Combining soil conservation and fodder

production for an adaptation to climate change

Southern region – Ethiopia

Main contributors: Lolita Guyon, Getamesay Demeke, Philippe Redon, Francois Bourgois, Damien du Portal, Tadesse
Mega, Abebe Tilahun, Mesfin Desalegn, Inter Aide and RCBDIA teams

July 2016

1
Table of content
A. The idea: integrating fodder on anti-erosive structures ............................................................................................... 3
B. The context: understanding the main causes of poverty in Wolayta and Kembatta Zones (South Ethiopia)................. 4
C. Origin and development of an innovation process ....................................................................................................... 5
D. Three decisive factors: farm-based nurseries; planting fodder on anti-erosive structures; and the role of traditional
systems "Iddir"................................................................................................................................................................. 6
a. Farm-based micro nurseries: a rapid access to large quantities of fodder ...................................................................... 6
b. Building and vegetating erosion control structures with grass and legumes .................................................................. 8
c. The key role of a traditional system "Iddir" to organize conservation measures and control open grazing ................. 12
E. Adoption and durability of the changes ...................................................................................................................... 13
a. Cumulated number of farmers having adopted soil conservation structures with fodder grasses ............................... 13
b. Durability of the changes ............................................................................................................................................... 13
F. Impact ........................................................................................................................................................................ 14
a. Planting grass on anti-erosive structures increases the economic value of the field .................................................... 14
b. Measures of fodder production in 120 farms and estimation of its market value. ....................................................... 14
c. Effect on animal health and by-products ....................................................................................................................... 15
d. Reducing the burden for women and children to collect fodder ................................................................................... 15
e. Attenuation of the climate change effects ..................................................................................................................... 15
f. Vulnerable families: ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
G. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................. 17

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 A. The idea: integrating fodder on anti-erosive structures
Presentation of the innovation
As many small-holder farmers in Africa, the farming families of
southern Ethiopia face 3 major challenges:
 The vital need to intensify and diversify their farm productions,
on very small surfaces, in a context of high population growth. In
these rural areas, given today’s fertility rate, the population will
double in 35 years;
 The agricultural practices must preserve the environment to
maintain its productive capacity, for current and future
generations;
 The necessity to rapidly adapt farming practices to cope with
climate change.

Regarding these 3 challenges, Inter Aide has developed an innovative approach that consists in combining fodder
production and soil and water conservation. The basic idea is simple: to plant fodder on anti-erosive structures and in
unproductive places of the farm. This single practice allows farmers to address several problems: erosion, moisture, loss
of fertility and fodder scarcity, and contributes to generate new sources of income (as well as food and wood), to reduce
the burden on women of collecting fodder, and to stop open grazing.

If the innovation seems quite simple and relatively obvious, it is however the result of a long process, as several factors
1
may influence the success and the range of adoption and diffusion of a new practice . In this case, 3 elements have been
decisive:
 The multiplication of vegetative material by the families themselves in farm based micro-nurseries;
 The association of grass and legumes forages integrated on anti-erosive structure, as well as on unproductive or
underused spaces, to address the crucial livestock feeding problems but without competing with traditional crops;
 The involvement of traditional organizations called "Iddirs" to stimulate community ownership, to ensure consistent
implementation at the scale of micro watersheds, and to address the critical issue of animal open-grazing control.
As a result, combining fodder production and soil conservation has shown
many advantages:
 The land loss due to erosion control structures (estimated at 6-
8% of the plot) is offset by the intensive use of embankments
as biomass production support (grasses, legumes, banana
trees, shrubs).
 The vegetated structures help reduce the effects of soil
erosion, avoiding further loss of fertility (through better
nutrient and water retention and due to the presence of
leguminous plants on the structures, such as Cajanus cajan).
 Fodder production benefits for all categories of families. Intensive
fodder cultivation on anti-erosive embankments (where the fertility is
maximal) proved extremely profitable for the poorest families, as the most important source of cash in an
environment where such opportunities are extremely rare, as well as for the better-off farmers, who can increase
their livestock, milk production and animal fattening.
 Fodder production especially benefits women and young girls by reducing the burden and the time spent on
collecting natural grass.
 The decrease of pressure on Ensete venticosum plantation, usually overexploited for cattle breeding in the dry
season, brings a positive effect on human food security. Ensete is a key crop for those smallholder farmers in terms of
food reserves, shade generation or protection against wind and drying of soils. Ensete plantation is an objective
marker of poverty in southern Ethiopia: the poorer the family, the smaller the number of Ensete.
Photo: overview of the vegetated anti-erosive structures with fodder production – Doyo Gena District

1
Everett Rogers, http://www.spreadingscience.com/our-approach/diffusion-of-innovations-in-a-community/

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 B. The context: understanding the main causes of poverty in Wolayta and
Kembatta Zones (South Ethiopia)
The presented experience takes place in the southern region of Ethiopia, the "SNNPR" which is inhabited by about 17
million people. The targeted districts are located in the Kembatta and Wolayta administrative zones (total population of
2.3 million) where over 85% of the population lives off farming. Family farming is based on the culture of Ensete (Ensete
ventricosum), cereals, pulses and tubers, and a fairly small home garden. While Ensete and garden byproducts are largely
2
self-consumed , cereals are the primary sources of cash crop. The rainfall pattern is bimodal with a main rainy season
(“Meher”) from June to September; a small rainy season (“Belg”) from February to May, and a relatively long dry season
from October to February. It usually allows 2 consecutive cropping seasons in the year, but any delay in the arrival of the
small rains may lead to serious consequences for the food security of the rural families (April-May-June). Three main
causes must be emphasized to understand this fragile situation:

 The role of demographic density in this part of southern Ethiopia is absolutely

central: the division of the family land between the male heirs has led to a
splitting up process. As a clear indication: the surface of arable land per family has
been divided by 2 to 3 within only one generation. Today, a farm in Wolayta or
3
Kembatta has an average surface of 0.53 ha , which makes food security an
objective difficult to achieve. These areas are among the highest densely
2
populated rural areas in the world, with 300 to 600 inhab/km in some areas,
which is comparable to Rwanda. Rural exodus is still in its early stage in Ethiopia,
as shown by the fraction of population still living in rural areas (the highest in
Africa) and is therefore not mitigating demographic growth. The progressive
reduction in the size of cultivable plots induces an intensive exploitation of available land.

 Soil erosion and the gradual loss of fertility are aggravating the situation. From a physical point of view, the
concerned areas have a mountainous profile that split the environment in different altitudinal and agro-ecological
zones from 1300 to 2500m and above. In a highly densely populated rural area, the combination of a steep
topography and high rainfall results, in the absence of adapted measures, in intensive erosion of the open fields. This
evolution negatively affects the traditional mixed cropping and breeding farming system, reduces soil fertility and
compels more and more families to give up land lots as they become gradually unfit for cultivation and even pasture.

 Southern midlands and highlands agriculture depends to a very large extent on animal traction. However, as less
than 25% of rural households own a yoke of oxen, they are forced to find arrangements, sharing animals under
multiple types of contracts. Furthermore, maintaining cattle becomes more and more difficult in a context of acute
land and fodder shortage. An agro-economic study (Aurélie Cheveau & Camille Hoornaert, Doyo Gena - May 2011)
analyzed that the historical reduction of the cultivable plots was much quicker than the decrease in the number of
livestock per family, resulting in a decline of fodder units per cattle head. The intensification of farming practices has
also led to the gradual replacement of pasture by stabling. So far, farmers have overcome the increasing shortage of
fodder resource through the adoption of a feeding system based on a “cut-and-carry” practice, but at the cost of
more labor and/or expenses. The expenditures to get fodder nowadays represents a substantial proportion of the
tight family budget.

The repeated droughts due to the extension of dry periods, linked with the recurrent food and fodder shortages, the
difficulties of the extension programs in addressing the root causes of food insecurity, and the continuous land
fragmentation have led to a progressive weakening of the farming system and family resilience: decrease in the number of
species and varieties grown (loss in biodiversity), decrease of biomass level in the ecosystem, reduction of livestock,
depletion of Ensete grove, decline of the soil fertility. If it still appears difficult today to forecast the effects of climate
4
changes on these local areas , all these elements contribute to exacerbate an already fragile situation and affect small-
holder families' resilience and capacity to cope with climate change and hazards in general.

2
Alice Bortzmeyer: study of the home garden systems, Damot Sore Woreda, Wolayta (SNNPR), 2014
3
Data measured in 10 851 farms in midlands and highlands (Inter Aide project database, Damot Gale, Kacha Bira and Hadero Woreda
2006-2011)
4
"L’impact des changements climatiques en Ethiopie et dans les sociétés du sud", Hubert Cochet, Professor Paris Institute of
Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences (AgroParisTech), 2009

4
 C. Origin and development of an innovation process
Since its first intervention on agriculture in Ethiopia (1996), Inter Aide has focused on supporting farmers and local actors
in meeting environmental challenges, including in the field of erosion control. The first objective was to respond
effectively to the soil leaching issue by installing physical structures to regulate the water flow, in order to curb nutrient
losses and to improve soil moisture and fertility. Soil bunds (embankment-and-ditch structures) were progressively
adopted as the main technical option, on the basis of farmers’ acceptability more than technical standards. Those
structures presented limitations: they are labor intensive (6 to 8 hours of work needed to build 10m), they occupy up to 6
to 8% of the cultivated land and they need regular maintenance to avoid the leaching effect.

To fix the top soil of the structure and consolidate the soil bund with vegetation, the Inter Aide team initially promoted
the plantation of Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) on the embankments. This grass species is usually recommended against
erosion, as its deep vertical root system enables a strong anchoring effect and helps water infiltration. Ironically, Vetiver
was also selected for its thick unpalatable leaves that animals do not eat, as the main purpose was to protect the
vegetative material against open grazing.

A key limiting factor quickly appeared to be the quantitative availability of the vegetative material and its relatively
low survival rate. The project mainly multiplied Vetiver plantlets in a central nursery maintained by the project, but the
onerous logistic and the related substantial expenses allowed to reach only a restricted number of farmers, with relatively
low survival rates for the plantlets. The promotion of farm based micro-nurseries to multiply and grow grass species, was
an appropriate logistic and methodological response. It gave the opportunity for farmers to independently multiply and
transplant seedlings at the right moment, resulting in a higher survival rate.

In 2005, an agrarian study commissioned by Inter Aide emphasized the vital role played by fodder in the local farming
system. This was an methodological cornerstone and an eye opener in the understanding of the milieu: a mixed cropping
and breeding farming system in a context of accelerated depletion of fodder. In fact, integrating fodder on the soil bunds
became a decisive component as access to fodder influences family vulnerability. Ten years ago, no family grew fodder
and women, in charge of feeding animals, spent up to 1 hour per day to collect crop residues and weeds in order to feed
livestock. In the dry season, many households would resort to Ensete (Ensete ventricosum) leaves to feed animals, to the
detriment of family food.

The introduction of fodder production and its integration on anti-erosive structures has been the triggering effect that
encouraged farmers to setup vegetated soil bunds to control erosion and rapidly obtain alternative sources of fodder
and/or income. Based on the above observations, Inter Aide identified species with an appropriate rooting system, highly
productive in biomass, easy to multiply and with a good feeding value for animals (as opposed to Vetiver zizanioides).
Pennisetum riparium, an endemic grass, little known and poorly disseminated, met the required criteria: (i) deep rooting,
(ii) good quality forage, (iii) rapid growth allowing several cuts in the year and (iv) easy to multiply in family backyard
nurseries.

Progressively, with the support of Ilri (International Livestock Research Institute) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Inter
Aide started to diversify the species grown on the embankments to preserve fertility and increase biomass production,
leading to the concept of "productive hedges". The promotion of biomass production, combining fodder grasses and
5
leguminous species on anti-erosive embankments, provides a direct response to animal fodder scarcity , while
contributing to preserving soil and fertility in the long run.

Finally, a decisive factor was the mobilization of traditional organizations, the "Iddirs", as the coordinating body to
manage anti-erosive master plans at micro-watershed level and setup appropriate rules to control open-grazing. Iddirs
are traditional systems of mutual aid based on a contribution of the members in exchange for material support at the
6
time of funerals or other hard blows. Benefitting from a strong collective recognition , these vernacular organizations
have a tremendous economic importance, including for the poorest, but had never really been integrated in the
institutional frame, although they were identified as potential interlocutors for participative planning by the Ministry of
7
Agriculture .

5
And to some extent also to food shortages with the production of peas (from Cajanus cajan) and bananas.
6
"Ethiopian Iddir mechanisms: A case study in pastoral communities of Wolayta and Kembatta-Tembaro", Thomas Léonard, 2014
7
"Managing land, a practical guidebook for development agents in Ethiopia (Icraf and Ministry of Agriculture, 2005)
http://www.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/MN13598.pdf page 39

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 D. Three decisive factors: farm-based nurseries; planting fodder on anti-
erosive structures; and the role of traditional systems "Iddir"
a. Farm-based micro nurseries: a rapid access to large quantities of fodder
A farm-based nursery is a small plot (around 10m²) allocated by the farmer inside his/her farm to multiply vegetative
material before transplanting it on anti-erosive structures and other places in the farm. It is an effective way to provide
fast access to large quantities of fodder grasses and other vegetative material. This part explains the context in which this
practice was introduced and its advantages and limitations.

The issue of distributing (new) vegetative material for a large number of families often represents a major issue for
organizations and institutions (Ministry of Agriculture, Research Centers, NGOs…). At the beginning, the project team of
Inter Aide relied on large central nurseries to multiply and supply planting material to farmers to consolidate anti-erosive
soil bunds, but the cost of maintaining those project nurseries, producing and transporting the vegetative materials to
farmers' field was substantial. Paradoxically, this onerous logistic and the related expenses only allowed to reach a
restricted number of farmers, residing at accessible places close to roadsides. Furthermore, the survival rates of the
seedlings after transplantation on the farms were low, sometimes below 50%.

Growing fodder is also not a widespread practice in Southern Ethiopia. Farmers mainly rely on natural grasses and crop
residues to feed their cattle, but they have never considered growing fodder "as a crop" in their field. Many reasons can
explain the limited development of fodder production, among which Duncan A. and al (2011) emphasize the very low
availability of forage seeds, as the Ethiopian seed system is mainly dedicated to cereal production. In addition to this,
according to researchers from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the International Food Policy
Research Institute (IFPRI), organized markets for quality forage almost do not exist, both at a local level and on a larger
scale.

In 2006, Inter Aide tried a direct self-multiplication by the farmers themselves in small plots in their backyard before being
transplanted in the farm. Like many Pennisetum, the multiplication of Pennisetum riparium can easily be done by cutting.
With 5 clumps given as starting material for one family, and multiplied in a backyard nursery of 15m², 2000 seedlings
can be obtained in less than 1 year, allowing to cover 150 to 200 meters of anti-erosive soil-bunds. Backyard nurseries
therefore give autonomy to farmers who can rapidly increase available biomass. As they directly control the
multiplication process, they can also decide on the most appropriate time to move the seedlings. It has largely improved
the average survival rates, reaching more than 90%.

From seedlings taken from backyard nursery to fodder

production on anti-erosive structure

a) Clump removed from the nursery with several seedlings;

b - c) Division of a seedling from the clump
Table 1: main advantages and the limitations of farm-based nurseries:
Advantages Limitations
 Farmers are autonomous in producing their own vegetative  It requires access to an initial small quantity of planting
material material
 Some grass species (like Pennisetum) are easy to propagate  The technique requires some practice to get confidence,
st
by cuttings especially during the 1 year
 It enables a rapid multiplication of a large number of  Areas formerly used for home garden products may
plantlets (or seeds for some legumes) on a very reduced become dedicated to fodder production, leading to a slight
area reduction in vegetables for self-consumption
 It allows for direct control of the transplanting time, at the  The nursery must absolutely be protected from open-
most suitable moment for the farmer grazing, to avoid the risk of losing all plantlets at once
 Survival rates for the plantlets are very high after  Slips require wet soil for seedling establishment or
transplantation germination, at least during the first 2 months

6
From the backyard nursery to the field: illustrations
The combination of farm based micro-nurseries and fodder integration on anti-erosive structures appeared as a key
innovative solution for the families. Farmers generally start to practice the multiplication and the cultivation of fodder
grasses on very small plots, essentially to transplant the seedlings on anti-erosive structures, but, rapidly realizing the
benefits of integrating fodder within the farm, and the given possibility to autonomously control the multiplication of the
grass, most farmers have extended fodder production to new areas: along hedges, on farms’ contours, and even on
dedicated small areas within their farm to develop permanent fodder plots.

The following pictures illustrate different possibilities of fodder integration inside the farm, contributing to increased
fodder resources while preserving soil and fertility. The farm-based nursery is usually set up close to the "tukul" (house). It
is represented in the green circle. (source: Inter Aide)

Below, a representation of the farming calendar for the multiplication of planting material in backyard nurseries, before
transplantation on the field, 6 to 12 months after (source: Inter Aide)

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b. Building and vegetating erosion control structures with grass and legumes
The proposed solutions to physically control erosion are mainly vegetated soil bunds or fanya juu and/or fodder grass
strips, whereas cut-off drains (upstream of the land), and simple check dams (on gullies) are rarer. Using "on-site
material", those structures slow down the process of erosion while increasing water retention and progressively inducing
a terracing of the land.

For the layout of the structures, Inter Aide relies on local referent farmers, who provide support to their peers in
measuring and estimating the slope range, evaluating the number of rows needed and leveling out the structures. They
also advise farmers for the construction work process, and are responsible for tools' distribution. Referent-farmers are
trained and equipped by the project with some tools (level, rope, shovel…).

Technically, 3 people are required to measure the slope using the line level method, to determine the location of the
rows, and to level out each row. More technical details can be found on Inter Aide’s website:
http://interaide.org/pratiques/Agriculture?language=en.

The time spent to build 10 m of anti-erosive structure varies from 5 to 10 hours, according to the number of people
working and the type of soil. On average, 14 days are required for 1 farmer to construct 100 m of anti-erosive structures
and solve the problem of surface loss. Furthermore, most of the structures require maintenance several times during the
first year after construction, especially during the rainy season. Maintenance work mainly consists in scraping the
trenches out and shoveling the soil up on the bunds to reinforce them. On average, 3 hours are needed to maintain 10 m
during the first year (5 days for 100m).

Then, to vegetate the soil bund with fodder species, farmers usually transplant their self-multiplied seedlings between
April and June, depending on moisture availability. This is the optimal period for grasses to grow quickly and play their key
role as soon as possible (i) to avoid too much maintenance of the bunds after heavy rains, and (ii) to get rapidly available
feed for livestock. Once fodder seedlings are separated, they are planted on the top of the bund every 20cm. The
necessary time to plant 100m of soil bund is between 1 and 2 days.

Diversifying fodder resources by associating grass and legumes

With the increasing pressure on land and on natural resources, providing a balanced feeding to livestock all year long
remains a critical challenge for the majority of the small-scale farmers of Wolayta and Kembatta. Traditionally, during the
dry season, farmers mainly rely on straw and Ensete ventricosum leaves. However, because of their low digestibility, crop
residues remain in the rumen for a long time, limiting intake. Their other major limitation comes from the fact that they
do not contain enough crude protein to support adequate microbial activity in the rumen. Integrating diversified fodder
production within the farming system presents various advantages and is well adapted to the cut-and-carry system.

Inter Aide promotes the multiplication and diversification of 3 main types of

fodder grasses (Pennisetum riparium, Elephant grass, and Bana grass), as well
as 7 species of legumes (Cajanus Cajun, Pigeon pea, Sesbania sesban, Alfalfa,
Desmodium, Vesce, Lupin, and Tree Lucerne). The association of high biomass
productive grasses with nitrogen-fixing plants as high-protein forages can help
supply balanced animal feeding.

Associated with different Pennisetum varieties, the project strongly promotes

Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) on the embankments as nitrogen-fixing, additional
forage and a source of human food: 100 linear meters of structure bearing
pigeon pea can produce annually more than 35 kg of peas.

8
Illustrations
By cropping fodder on soil bunds (here Pennisetum riparium and Cajanu cajan), with drought resistant varieties, farmers
have some reserves to feed their livestock during the dry season or/and an alternative source of income. They can decide
on the most appropriate time to harvest the fodder, and then use it or sell it directly.

9
The integration of fodder grass production helps increase food quantity and quality, especially during the dry season;
however, legumes fodder plantation is still at an early stage of diffusion. The pictures below illustrate practical
applications done by some farming families.

1: Desmodium associated with bana grass at a permanent forage cultivation plot; 2: Desmodium under a coffee tree; 3
and 4: integration of alfalfa in association with P. Riparium on soil bunds; 5: rehabilitation of degraded land with C. cajan;
6: vesce seeds production on anti-erosive structure for 7: green manure; 8: hedge of sesbania sesban with P. riparium

1 2

3 4

5 8

6 7

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 Cultivating fodder inside the farm, on arable lands, is a new practice in south-Ethiopia. Gradually, farmers have extended
their fodder production besides the physical support of anti-erosive structures. Below, an illustration of a farmer who
established a perennial fodder production plot associating Pennisetum riparium with Desmodium.

February 2014: preparation of the land and establishment

of the fodder production plot

September 2015 (19 months after): the fodder has been

collected 15 days before taking the picture

October 2015: the picture shows the fodder regrowth (1 month

after the previous picture), at the end of the rainy season

On the left, this farmer in Boloso Sore district took some plants of Bana grass in his friend’s farm located in a neighboring village, and then
multiplied them himself. On the right, a large row of Elephant grass in Damot Sore district.

11
c. The key role of a traditional system "Iddir" to organize conservation measures and control open
grazing
Controlling erosion in mountainous landscapes usually requires considering the entire watershed or at least part of it. The
originality of the approach developed by Inter Aide in the southern Ethiopian context was to rely more on coherent socio-
geographical units, according to Iddirs' locations, rather than purely focusing on geographic criteria.

Iddirs represent a traditional system of mutual aid, based on a regular membership fee in exchange for support at the
time of funerals or hard blows. They are one of the only forms of authentic collective organization that can be found in
rural Ethiopia, used to managing collective goods, fees and memberships, and having their own bylaws. They also benefit
from a strong recognition and legitimacy: every farming family from every social class is member of an Iddir, and the
8
management committee of the Iddir is directly selected by the members .

For more than 10 years, Iddirs have proven able to play a crucial role in implementing a collective management system of
land protection against erosion at the scale of micro-watershed. Involved on a voluntary base (with no incentive), they
have successfully handled fundamental activities:
 Mobilizing their members on the issue of soil erosion, fodder scarcity and climate change;
 Facilitating initial participative diagnosis with the farmers.
 Designing consistent protection work adapted to their specific geographical unit and monitoring its correct
implementation;
 Supervising "referent farmers" who are trained and equipped to provide technical support to their neighbor
peers;
 Identifying families facing workforce shortage (widow-headed houses with no assisting family members, sick and
old people, young couples) and organizing assistance from the community to implement protection work in their
farms;
 Managing common tools provided by the project for the construction and maintenance of the structures
(distribution, check, inventories, replacement);
 Representing farmers and facilitating links with other stakeholders involved in land management: agents from
the MoA, local authorities, neighbored Iddirs…;
 Negotiating and adopting specific rules in their bylaws to control open-grazing

Two elements deserve to be emphasized in the approach developed with the Iddirs:
- First, the role of exchange visits to favor adoption. It is an excellent opportunity for farmers to exchange knowledge
with others, to better understand the processes and conditions of success, and overall to observe concrete results in
similar farming situations (farm-based nurseries, vegetated structures and fodder integration in
the farm, grass/legume associations, open-grazing control, ways to support vulnerable families…)
- Secondly, the critical importance of rules, and their application, to control open-grazing. Many
grasses, such as most of the Pennisetum or legumes, do not survive if they are over-grazed. Open
grazing is a common uncontrolled practice, conflicting with erosion control and fodder cropping.
Animals impede grass regrowth, compete with cultivated fodder, prevent tree seedling
development., and can severely damage the physical and biological anti-erosive structures. To
help restrict open-grazing in their communities, Iddirs have defined, negotiated, and integrated
adapted regulation in their own bylaws. This goes along with the Southern-Regional (SNNPR) Land
Administration and Utilization Proclamation that stipulates that “in any type of rural land where
soil and water conservation works have been undertaken, a system of free grazing shall be
prohibited and a system of cut and carry feeding shall be
gradually introduced”.

Beyond ensuring the durability of the vegetated structures,

controlling open-grazing also gradually allowed the
introduction of new measures that contribute to restoring
soil fertility: the reintegration of straw (wheat are cut
higher and straws are reincorporated in the fields, which is
not possible with common grazing), the development of
fodder hedges or alleys, the promising intercropping of green manure as "improved fallow" with species like Vesce,
Lupin, Cow-pea...

8
"Ethiopian Iddir mechanisms: A case study in pastoral communities of Wolayta and Kembatta-Tembaro", Thomas Léonard, 2014

12
 E. Adoption and durability of the changes
a. Cumulated number of farmers having adopted soil conservation structures with fodder grasses
If a number of projects have focused on soil and water conservation, in parallel to improving crop and fodder production,
few have considered the combination of conservation and biomass production as one of the opportunities offered by
such a constrained and “anthropized” environment.

The first interventions combining soil

conservation and fodder production
started in 2005 in 2 districts of the
southern region of Ethiopia. In 2012, the
activities have been extended to 2 new
districts, and the Ethiopian organization
RCBDIA replicated a similar approach in 2
other new districts respectively in 2012
and 2013.

In 10 years, 13960 farmers have adopted

the practice. They have constructed and
vegetated a total of 2 067 km of anti-
erosive structures (source: project
database). More soil bunds and fanya juu
structures have been built but only those
that have been vegetated with fodder
production (grass and legume) have been
taken into account.
Chart 1: Cumulated number of farmers having adopted soil conservation structures with fodder grasses

b. Durability of the changes

In order to evaluate the durability of the adoption, an exhaustive assessment has been conducted within the frame of this
study in 4 old "sub-watersheds" of intervention. In these communities, the objective was to compare the number of
structures recorded at the end of the project presence and the current situation in order to evaluate if the farmers have
maintained the practices or not. The obtained results were encouraging. For instance, in the village of Ajacho, where Inter
Aide intervened between 2005 and 2008, 93% of the villagers have conserved their structures.

Start year / Total nb of % farmers with vegetated % farmers with vegetated

District / Kebele / village end year families struct. at project end struct. in 2015
Kacha Bira / Burchana / Ajacho 2005 / 2008 72 99% 93%
Kacha Bira / Hobi Chaka / Yayama 2007 / 2008 80 93% 93%
Hadero / Hachacho / Geshame 2011 / 2012 102 75% 90%
Boloso Sore / Gununo / Dagecho 2012 / 2014 127 72% 80%
Table 2: durability of the changes, results of the evaluation conducted in 4 old project catchments

Village of Ajacho in Kacha Bira (April 2015), at the peak of the dry season. Ten years after the construction of the first structures with
fodder (here Pennisetum riparium), the effect of the soil bunds counter-planted with grass (the ditches have now been refilled) on the
terracing is visible.

13
 F. Impact
a. Planting grass on anti-erosive structures increases the economic value of the field
Without considering the possible effects on soil fertility, a field equipped with vegetated anti-erosive structures provides
more income than without, despite the loss of surface caused by the structures. This simple calculation was certainly
the triggering effect for many farmers to invest time and energy into building the structure. The production of biomass on
anti-erosive structures allows to significantly increase the gross value of the field:
 1/4 of a hectare (50m x 50m) planted with wheat generates a gross income equivalent to 1600 to 2000 ETB for one
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season (corresponding to about 70 to 80 euros in 2015 with 1 euro = 22 ETB) .
 2 rows of erosion control structures of 50m long by 2m wide (1m width for the ditch and 1m for the earthen bund)
represent a loss of 8% of the cultivated plot, or an economic loss in production equivalent to 128 to 160 ETB.
 The production of fodder on these 2 earthen bund lines
generates an average annual income of 1100 ETB, when sold
directly on foot or on the market (3 cuttings per year, 2 in rainy
season and 1 during dry season – data from field
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measurements and prices from the local market in 2015 ).
 Bringing this yearly production to 6 months, the increase in the
plot gross value can therefore be estimated at 20% per season.
 However, during the first year, the initial investment in terms
of labour is important and require around 20 days of work (14
days to establish 100m of soil bund + 5 days for the
maintenance during the first year + 1 to 2 days to plant the
grass). As from the second year, the production is perennial
and little labour, except for harvesting, is needed.

b. Measures of fodder production in 120 farms and estimation of its market value.
To evaluate average grass fodder productions per farmer, field measurements have been conducted in 120 farms in 3
villages in 2015 (randomly selected villages within the list of the villages targeted at least 3 years after the withdrawal of
Inter Aide's intervention). All the surfaces dedicated to fodder grass production inside the farm have been measured and
recorded. For each farmer, a classification into 3 categories was done based on objective indicators defined within the
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frame of agrarian studies . It mainly relies on the number of animals (owned and shared) and the surface of the farm.
From these field measurements, the results are as follows:
 Among the 120 farmers, 3 families were not producing grass fodder on their farm (2,5%)
 On average, farmers have built 171m² of structures with vegetative production.
 The total average grass fodder production is 303m², meaning that farmers have gradually increased their own
production beyond the physical support of anti-erosive structures. 44% of the production in total comes from plots of
the farmers' land other than vegetated anti-erosive structures: on dedicated perennial fodder production plots
(18%), around the field (14%), at the foot of hedges (8%), under trees (3%).
 The last column in the table below indicates the financial return expected from grass sale per social category (yearly
average fodder market value for 1m² of grass was 22ETB in 2015, corresponding to 1 euro). Not all farmers sell
fodder (essentially vulnerable families). It represents the market value of the production if it would have been fully
sold on the market. On average, the grass fodder production value of a farm is 303 euros per year. For vulnerable
families, it represents 232 euros which is the equivalent of more than 100 days of daily work (1 day of seasonal work
is paid locally between 1 and 2 euros).
 This data has been measured at least 3 years after planting the grass. All plants were thus well established and
productive.

Antierosive Other: hedge, plots,

Type Sample Total (m²) (%) Estimated value
structures (m²) around field… (m²)
Better-off 34 231 176 406 8937ETB (406€)
Intermediate 44 166 121 287 6313ETB (287€)
Vulnerable 39 124 107 232 5096ETB (232€)
Total 117 171 133 303 6670 ETB (303€)
Table 3: Measure of the fodder production in 117 farms and estimation of the production's market value

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Updated data from the agrarian study conducted in 2011 in Doyo Gena Woreda (Aurélie Cheveau and Camille Hoornaert, AgroParisTech)
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The reference for the economical yearly value of fodder production is therefore set at 22 ETB per m² (1 €) or 11 ETB per linear meter (0.5 €).
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Aurélie Cheveau & Camille Hoornaert, Doyo Gena - May 2011

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In addition to the quantitative field measurements, surveys have been exhaustively conducted in July and August 2015
among 381 farmers of 4 villages involved in the project at different stages (from 2005 until 2012). They underlined the
following effects:
Chart 2: evolution of the percentages for animal fattening per social category

c. Effect on animal health and by-products

With fodder availability, animal fattening (mainly
oxen) is becoming much more common: 39% of the
farmers were involved in animal fattening before
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producing fodder, and 57% did so afterwards .
Cows and oxen are kept around 4 months; the
average gross added value per animal was 2135 ETB
and 2810 ETB respectively in 2015 (97 and 127 €).

67% of the interviewed farmers state that their

animals are getting fatter and 65% also highlight an
increase in milk quantity. However, the introduction
of fodder cropping does not seem to have an impact
on the number of animals owned. Fodder cropping has influenced the percentage of improved breed animals owned: on
average, 21 % of the families have purchased one (or more) improved cow(s). In villages where cultivated fodder has been
introduced 10 years ago, this percentage is higher with half of the families having invested in improved animal breeds.
Milk production from Jersey or Holstein cows is on average 3 times higher than from traditional breeds (850 to 1460l/year
for local breed and 2850 up to 4015l/year for Jersey and Holstein), but these animals require a higher quantity and quality
feeding management than traditional breeds.

d. Reducing the burden for women and children to collect fodder

Women and children are traditionally mainly responsible for animal feeding and fodder harvest in targeted areas.
Harvesting natural grass is a physically demanding and time-consuming task: the average time spent during the rainy
season reach 4 hours per week, with a maximum of 12 hours per week. With the introduction of fodder within farmland,
the average time spent on harvesting fodder comes close to 3 hours per week, with a maximum of 7 hours per week.

e. Attenuation of the climate change effects

To figure out possible effects of the climate change on the precipitations during the dry and the rainy season, an analysis
of the last 14 years’ daily rainfall data collected by Gununo research center (Wolayta Zone) has been performed within
the frame of this study. Statistic tests (Kendal) did not confirm a significant trend on cumulated seasonal precipitations, or
in the number of rainy days, or in the number of annual intense rainfall events (more than 20mm of precipitation per day)
over the last 14 years. Those time series of data cover too short a period to reach significant variations. With available
information, it is only possible to consider a progressively late arrival of the small rains in the region, without significant
difference in terms of number of days or global amount of rains. This factor could nevertheless confirm that farmers are
affected by climate changes mainly during the first cropping season (Belg), which is essential for their food security.
Traditionally, the early harvests at the end of the small rainy season (Belg) mark the termination of the hunger and fodder
gap after the dry season.

A later arrival of the small rains?

The mark of 50mm of cumulated rain seems to gradually occur
at a later period in the year, as indicated by the following chart,
which shows, for each year, the dates corresponding to the
attainments of 3 cumulative thresholds of precipitation (50, 100
and 150mm).

Chart 3: attainments of 3 cumulative thresholds of precipitation (50,

100 and 150mm) for 14 consecutive years (data: daily rainfall record –
Gununo Research Center (Wolayta Zone)

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Difference between the two percentages highly significant, with p<0.001

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Measuring the impact of the vegetated structures on the soil and the moisture is beyond the scope of this study. The
effects on mitigating the consequences of intense rainfall events on soil erosion or on better maintaining moisture are
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however well documented in the literature . Beyond these probable effects, the integration of drought resistant grass
and leguminous species on anti-erosive structures (like Pennisetum riparium, P. purperium, P. americanum, Cajanus
cajan…) introduces new fodder and food resources that are particularly interesting during the critical time of the bridging
period at the end of the dry season. For instance, the yearly production of 100 meter of Pennisetum riparium
corresponds to 5700 kg of green fodder per year on average. This is the equivalent of 2 months of fodder to feed 2
animals of 250 kg. Letting the grass grow after the rainy season allows constituting a fodder reserve to address the dry
period. Also, associating this grass with Cajanus cajan on the soil bunds provides an additional yearly production of peas
of 35 kg on average, essentially harvested during the dry season. Cajanus cajan is produced after 6 months and can then
be pruned and maintained as a perennial crop for 3 to 4 years.

Overall, in the particular context of southern Ethiopia, the availability of fodder during the dry season is to be related with
the reduction of the use of the Ensete ventricosum leaves for animals, which is a crucial element for families' food
security in the region. As mentioned above, Ensete ventricosum is a fundamental crop used by the farmers to overcome
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the bridging period in the region . As for the families, Ensete is one of the rare farm resources remaining in the farm
during the dry season. For animal diet, the fresh leaves are cut and mixed with the remaining straw, usually between
October and May. The use of Ensete to feed animals directly competes with available food for family consumption, and
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Ensete depletion is a strong poverty marker . With the introduction of cultivated fodder, 48% of interviewed farmers
highlight the improvement of their Ensete plot, as the use for leaves and corms for animal feeding has decreased.

f. Vulnerable families:
Finally, the role of fodder as a cash crop seems particularly interesting for vulnerable families, who are much more likely
than others to sell fodder. With the introduction of anti-erosive structure coupled with fodder production, those families
get a new income source through the sale of fodder. The example of M. Feleke Dalecho in Hadero district (6), a farmer in
a precarious situation due to an illness of 5 years, is quite indicative. Several structures to control erosion have been built
by the farmer. Different fodder species (Bana grass, Pennisetum riparium, Cajanus cajan, Desmodium) have been
integrated in the farm: 1 on the antierosive structures; 2 directly as pure fodder hedges; 3: along the paths surrounding
the fields; 4 as permanent fodder production plot. Usually, due to the lack of animals and biomass, the soil fertility of
these types of farms is relatively poor. Looking at the picture 4 and 5 taken in adjacent plots, it illustrates quite well the
additional benefit fodder integration can represent as compared to cereals on degraded soils (here Teff on picture 5 and P
riparium associated with Desmodium on picture 4).

1 2 3

4 5

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"Ways of Water: run-off, irrigation, drainage", Dupriez H., De Leener P.; "Participatory Evaluation of Different Multipurpose Grass Species for Graded
Soil Bund Stabilization in Gimbo District, South West Ethiopia", Getahun Yakob1, Abiy Gebremicheal, Andualem Aklilu, Ermias Melaku
14
The
“The tree Against Hunger, Enset-Based Agricultural Systems in Ethiopia", Steven A. Brand, Anita Spring, Clifton Hiebsch, J. Terrence McCabe, Endale
Tabogie, Mulugeta Diro, Gizachew Wolde-Michael, Gebre Yntiso, Masayoshi Shigeta, and Shiferaw Tesfaye
15
Alice Bortzmeyer: study of the home garden systems, Damot Sore Woreda, Wolayta (SNNPR), 2014

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 G. Conclusion
Identifying practices and innovations combining risk mitigation (soil and water conservation) and increased resilience
strategies (management and storage of biomass), is what ultimately counts. The promising innovations are those that
improve resilience. Today, the model is primarily based on the diffusion of a combination of practices, the promotion of
biomass production, combining fodder grasses and leguminous species on anti-erosive embankments. It provides a direct
response to animal fodder scarcity while contributing to maintaining soil and fertility in the long run. Moreover, today,
fodder production represents one of the most important sources of short term cash for farming families. Poverty
alleviation is therefore the main impact of this new practice in the southern Ethiopian context, as forage production
generates a quick alternative income, facilitating access to livestock and organic manure. Rare enough to be stressed: this
model allows income generation and economic improvement for all categories of farmers, including the most vulnerable.

Furthermore, improving resilience is also a strong effect of the innovation through different angles: i) fodder plant
multiplication is managed by the farmers themselves in micro farm-based nurseries ii) 57% of the adopting farmers are
involved in animal fattening as opposed to 39% before producing fodder iii) there is an integrated approach of the micro-
watershed, not only as a geographical unit, but also as a socio-economic and bio-physical unit, aiming at a complete
protection of the catchment and iv) the role of the traditional organisations "Iddirs" in enforcing anti-erosive measures,
prohibiting open-grazing and coordinating the work at micro watershed level is fundamental for social acceptance and
allows an important lever effect.

Improved resilience in turn facilitates adaptation to climatic change. Erratic rain patterns and late arrival of the rains in
the Belg season (corresponding to the dry season) may affect food security through alternation of droughts and heavy
rains. The introduction of cultivated fodder on embankments creates hedgerows which protects soil from drying. This
phenomenon is also reinforced by the extension of the Ensete ventricosum plots, caused by the decrease in pressure on
animal feeding, which in turn acts as a windbreak. Vegetated soil bunds slow down water speed and increase infiltration,
reducing the leaching effect and retaining moisture longer.

Finally, the relevance of the innovation is testified by the 13 960 farmers who have adopted the practice and constructed
and vegetated a total of 2 067 km of anti-erosive structures. The durability of the adoption has been measured in former
operational sites, where 93% of the farmers had conserved their structures established 10 years ago.

Picture: overview of the conservation work carried out by the farmers of the sub-watershed of Lechecho, Hadero District, 2015

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