Ciara Varley, Angharad Johnston, Tima Munthali, Oliver Remeredzai, Kareem Longwe, Adam Muhammad, Emmanuel Ngonga, Yannic Janal.
September 10th to 12th 2024
LEG4DEV PhD researchers attended Tropentag 2024. Students Tima, Oliver, Kareem attended the days’ events, while Adam, Emmanuel and Yannic presented some of thier research findings at the poster session.
Several LEG4DEV PhD researchers recently attended Tropentag 2024, Europe’s largest interdisciplinary conference focused on research for tropical agriculture, rural development and natural resource management.
The 2024 theme for Tropentag ‘Explore opportunities … for managing natural resources and a better life for all’ saw over 70 sessions and 30 workshops over three days. LEG4DEV researchers Adam Muhammad, Emmanuel Ngonga, Yannic Janal, Timalizge Munthali, Oliver Remeredzai and Kareem Longwe attended the three-day conference.
Speakers from CIRAD, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland, the World Vegetable Centre, ETH Zurich, FiBL, the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT, University of Bonn and LEG4DEV research partner SLU highlighted opportunities and progress for implementation of agroecology for sustained sustainable development. LEG4DEV PhD researcher Adam Muhammad, Yannic Janal and Emmanuel Ngonga presented their current LEG4DEV research, ‘My ongoing journey of modelling intercropping: Key insights from the model developers and expert users’ and ‘Understanding spatial variability of soil physical properties to better inform rainfed soybean and maize cultivation in southern Africa’ at Tropentag 2024.
Adam’s presentation focused on recent progress in modelling intercropping systems and the capabilities of these models in relation to spatial geometry, plant-to-plant interactions and crop combinations. Emmanuel and Yannic’s presentation discussed their research investigating the spatial variability of soil physical properties in southern Africa and its impact on soybean and maize yield.
Key themes from Adam, Emmanuel and Yannic’s research were reflected across the other workshops attended by LEG4DEV PhD researchers Tima, Oliver and Kareem. Key themes at Tropentag 2024 included the benefits of bottom-up, shared research approaches for acceleration of agroecology; the benefits of agroforestry practices on soil health, crop yields, soil water availability and household food security; and the variety of digital tools available to support implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Key takeaways from Tropentag 2024
For the LEG4DEV team, key takeaways included:
- Varied approaches are needed for climate-resilient agriculture: A key challenge for global agriculture is adapting to incoming effects of climate change. Erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and water scarcity are becoming more prominent. Proposed solutions
included organic farming; bio-fertiliser use; practicing crop diversification; and implementing efficient water management techniques such as drip irrigation and water harvesting. A mix of techniques, tools and technologies are needed to enhance crop resilience while conserving resources in increasingly variable environments.
- Role of farmer producer organisations: Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are a vital means for smallholder farmers to improve market access inconsistent supply and financial stressors. By organising farmers into collective groups, FPOs help them pool resources, improve productivity, and gain stronger market leverage. This collective approach builds resilience into smallholder farming communities, particularly as they adopt energy-saving and water-efficient practices like minimum tillage and combine harvesting.
- Need for co-design in scaling solutions: Scaling agricultural solutions requires tailored approaches that consider both socio-economic and agro-ecological contexts. Co-designing and co-learning initiatives are essential tools for ensuring agricultural innovations are locally relevant and effective. Landscape approaches, combining scientific expertise with practical knowledge, can bridge the gap between research, policy, and implementation.
- Participatory action research enables social-technical building: When interventions are well designed and locally relevant, it enhances the agricultural adaptability of farmers. A workshop on “Integrating Gender and Socio-Technical Bundling Approaches for Climate-Resilient Agrifood System Innovations” outlined the importance of participatory action research (PAR) in social-technical bundling to achieve this goal. PAR approaches ensure that developed interventions are based on the needs and priorities of the farmers. Identifying key stakeholders through stakeholder mapping analyses is a key first step, as it allows dissemination of initiatives through the most effective channels.
- Need for food system mapping: Understanding how foods such as legumes move through the food system and are used by consumers is just as important as understanding their use on the farm-level. Mapping food consumption patterns is one avenue to explore methods of increasing legume consumption, by uncovering dietary inequalities and identifying methods to guide various groups towards healthier, sustainable choices.
Tropentag 2024 provided useful insights into the future of agriculture for the LEG4DEV research team, highlighting scalable solutions to tackle the challenges of climate change, resource management, and food security. The discussions at Tropentag provided an excellent base from which LEG4DEV PhD researchers will continue to accelerate their research in the coming months.