Assessing the Impact of the Adoption of Agroecological Practices on Biodiversity
Wild biodiversity plays a critical role in agriculture. Pollinators like bees are vital for thriving crops, while pests can lead to their total failure. Pest prevalence encourages the purchase of pesticides with negative effects on human bodies and the environment, while natural predators provide biocontrol services that may reduce the need for these inputs.
How does the adoption of agroecological farming techniques impact wild biodiversity? With funding from Future Earth, SFHC and Friends of SFHC is bringing together an interdisciplinary team of researchers to examine wild biodiversity in Malawi, and understand how (and at what scale) the use of agroecological farming practices impacts biodiversity. Farmer-Led Agroecological Research in Malawi (FARM) for Biodiversity will follow SFHC’s model of farmer-led, participatory education, training Malawian farmers in species identification and collecting feedback from farmers on their perceptions of wild biodiversity through surveys and participatory methods like photo voice. The study will take place in the Mzimba District, drawing on the experiences of members of the MAFFA project.
Our research objectives are as follows:
Objective 1: Determine the primary pests of three important crops and the natural enemies of those pests by interviewing farming households.
Assess the primary pests in three important crops : maize, pigeonpea, and pumpkins
Determine the known natural enemies of these pests
Conduct field observations and rear field-collected individuals of the pests in the laboratory
Utilize results to inform surveys for later objectives
Objective 2: Determine the impacts of agroecological practices on on-farm pest-abundance and the biodiversity of bees, natural enemies, and birds.
Sample 100 farms (10 villages, 10 farms, 5 of which were MAFFA participants and 5 controls) in pairs to control for social and environmental variation
Survey bees and natural enemies responsible for pollination and biocontrol
Assess bee abundance three times/year
Determine extent of pest damage at crop maturity
Evaluate bird diversity through point counts three times/year
Objective 3: Determine tipping points at which the collective adoption of agroecological practices across a landscape impacts regional biodiversity.
Sample farms from areas with different proportions of households adopting agroecological practices
Compare biodiversity across landscapes to determine scale of adoption necessary to impact wild biodiversity
This 1-year project led to FARMS for Biodiversity. We are working on the analysis and publications and will share them in 2020.
With funding from Avaaz, SFHC did a major distribution of food and hygiene supplies this August. These supplies are critical for families affected by the pandemic. According to local request, we delivered… – 25, 000 cloth face masks–… Read More
We’re proud to feature in the prominent food systems newspaper, Civil Eats, in an article discussing the failure of U.S. investment in African industrial agriculture. The article explores the promise of African agroecology as an alternative: offering new,… Read More
SFHC has been busy during May. In order to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission, SFHC has divided the staff into several teams who work on various SFHC projects independently at the SFHC office. Teams only come in once… Read More
FARM for Biodiversity
Assessing the Impact of the Adoption of Agroecological Practices on Biodiversity
Wild biodiversity plays a critical role in agriculture. Pollinators like bees are vital for thriving crops, while pests can lead to their total failure. Pest prevalence encourages the purchase of pesticides with negative effects on human bodies and the environment, while natural predators provide biocontrol services that may reduce the need for these inputs.
How does the adoption of agroecological farming techniques impact wild biodiversity? With funding from Future Earth, SFHC and Friends of SFHC is bringing together an interdisciplinary team of researchers to examine wild biodiversity in Malawi, and understand how (and at what scale) the use of agroecological farming practices impacts biodiversity. Farmer-Led Agroecological Research in Malawi (FARM) for Biodiversity will follow SFHC’s model of farmer-led, participatory education, training Malawian farmers in species identification and collecting feedback from farmers on their perceptions of wild biodiversity through surveys and participatory methods like photo voice. The study will take place in the Mzimba District, drawing on the experiences of members of the MAFFA project.
Our research objectives are as follows:
Objective 1: Determine the primary pests of three important crops and the natural enemies of those pests by interviewing farming households.
Objective 2: Determine the impacts of agroecological practices on on-farm pest-abundance and the biodiversity of bees, natural enemies, and birds.
Objective 3: Determine tipping points at which the collective adoption of agroecological practices across a landscape impacts regional biodiversity.
This 1-year project led to FARMS for Biodiversity. We are working on the analysis and publications and will share them in 2020.
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Avaaz funds major hygiene and food distribution for COVID-19 affected families
September 11, 2020
By Rachel Bezner-Kerr
With funding from Avaaz, SFHC did a major distribution of food and hygiene supplies this August. These supplies are critical for families affected by the pandemic. According to local request, we delivered… – 25, 000 cloth face masks–… Read More
SFHC highlighted in Civil Eats
August 29, 2020
By Rachel Bezner-Kerr
We’re proud to feature in the prominent food systems newspaper, Civil Eats, in an article discussing the failure of U.S. investment in African industrial agriculture. The article explores the promise of African agroecology as an alternative: offering new,… Read More
May Update
July 30, 2020
By Bunmi Osias
SFHC has been busy during May. In order to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission, SFHC has divided the staff into several teams who work on various SFHC projects independently at the SFHC office. Teams only come in once… Read More
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