Njeremoto

DEMONSTRATING SUSTAINABLE GRAZING AND LIVELIHOOD AT THE INSTITUTE

By Osmond Mugweni http://www.njeremoto.org/

Executive Director: Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute

Cell: +263 – 912 738 474 Website: www.njemoto.org; http://njeremotoblogspot.com;

Email: mugweni@zol.co.zw
The following five (5) points summarises the idea that I am demonstrating from my previous pilot work at the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute. This work now needs to be scaled up and replicated to the wider society by the Institute. These are that:

The new knowledge is based on the differences in the biological decay processes that exist between the brittle (savannah) ecosystems and the non-brittle (temperate or equatorial) systems. Due to the seasonal distribution of moisture through out the year, the brittle (savannah) system , start with a chemical physical weathering decay process with the plants standing, when the plants fall to the ground, the decay process becomes biological (is completed by living organisms). While that of the non-brittle (temperate or equatorial) system is predominately biological.

THE PROBLEM BEING ADRESSED BY THE INSTUTE


In order to ensure sustainability of agricultural production systems, future scientific knowledge should incorporate and strive to improve on local community knowledge and traditions. In the Shona culture and belief system, the land evolved with herding grazers and the absence of one results in the destruction or extinction of the other. The conventional grazing management belief that too many animals cause overgrazing is a misconception of the semi-arid savanna environments of Southern Africa where these environments evolved with thousands of herding grazers such as wildebeest, buffalo, and elephants with their predators’ lions, leopards, cheetah and hyena. The Shona believe that overgrazing is caused by inadequate recovery period for grazed plants. Hence, to the Shona’s view, that in conventional grazing management, overgrazing is due to either continuously grazing plants or due to rapid rotational grazing cycles where the plants are continuously exposed to the animals or grazed too soon before they have recovered from the last grazing(plants do not have adequate physiological recovery period).

In the wild, predators controlled the timing of rangelands use as they kept the grazers bunched and moving. When animals intensively grazed for short periods (at most a month) they left and came back after one or two seasons later. The numbers game (that too many animals cause overgrazing) had no role to protect vegetation from overgrazing then.

Pilot work conducted for the period 1986 to 2002 as regards time controlled grazing; overgrazing, rest and animal impact in semi-arid/brittle environments/rangelands can be summarized as:

• Overgrazing (in adequate recovery periods to the growing plants) weakens or even kills individual plants which reduces the ability of such plants to provide soil cover.

• Over-rest also produces this. The noted difference is that under overgrazing the plants are often of many age groups, while under over-rest the plants are usually old and dying with fewer young plants.

• High animal impact causes many plants to grow with tight plant spacing. On the other hand, no animal impact causes ever-increasing spaces between plants on capped soil surfaces.

• Overgrazing with low animal impact and no herding behaviour causes large bare areas to develop, similar to what is produced by effects of over-rest.

• Overgrazing combined with high animal impact, which is common in Zimbabwean Communal Areas (typical around dip tanks), accompanied by herding behaviour, results in tight low vigour plant communities of a near mono-culture with a high proportion of growing leaf and young plants.

• Time controlled grazing combined with high animal impact and herding behaviour produces multi-species of healthy, tight plant communities with a good age distribution, which would support many other life forms on such a land. This seems to be the desirable productive, ecologically stable and sustainable system to be promoted for the future management of Semi arid or arid grazing lands/rangelands.

The Solution for Semi-arid rangelands degradation: Time controlled grazing based on Indigenous Shona Grazing Management Practices; that is heavy stocking rates for short period (7 to 21 days) followed by long recovery periods (equivalent to full summer recovery in Zimbabwe – 180 days Nov to Apr). For community sites, land is divided into adequate units such that 1/3 of the area is grazed in early summer, 1/3 in late summer and 1/3 receives full summer recovery period (not grazed) over and above the arable area. These units are rotated annually.

This is simulation of the community herding that was characteristic of the Shona hamlets of Zimbabwe in the 16th to the 18th Century. Villagers herded animals in turns. As an example a village with 30 families then, each family took 7 days to look after the whole village herd. When the family had the turn, it grazed the animal close to its arable since it wanted to work in its field while children looked after the animals near her. This meant the rest of the areas around the other 29 families was resting. It would take 7 days x 29 households = 203 days for the animals to come back to the first family. But this is more than the summer period (180 days). This meant that only 26 families (7 x 26 = 182 days) would have turns to herd cattle and the other 4 families’ area around the field would have a full summer recovery)

Therefore, land management for semi-arid or arid rangelands, to be demonstrated at the Institute and in pilot satellite communities, will be based on time controlled grazing management observing recovery periods of at least one hundred and eighty(180) days in summer to control overgrazing and not to control the animal numbers. The results of the demonstration at the Institute will confirm that only the realisation of the whole is the reality that exists in the communal farmer's world. Piece meal programmes and projects that aim to favour any individual enterprise from a single disciplinary approach can only bring confusion and more anxiety to the farmers as well as continue a poor quality of life in a deteriorating environment.

THE STRATEGY AND FINANCE: HYPOTHESIS:

1) Set up a research demonstration and training centre at the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute in Gutu District Masvingo Province. So far the farm has been acquired and livestock have been put on the farm from loans obtained from the Agricultural Rural Development Authority (ARDA), for the dairy herd and from the Agricultural Development Fund (ADAF) for the beef herd.

2) The funding arrangements will be loans, ASHOKA felowiship stipend, and proposals to any other interested parties donor/charitable organisation. To this end the Institute is registered in Zimbabwe as a Trust (not for profit NGO since 2003) and in USA District of Columbia as a 501c not for profit organization since June 2009 (as the Njeremoto Biodiversity Fund) to fund raise and receive funds for the Institute.

3) Collaborate with communal, resettlement and small-scale smallholder farmers on this work. Train these communities starting with pilot satellite communities. Train at Institute and facilitate implementation in the community site. Conduct look and learn exchange visits where the communities share experience and learn from each other nationally, regionally and internationally.

4) Register with a University for PhD hence repeat pilot work under scientific supervision at the Institute so that the thesis will be the basis of influencing the current knowledge. Demonstrate the paradigm shift to the scientists. Use the thesis to replicate and spread the knowledge. The thesis will also be the basis of books and pamphlets or publications.

Overall Goal


The long-term goal of the Institute is to facilitate and see wealthy, empowered resource managers, local communities, and academia sustainably managing semi-arid rangelands productively and with biodiverse, stable rural ecosystems.

Is that a functional Njeremoto Biodiversity Demonstration and Training Institute is established, monitored, fully operational, sustained in Zimbabwe and is replicated in the Southern African Countries by December 2011.

Is to create a landform for the demonstration of Sustainable Grazing and Wetland Utilization and Management based on Indigenous Shona Practices Prior to Introduction of Western Ideas in Zimbabwe at Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute by 31st December 2011

Specific objective


Ø Conduct research and training at the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute located at 12 Northdale farm Chatsworth, Gutu District Masvingo Province Zimbabwe. This is the hub of the project where research and demonstration as well as training of communities and research students will take place.

Ø To establish five pilot communities in Zimbabwe. the first are the four farms surrounding the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute representing commercial farms and the Gunda kraal in Hwedza District in Mashonaland East Province representing the communal areas.

Ø To carry out community work at the other three sites in Zimbabwe in ward 23 in Chipinge District Manicaland Province, ward 9 Insiza District Matabeleland South Province and ward 9 Mwenezi District Masvingo province.

Ø To replicate at two pilot communities in south Africa to be identified by collaboration Ashoka fellows (still to be identified)

Ø To collaborate with Universities who will have MSc and PhD Students attached to the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute from Zimbabwe, South Africa, UGANDA, Canada, USA and UK (Still to be identified).

Target Group(s)

I) At the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute located at 12 Northdale farm Chatsworth Gutu district Masvingo province Zimbabwe. this is the hub of the project where research and demonstration as well as training of communities and research students will take place.

II) Five pilot communities in Zimbabwe. the first are the four farms surrounding the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute representing commercial farms and the Gunda kraal in Hwedza district in Mashonaland east province representing the communal areas.

III) The other three sites in Zimbabwe are ward 23 in Chipinge district Manicaland province, ward 9 Insiza district Matabeleland south province and ward 9 Mwenezi district Masvingo province.

IV) Two pilot communities in South Africa to be identified by collaboration Ashoka fellows (still to be identified)

V) UNIVERSITIES WHERE MSC AND PHD STUDENT ATTACHMENT TO THE NJEREMOTO BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE FROM. ZIMBABWE, SOUTH AFRICA, UGANDA, CANADA, USA AND UK (STILL TO BE IDENTIFIED).

Estimated Results/Out Puts

Ø The Njeremoto Biodiversity Demonstration and Training Institute Fully Funded and Operational by December 2013

Ø Annual Increase in Biological diversity and High Profit on all land-use and production systems at Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute measured in April for Biodiversity and in September for annual production each year starting from 2011 (baseline year).

Ø Proportion of land covered by bare-ground to decrease from 80% to 10 % by March 2012 and perennial species to increase from 3 to 10 by March 2014.

Ø Increased number of communities who visit the Institute per year and adopt the principle and in turn become host for other communities measured in September each year starting from 2012 to increase from zero (0) to at least 10 annually.

Ø Increased in Biodiversity and High Profit on all land use and production systems at pilot satellite communities measured in April for Biodiversity and in September for annual production each year starting from 2012. All pilot communities to be food secure and experience increased stable incomes by April 2015

BREAKDOWN OF THE BUDGET (USD$): DESCRIPTION AMOUNT REQUESTED FOR THE ACTION



PERSONNEL EXPENSES
YEAR 1: 300,000.00; YEAR 2 : 360,000.00; YEAR 3:  480,000.00 & TOTAL: 840,000.00

VEHICLE PURCASES, TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES (INCLUDING PER DIEM) YEAR 1: 160,000.00; YEAR 2 :  50,000.00 ; YEAR 3: 30,000.00; & TOTAL:  350,000.00

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AT THE INSTITUTE
YEAR 1: 360,000.00; YEAR 2 :  300,000.00; YEAR 3:  50,000.00; & TOTAL 710,000.00

COMMUNITY INVESTIMENT FUND FOR SATTELLITES
YEAR 1: 100,000.00; YEAR 2 :  260000.00; YEAR 3:  340,000.00; & TOTAL 700,000.00

FEES FOR COMMISSIONED WORK
YEAR 1: 5,000.00; YEAR 2 :  5,000.00; YEAR 3:  5,000.00; & TOTAL  15,000.00

SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
YEAR 1: 40,000.00; YEAR 2 :  50,000.00; YEAR 3:  60,000.00; & TOTAL  150,000.00

MEETINGS INCLIDING PER DIEMS AND TRAVEL COSTS
YEAR 1: 10,000.00; YEAR 2 :  110,000.00; YEAR 3:  130,000.00; & TOTAL  450,000.00

RENTAL
YEAR 1: 10,000.00; YEAR 2 :  20,000.00; YEAR 3:  40,000.00; & TOTAL  70,000.00

PHOTOCOPY AND PRINTING
YEAR 1: 10,000.00; YEAR 2 :  20,000.00; YEAR 3:  40,000.00; & TOTAL  70,000.00

POSTAGE, PHONE, FAX
YEAR 1: 5,000.00; YEAR 2 :  5,000.00; YEAR 3:  5,000.00; & TOTAL  5,000.00

OTHER EXPENSES
YEAR 1: 20,000.00; YEAR 2 :  20,000.00; YEAR 3:  20,000.00; & TOTAL  60,000.00



GRAND 3 YEAR TOTAL : 3,500,000.00


Key Assumptions
1) Membership Fees start when satellite communities come on board. Each community pays US$ 200 annually and the projection is Year 4 = 5; Year 5 = 10 and Year 6 = 20

2) Facilitation Fees are paid to the Institute by Donors supporting each satellite community programme

@ US$ 50 000/ satellite community

FIRST THREE YEAR PROJECT ACTIVITIES AT THE INSTITUTE AND COMMUNITYPILOT SITES

1) Environmental educational activities and experience-based learning

2) Development of environmental educational programs/materials　

3) Creation of “nature schools” and designing of field sites for environmental education　

4) Localization of experiment-based environmental technologies at the community level

Year 1 December 2010 to December 2011 (13 months)
2010. December Institute
Develop Institute Plan
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute

2011. Jan - Mar Institute
Develop & Implement 20 Ha Wetland Institute
Fence Grazing Area to establish 14 Grazing Units Institute
Procure relevant planned equipment for Institute (3x4x4 twin-cab trucks; 1x4x4 ten seater s/wagon; 1x30 seater mini-bus, 1x20 ton lorry; 10xComputer Sets and Software; 2xlaptops; 1xdata presenter and office/survey/monitoring equipment) Institute
Implement Rangeland and Wetland Rehabilitation Programs Institute
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute & Community

2011 Apr - Jun
Build Training & Agro Infrastructure at Institute Institute
Develop and Maintain Orchard Institute
Develop and Maintain Irrigation Institute
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community
Contact Annual Rangelands monitoring of all activities (Baseline) at Institute and in Community
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute & Community
Prepare and Receive Interns at Institute Institute

2011 July to Sept
Supervise Interns Institute & Community Attend and Present Findings at National Regional and International Conferences Institute & Community Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute Collaborate and conduct Training at Institute and in Communities nstitute2008
Exchange Visits for Institute and Community/Communities Institute & Community Establish Community Revolving Fund to fund Community Projects Institute & Community Recruit Interns and Provide Internship Allowances Identify and Develop Satellite Sites I Institute Establish Revolving Fund at Institute for the Community Outreach Program
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute
CONDUCT TRAINING AT INSTITUTE AND IN COMMUNITIES Institute & Community
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute & Community
Compile and Circulate Reports Institute
Attend and Present Findings in International Conference Institute

Year 2 January 2012 to December 2012
2012. Jan to March
Establish Seed Money for Institute Trust Institute
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses (including annual audit of funds) Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute & Community

2012 April to June
Contact Annual Rangelands monitoring of all activities Institute
CONDUCT COMMUNITY MONITORING VISITS Institute
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & community
Contact Annual Rangelands monitoring of all activities Institute & Community
CARRY OUT OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT AS PER PLAN AT INSTITUTE AND WITH COMMUNITIES Institute & Community
CONDUCT MID-TERM PROJECT REVIEW Institute

2012 July to Sept
Institute & Community2009 Oct to Dec Institute Recruit Interns and Provide Internship Allowances InstitutePay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Document all Activities and produce publications Institute Attend and Present Findings at National Regional and International Conferences
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities

Year 3 January 2013 to December 2013
2013 Jan to March
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses (including annual audit of funds) Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute & Community
Supervise Interns Institute

2013 April to June
Contact Annual Rangelands monitoring of all activities Institute & Community
Conduct Community Monitoring Visits Institute
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute
Supervise Interns Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community

2013 July to Sept
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute Institute
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute
Recruit Interns and Provide Internship Allowances Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute
Document all Activities and produce publications Institute

2013 Oct to Dec
Attend and Make Presentations at International Conferences Institute
Pay for Administration and Operation Expenses Institute
Conduct Training at Institute and in Communities Institute & Community
Carry out operations and management as per plan at Institute and with Communities Institute & Community
Conduct End of Project Review Institute
Compile and Circulate Reports Institute
Attend and Present Findings at National Regional and International Conferences Institute
Supervise Interns Institute

About the organisation

Njeremoto is dedicated to bring biodiversity within semi arid and arid grazing lands www.njeremoto.org