EAU4FOOD

European Union and African Union cooperative research to increase Food production in irrigated farming systems in Africa/ EAU4Food

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'EAU4Food seeks to address the need for new approaches to increase food production in irrigated areas in Africa, while ensuring healthy and resilient environments. Potential pitfalls of introducing innovations in local farming systems, like limited adoption by farmers and trade-off effects to other (environmental) systems are overcome by, respectively, i) utilizing a true transdisciplinary approach, which involves the active participation of all stakeholders in all relevant disciplines, and ii) by determining and respecting so called sustainable production thresholds. EAU4Food is executed in four irrigated areas in Africa, viz. Southern Africa (Mozambique and South-Africa), Tunisia, Mali and Ethiopia to fully benefit from the potential of cross distributing promising strategies and innovations. At each site, key indicators, risk factors, farm strategies and biophysical parameters are monitored for identification of current constraints to food production and to evaluate agro-ecological and socio-economic impacts of improved practices and/or innovations after implementation. Results of EAU4Food are distilled into tailor made support tables and guidelines for different user groups. These support tables and guidelines support decision making processes at local level by overseeing short-term and long-term effects of alternative practices and improved strategies. EAU4Food is expected to have significant positive impacts on agricultural production at farm level for many years to come, and on wider policy processes at national and trans-national levels. To enlarge and maintain the impact of EAU4Food, capacity building programmes are developed at different levels, going from farmer to farmer exchange up to exchange of scientific personnel. Moreover, further exploitation of the results of EAU4Food is supported via other mediums such as ‘songs of success’, documentaries, school programmes, policy briefs, fact-books and scientific publications and presentations.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A partnership between the EU and the African Union is boosting agricultural productivity in Africa through new innovations, improved farming methods and skills development.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

African farmers are faced with a myriad of challenges. Most notably, it is difficult for these farmers to maintain good yields in the face of limited and erratic water supply.

As such, the aim of the http://www.eau4food.info (EAU4FOOD) project is to design, test and disseminate new and effective soil and water management strategies. This will allow African farmers to increase food production, maximise soil fertility and sustainable irrigation water use, and minimise the pollution of fresh water reserves.

Five study sites across Africa have been established to provide a baseline of usable data. Following this, EAU4FOOD provided a framework for guiding the extension of irrigated agriculture under water scarcity conditions.

Field innovation trials in Giyani, South Africa, are comparing water use and yields for tomatoes at two cooperative farms. Now in their second season, researchers plan to gradually introduce improved agronomic practices every season in order to increase yields.

Researchers have collated and optimised a number of modelling tools to predict the impacts of EAU4FOOD interventions and maximise crop yields. In addition, a new life-cycle assessment has been developed specifically for African agricultural areas.

The eventual outcomes of EAU4FOOD will be included in support tables and guidelines for different user groups. This knowledge is expected to provide local innovations in irrigation, as well as a method to assess the potential implementation of the innovations.

Ultimately, the EAU4FOOD initiative will help to increase local water productivity and harvest security, providing a concrete way forward for sustainable development in Africa.