In the second post of this blog we acknowledged that 48% of the total African population is employed by the agricultural sector. 80% of farms being less than two hectares in size, and belonging to subsistence farmers. I, therefore, find it important to address practises that subsistence farmers can implement to ensure longevity of their agricultural land and their overall food security in a small-scale (and supposedly affordable) way.
This post will look into small-scale irrigation (SSI) systems as a potential management technique for securing water and food security in Africa. The case study will be Ethiopia and we will look into the nations different techniques for improving water-soil management through implementation of SSI systems.
What is SSI?
Described as a climate-smart agricultural practice, SSI is a method that provides subsistence farmers with the opportunity to build resilience whilst diversifying their income. It is a system used to alleviate poverty whilst facilitating local climate adaptation. This is because SSI reduces farmer reliance on unpredictable and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. It also allows for farmers to be able to produce crops all year round rather than solely relying on rainy seasons and subsequently harvest more than once a year.
However, the most vulnerable households, with the lowest incomes, are proven to not benefit directly from such schemes. They require additional support to improve their livelihoods.
SSI and Ethiopia
For Ethiopia, provision of SSI systems is a priority for contributing to the alleviation of rural poverty and instead sparking financial growth. This method is holistic in that it also provides climate adaptation and resilience.
But why is it necessary?
Ethiopia is a nation where only 5% of irrigable land is actually irrigated, alongside the fact that less than 5% of the country's renewable resources are withdrawn year on year. In terms of food production, irrigated agriculture makes up 3% of the total national food production. This means there is considerable room for improvement where implementation of SSI systems can be of help. This is because farmers with irrigation have reported an increase of 20% in annual income since introducing SSI systems. Some farmers reported an increase of over 300%! This is directly resultant of producing higher value crops, faster, with reduced losses. Figure 1 is an example of a SSI surface system in Ethiopia.
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Figure 1: An example of a SSI surface system in Ethiopia. |
Rain-fed vs SSI
I chose to include Table 1 and 2 below because I felt they were effectively illustrative of the cost-benefit comparison between rain-fed and irrigation-fed crops in Ethiopia. It is clear that the profits and crop-yield of SSI grown crops are much larger than rain-fed and therefore have better implications for farmer livelihoods. However, considering Maize and Teff are staple crops for Ethiopia, I question the long-term sustainability of programmes for local-community food provision.
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| Table 1: The production cost, productivity and profitability of producing influential rain-fed crops in Meskan, Sodo and Mareko woredas (farming provinces of Ethiopia) between 2017 and 2018. Credit: Farm Africa 2018 report by Irish Aid. |
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Table 2: The production costs, productivity and profitability of producing vegetables through SSI systems in Meskan and Sodo woredas (farming provinces of Ethiopia) between 2017 and 2018.Credit: Farm Africa 2018 report by Irish Aid. |
Inequality
SSI systems come with inequalities. Firstly, ‘head-tail’ inequality is one example whereby farmers near the source of the water receive the majority of the water, and by time of water-scarcity the further farms miss out causing unjust distribution in a time of water crisis. There are often also local reports of irrigation committees purposefully distributing more water to family and friends. Gender is often also a cause for concern. Female-led farms are often missed out from training and therefore excluded from SSI opportunities.
Overall
Millions of Ethiopians are already facing the failure of agricultural systems to sustain their livelihoods. Many of whom already rely on the Productive Safety Net Programme for free food and water. It seems as though, with the rising pressure of increasing populations, land degradation, and climate change, implementing SSI will not offer food security or financial stability for all. However, the Ethiopian government named SSI as an important priority of their climate adaptation plans and it looks to be a management technique that will be carried into the future.
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