Permaculture training brings diversity to Eswatini’s smallholder food systems
15 December 2020
eSwatini
Project Name
Climate-Smart Agriculture for Climate-Resilient Livelihoods (CSARL)
GEF Implementing Agency
IFAD
Objective
To enhance the food and nutrition security, as well as promote the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, through diversified, climate-resilient agricultural production practices and associated market linkages.
Project Targets
200 ha
land under integrated and sustainable management
543,757 MtCO2e
GHG emissions avoided or reduced
15,300
beneficiary households
Eswatini faces the interconnected challenges of rural poverty, food insecurity and environmental degradation. The main drivers of environmental degradation in eSwatini are increasing human population, soil nutrient mining within farmlands, growing livestock populations on communally grazed rangelands, land tenure arrangements, deforestation and climate change. These drivers have led to reduced natural resources, biodiversity, and ecosystem services—all essential for agricultural productivity. The result increase food insecurity for smallholder farmers and contribute to rural poverty and climate change vulnerability.
To address the interconnected challenges of rural poverty, food insecurity and environmental degradation, the Government of Eswatini, through the Resilient Food Systems programme, aims to introduce a paradigm shift toward integrated, multi-stakeholder development planning at the local level. This planning approach aims to ensure land, water and other natural resources are sustainably managed and harnessed as key drivers of growth.
The project is structured around three principal components:
- Promoting integrated, multi-stakeholder development planning processes in 37 chiefdoms;
- Scaling up sustainable land and water management practices; and
- Strengthening capacities at the national and sub-national levels to monitor ecosystem services and resilience and to carry out associated knowledge sharing and reporting activities.
The project draws on IFAD’s experience of similar projects in Eswatini and deepens the understanding of how to address food security nationally through integrated approaches. The CSARL project is closely associated with IFAD’s Smallholder Market-Led Program (SMLP), which strengthens market linkages and promotes the scaling-up of resilient and sustainable agricultural production practices and approaches.
The project aims to meet the following targets:
Chiefdom Development Planning process institutionalised in three of the four regions in the project area.
- Develop 37 Community Development Plans.
- Allocate human, water and land resources to planned development activities.
Sustainable Land Management (SLM) applied at multiple scales across 37 Chiefdoms in three regions.
- Rehabilitate 31,450 ha of land with functioning ecosystem services.
- Support 12,000 households in coping with the effects of climate change.
National capacity developed to monitor and refine SLM policies and programmes
- Train 98 professionals in Sustainable Land and Water Management (SLWM) monitoring and planning.
The Ministry of Finance provides oversight and liaises with IFAD and GEF for project implementation. Major stakeholders at the national level include the Ministry of Agriculture, Eswatini Water and Agriculture Development Enterprise, Eswatini Environment Authority and the Eswatini Meteorological Service. The Rural Development Areas, local NGOs, and the Inkhundla (Parliamentary Constituency) play key roles in activities at the chiefdom level.
Project Activities
Each RFS country project conducts activities that fall under common thematic areas within the programme. Explore each project theme relevant to the RFS eSwatini country project below to see which activities are being implemented under each theme.
Sustainable Land Management
- Scale up land rehabilitation and soil conservation
- Scale up SLM practices for market-led agriculture
- Scale up Climate-Smart and Conservation Agriculture
- Implement rangeland management
Integrated Water Resource Management
- Scale up water conservation efforts
- Install rainwater harvesting technologies and small-scale irrigation
Value Chains & Market Access
- Encourage cooperation along value chains
- Encourage entrepreneurship among smallholder farmers
- Develop viable linkages to national agriculture commodity markets
- Develop indigenous poultry, goats, beekeeping, and fruit value chains
Rural Extension & Capacity Development
Science, Policy & Institutions
- Conduct Chiefdom Development Planning to regulate land use and natural resource management
- Institutionalise Chiefdom Development Planning process
Monitoring & Evaluation
- Apply the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF)
- Adopt Sustainable Land and Water Management monitoring techniques
Gender
Knowledge & Learning
- Establish an inter-sectoral knowledge sharing mechanism at national and provincial levels
- Equip national stakeholders with knowledge to support the development of smallholder agriculture and SLM policies
Stories from the Field
Explore our stories from the field to learn more about the activities, milestones, lessons learned, and achievements of the RFS eSwatini project.
Relevant Resources
We have a growing library of reports, briefs, case studies, media, tools and guidelines. Explore all resources related to the RFS eSwatini project to get greater insight into our programme activities.
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eSwatini Country Factsheet: Climate-Smart Agriculture for Climate-Resilient Livelihoods (CSARL)
- eSwatini
- Sustainable Land Management
- Rural Extension & Capacity Development
- Value Chains & Market Access
- Factsheet
18 March 2020More infoImplemented by IFAD, the objective of the CSARL project is to enhance the food and nutrition security, as well as promote the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, through diversified, climate-resilient agricultural production practices and associated market linkages. This factsheet provides an overview of the project, outlining the various components, stakeholders, and anticipated impacts, as well as key innovative elements within the project design and implementation.
IFAD Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool: Briefing note on application and learning in Kenya and eSwatini
- Regional Hub
- Kenya
- eSwatini
- Monitoring & Evaluation
- Knowledge & Learning
- Tools & Guidelines
- Knowledge Management Brief
17 March 2020More infoThis briefing note focuses on the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT) and its use by the Resilient Food Systems (RFS) projects in Kenya and Eswatini in conducting baseline surveys focusing primarily on socio-economic data. The MPAT survey collects information on 1) rural assets, exposure, and equality; and 2) fundamental needs, such as food and nutrition security, education, and healthcare. Additional questions on soil and water conservation practices were added to the survey conducted in Kenya. This tool is relatively easy to use, requires few resources to implement, and provides users with a reliable and comprehensive picture of a community’s poverty situation.
RFS Side Event at COP14 New Delhi: Eswatini Presentation
03 September 2019More infoIn parallel to the UNCCD COP14, held in New Delhi in September 2019, IFAD, with support from GEF and in collaboration with the Resilient Food Systems PCU, held a side event entitled “Fostering an integrated approach for sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa”. The side event featured presentations from RFS country project teams from Eswatini, Niger and Uganda.
Country Projects
Burkina Faso
Burundi
eSwatini
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Malawi
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Tanzania
Uganda
Regional Hub
Project Themes
Agroforestry & Reforestation
Gender
Integrated Water Resource Management
Knowledge & Learning
Monitoring & Evaluation
Rural Extension & Capacity Development
Science, Policy & Institutions
Sustainable Land Management
Value Chains & Market Access
© 2020 Resilient Food Systems.