[LUM#15] Rethinking Intensification Models in Africa

[LUM Magazine] - Published on February 21, 2022 in Science and Society

Producing more to feed a rapidly growing population is the challenge facing agriculture in Africa. Can this necessary intensification be achieved through agroecology? Lum posed the question to agronomists Nadine Andrieu and Eric Scopel*, co-leaders of the “Agroecological Transitions ” at CIRAD.

Promoting ecological processes to achieve more sustainable agricultural production is one of the principles of agroecology. “It’s a different way of looking at the production process, one based on the proper use of natural resources such as water, soil, and biodiversity,” emphasizes Eric Scopel. “Implementing it reduces dependence on external inputs , particularly chemicals.” It also reduces dependence on energy sources such as oil, for example.

Agriculture without pesticides or tractors? “Not entirely,” the agronomist qualifies. “The idea isn’t to do away with them altogether, but to try to be as independent of them as possible and to use them in the most appropriate way. It’s a different vision of agriculture.” A vision with many dimensions: scientific, practical, but also social and philosophical. “Agroecology reexamines the role of agriculture in feeding humanity, with a long-term vision: we can’t jeopardize the agroecosystem we’re working on if we won’t be able to use it in 10 years !”

Pesticide mixtures

While agroecological practices have ancient roots, the scientific approach to agroecology began to take shape in the 1980s, first in the Americas, before spreading to the rest of the world. And in Africa? “The concept of agroecology emerged there relatively late, even though some NGOs were already working to reduce pesticide use on the continent, particularly in vegetable farming, which uses a lot of them, ” says Eric Scopel.

This is, in fact, one of the paradoxes of the African continent, where the Green Revolution is still in its infancy. “Overall, the use of inputs is significantly lower there; for example, the level of nitrogen fertilizer use is 10 times lower than in France. But the crop protection market still exists, and some sectors resort to the unregulated use of these products, without standards or controls.” Due to a lack of information and technical assistance, some farmers sometimes use mixtures of pesticides indiscriminately, with significant consequences for health and the environment. “Practices that lead in particular to pollution problems, such as groundwater contamination.”

The agricultural sector is undergoing a major transformation and faces a daunting challenge: feeding a growing population that is expected to double by 2050. “Average production levels in Africa are eight times lower than those in Europe; it is imperative to increase productivity to feed everyone,” explain the experts. “What we need to do now is consider what model of intensification should be developed on the African continent.”

Fragile fertility

Can agroecology and intensification go hand in hand? For the two agronomists, the answer is yes: “It’s conceivable to increase production by 50% and go from 1 ton per hectare to 1.5 tons by adopting sound agronomic practices.” These practices are all the more relevant in tropical regions, where soil fertility is compromised by climatic conditions. “All it takes is a heavy rain to wash away the soil’s humus layer and render it uncultivable. We really need to focus on soil management to slow down natural degradation processes.” In practice? “Maintaining cover crops, mulching, establishing field boundaries to better manage surface runoff, and reducing tillage—these practices help protect soil fertility, which is more fragile in Africa, ” explains Eric Scopel, who describes agroecology as a model that is “low in inputs but high in knowledge.” And labor-intensive, as Nadine Andrieu points out: “This may require an increased workload for the farmer and their family, so we must also explore ways to reorganize the work.”

To further boost production, agroecology also proposes leveraging the complementary nature of different species, for example by growing legumes and cereals together, as their crops complement each other. “Legumes live in symbiosis with a bacterium capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen and converting it into a mineral form available to plants; they act as a natural fertilizer,” explains the agronomist. “Restoring biodiversity to farms by moving toward mixed cropping is beneficial for food and nutritional security.”

Create the conditions for transformation

But this approach isn’t always easy to implement. “In Europe, policymakers are showing a nascent but firm awareness of the need for an agroecological model; this isn’t always the case in Africa, where a modern vision of agriculture—based on inputs, tractors, and monoculture—is still sometimes championed. This narrative coexists with another that actively promotes agroecology,” explains Nadine Andrieu. It’s a delicate position for researchers to take, given that Europe itself has pursued yield maximization without seeking compromise…

This is why it is so important to involve all stakeholders in the sector, at every level: farmers, of course, but also traders, cooperatives, local researchers… Not to mention national and international policymakers: “We must address all these aspects simultaneously to create the best conditions for this transformation on the ground. There is a real challenge in rethinking intensification models in Africa, and if everything falls into place, then we can seriously consider meeting food needs through agroecology.”

* Eric Scopel: Aïda Research Unit on Agroecology and Sustainable Intensification of Annual Crops – CIRAD
Nadine Andrieu: Joint Research Unit on Innovation and Development in Agriculture and Food (INRAE-CIRAD-Institut Agro)

Keywords: Agriculture, Environment, LUM#15, Research, Health, Company