImpact, VegPac etc, Wageningen UR etc

The company’s sustainable solution to market development has been recognized through the  Access to Seed Index. In addition, Simon Groot, the founder of the company, was awarded the 2019  World Food. This recognized his transformative role which empowered millions of smallholder  farmers to earn greater incomes through enhanced vegetable production; benefiting hundreds of  millions of consumers with greater access to nutritious vegetables for healthier diets. From its very beginning EWS company has centered its business model around the win-win existing  between farmers and company. Developing varieties with the specific agronomic and marketable  traits has led to opportunities for both farmers and the company to grow their businesses. Recognizing the need for improved on-farm skills and innovation, East-West Seed has for many  years supported intensive training to farmers; as a precursor to commercial activities in less developed or emerging markets. To ensure these pre-commercial training activities are most  effectively geared towards benefiting smallholder farmers, the company created an independent  non-profit foundation ‘East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer’. Dedicated to improving the livelihoods  of smallholder vegetable farmers, East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer works hand-in-hand with  farming communities in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and  Bangladesh. 

I am applying to Solve because I see them as a pathway to solving the challenges of our vulnerable communities. Prospects of grant funding for our work, including up-scaling are something we appreciate. 

We need like minded organisations we can can share costs with and who have the same of objectives of changing livelihoods.  

We need like minded organisations we can can share costs with and who have the same of objectives of changing livelihoods.  Given that:

- We need funding to support the Tanzania team to implement the interventions. 

- We need funding for management support that comes from our counterparts in Asia. 

- We need funding for inputs, equipment and materials for vegetable demonstrations.

-We need funding for market engagement and training of agrodealers, 

we are would like to partner with organisations or individuals who have the same passion for supporting this initiative for the greater good. They could be NGOs, Private companies, Individuals, governments etc. 

In Uganda, we are implementing the same project (with the Uganda Team), this time including refuges in West Nile. We are working mostly with Refugees from South Sudan. This is a remarkable project where some of the refugees who have been living on handouts from UNHCR, now have an opportunity to produce vegetables in backyard gardens and contribute to better food security and nutrition.  

We support women participation and decision making in vegetable production. We realise that women are the silent voices that do that majority of the field work but have little say in the decision making. So we advocate fir training more women in order to empower them for more participation. We also know that when a woman has a decision making position in the family, that family will thrive. 

EWS-KT has developed an advanced farm management and monitoring system for use on demonstration farms. This guides and tracks each activity and record expenditures (inputs and labor) and returns on investment. This information is used to evaluate profitability of different crops over different seasons. The monitoring system provides an effective measure of impact which is used to generate regular detailed reports and steer field activities.  EWS-KT keeps detailed information of farmers participating in all training events - tracking regularity of participation, gender, topics covered etc. In addition, EWS-KT undertakes regular assessments to track the adoption of improved practices.