The introduction of sustainable agricultural practices, such as conservation agriculture, contributes in saving biodiversity, stabilizing the land use change, avoiding cut and burn system in preparation of fields and increasing areas suitable to the forest recovery. It can also represent food security and an economic source for rural communities, producing surplus and major incomes, increasing their yield.
With “Strengthening of financial sustainability and biodiversity of Gilé National Reserve” realised with support of the European Union, COSV has been introducing conservation agriculture practices within 14 communities surrounding the Buffer Zone of Gilé National Reserve. There, 700 family farmers have been led through a technical learning process towards the implementation of an innovative agriculture.
In order to allow the largest number of beneficiaries and ensure their effective participation, COSV created 42 different farmer’s work-groups within the target area of the project, averaging 3 groups per community, to which provides a daily support through training and follow-up run by a team of agronomists, forest, and rural development experts. This strategy soon led to the creation of 50 hectares of collective demo-plots, where innovative farming practices were introduced.
By the end of 2017, COSV and the farmers signed individual agreements, taking on a commitment on following the principle of conservation farming in their fields, under the assistance of the COSV technicians.
In December 2017, in the beginning of the rainy season, we distributed maize, groundnuts, bóer and nhemba beans seeds in the areas. Part of the seeds was allocated for the common demo-plots while the rest was distributed among the communities, to give an impulse to the effective participation in the program. The seeds received for each household, together with the crops they use to sow, will enable them to cultivate more than 1 hectare, by using sustainable technics.
Ours is an innovative and participative approach to eco-sustainable agricultural development in the area: its success is guaranteed not only by our constant presence on the field but also by the direct involvement of the communities on our mission and activities.