I miss reading everyone's blogs. I need a new laptop....sigh....hopefully within the next month and then I can get back on the bandwagon....
I am going to try to actually start doing write ups of the speakers I go to. They are often informative, and this reviewing thing…books, articles, etc...is something I want on my blog…of course along side of but not replacing all the fun pictures, etc.
Last Monday April 20, 2009, I attended “Land Degradation and Exploitation in Africa” from 7p.m-9p.m. The event was hosted by S.P.E.A.K. which is Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville. They are the place to be for environmentalists on the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s campus.
It's a bit hard for me to attempt a write up of this as it was a very informal round about sort of talk, but some good points were made so I'll share my notes with you....
Some background information:
Lesotho has severe erosion problems. With unprotected ground and rainfall, erosion occurs. The unprotected ground comes from having poor vegetative cover due to sheep, goats, and plows. For every millimeter of erosion, 13 tons of soil per hector are lost. Why is this a problem? This is unsustainable, and for anyone interested in more global work, we all know sustainable is one of the most important things to strive for…as difficult and frustrating as it is at times.
Besides the unsustainable aspects of erosion, what is it that makes erosion so bad? In short, erosion is bad for water quality, land, and the environment.
So here are some things we discussed.
It is no surprise that where there is good soil there are high populations. This was one of the first things we looked at. Maps of water erosion vulnerability, maps of risk of human induced water erosion, and then a population map. Essentially looking at how many of the causes of erosion can be traced back to man.
We discussed how “traditional” African agriculture revolves around subsistence agriculture. Most farmers are women aiming for food security, farming with hand tools, and using few external inputs. They just want to feed their families.
The fields are traditionally managed with a “slash and burn” system, something that worked well enough until the human population got too high. Additionally, more modern Westernized technology can, and has, lead to problems in Africa: tractors are a big factor in accelerating land degradation.
So how to reverse this trend? Conservative agriculture. It is essential to work towards permanent soil cover and diversified crop rotations. Increasing organic matter helps carbon sequestering which is good for the environment.
In the 1960s, No Till Research and Education started at the University of Tennessee and major efforts were made in the 1980s and 90s. Keeping a cover on the fields to protect and build organic matter has been successfully implemented here in Tennessee, so what about in Africa, specifically Lesotho?
In Lesotho they have tried the pothole method. Plant seeds in holes so most of soil is not disturbed. This no till approach means less energy and labor, higher yields as farmers don’t have to wait for a tractor, reduction in soil erosion losses, improvement in soil organic matter, and improvement in soil structure.
No till is a growing movement that has really taken off in North America, and South America seems right behind. Lesotho is receptive, but time will tell.
The second speaker was
Dr. Sall. Originally a forest ranger in Mauritania, Dr. Sall earned his B.S. in Forest Management here at the University of Tennessee and has continued on since.
He started by introducing us to Mauritania, a West African nation about the size of Texas with approximately 60% of their land being an ever growing Sahara. Rainfall is limited to July-September, and this is sometimes not enough. The soil is not adequate. What are they to do?
Millet and sorghum are Mauritania’s crops of choice, and forestry can help stabilize their problem of soil erosion as well as help block against the wind. This is called agriforestry: clearing the land but keeping some trees in place. The trees are also necessary for underground water.
I found several things interesting during Dr. Sall’s talk. First, he described to us a process of planting Millet in a hole with watermelon and black eyed peas. The watermelon and black eyed peas make sure nutrients are not taken away.
Additionally, we talked about the acacias. Acacias give Arabic gum, gum arabic, which is important for medicine, as well as fruit for the animals and firewood. Mauritania used to be the third or forth producer but because of grazing and lack protection this has ceased to be the case.
Dr. Sall also wanted to emphasize the point that it is important to know the community you are working with. It is important to keep the beliefs and cultures of those you work with in mind. In Mauritania land ownership is important and land is owned by families, not individuals. You cannot make one choice if everyone else does not agree. Additionally, livestock is part of status. Livestock also help led to erosion. Preventing soil erosion by techniques alone won’t solve the problem, you have to work with people and their cultures. A very sound point indeed.
Overall, very interesting. It made me miss Kenya very much. As pretty much any mention of Africa tends to do.
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but since no one was there to share them with, I am sharing them with you, my readers. Truth be told though, I love this photo, and the other three I took, so much that I probably would have shared it anyway.
we love their salad bar. It is stocked with tons of goodies. The Fat Dietitian's salad is up top, mine on the bottom. I also loaded up on tons of apples and hummus which I still can't believe they have on the salad bar, but because they do they are my new favorite place to veggie gorge.
