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KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

IPM Advisory GroupFinal Report

1 April 2008 – 31 March 2011

Emma Jenner, Dirk Babendreier, Martin Kimani, Richard Musebe, Stefan Toepfer, Yelitza Colmenarez, Eric Boa & Ulrich Kuhlmann

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KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

contentsIntroduction ..........................................................................................................3

Addressing IPM needs in food crop systems in priority countries ..................5

2.1 Albania ............................................................................................................. 5

2.1.1 Background .............................................................................................. 5

2.1.2 Major Outputs .......................................................................................... 5

2.1.3 Outcomes................................................................................................14

2.1.4 Anticipated Impacts ...............................................................................17

2.1.5 Sustainability ..........................................................................................18

2.2 Nicaragua .......................................................................................................21

2.2.1 Background ............................................................................................21

2.2.2 Major Outputs ....................................................................................... 22

2.2.3 Outcomes .............................................................................................. 29

2.2.4 Anticipated Impacts .............................................................................. 33

2.2.5 Sustainability ........................................................................................ 34

2.3 Tanzania ........................................................................................................ 37

2.3.1 Background ........................................................................................... 37

2.3.2 Major Outputs ....................................................................................... 38

2.3.3 Outcomes ...............................................................................................41

2.3.4 Anticipated Impact ................................................................................ 44

2.3.5 Sustainability .........................................................................................47

contact CABI ......................................................................................................50

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1. IntroductionCAB International (CABI) implemented a 3-year SDC-supported programme designed to reduce poverty by increasing knowledge and productivity through measures of economically, environmentally, socially and institutionally sustainable Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The project followed on from previous work supported by SDC, in which CABI provided technical backstopping to a wide range of IPM stakeholders in Nicaragua, Tanzania, Vietnam, Pakistan and Kosovo. The follow up activities in 2008 to 2011 were built around specific IPM and/or Integrated Crop Management (ICM) issues in SDC-supported countries; Tanzania, Nicaragua and Albania, where pesticide misuse is a chronic problem and known alternative options have yet to impact on the large numbers of farmers involved. Activities of the IPM Advisory Group were centred on vegetables, where there are major problems in domestic markets due to near-market pesticide application, and fruit crops, which face pre- and post-harvest challenges and significant export constraints due to pests and pesticides. Elements that build beyond IPM and consider knowledge interactions in relation to other community concerns were also included where communities were seeking to draw lessons from IPM processes into ICM and other agricultural systems. The IPM Advisory Group objectives were as follows:

Objectives:• The IPM Advisory Group will support the development of IPM approaches to reduce over-reliance on

pesticides and the associated risks to farmers and the environment through exchange of scientific and indigenous knowledge and the selection and validation of sustainable pest management solutions adapted to local conditions and beneficiaries’ needs;

• It will support implementation and dissemination, on field- and/or policy-levels, of suitable IPM measures that provide farmers with economically viable and sustainable alternatives to hazardous pesticide application;

• To ensure environmental and economic sustainability of the IPM conceptual framework, it will build local knowledge and capacity for the proper use of natural resources as well as the necessary technical skills for the development and dissemination of alternative IPM measures.

This report covers all activities completed during the three-year programme (1 April 2008 – 31 March 2011). The reported activities were implemented by a team of IPM and participatory training and research specialists based at the various relevant CABI centres around the globe:

CABI in Switzerland:

Dr Ulrich Kuhlmann (Programme Coordinator)Dr Dirk Babendreier Dr Emma JennerDr Stefan Toepfer

CABI in Africa:

Mr Martin KimaniDr Richard Musebe

CABI in the Caribbean and Latin American:

Dr Yelitza Colmenarez

CABI in the UK:

Dr Eric Boa

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2. Addressing IPM needs in food crop systems in priority countries

2.1 ALBANIA

2.1.1 Background• The agriculture sector, especially fruit production, of Albania shows strong potential for development.

Shortly before this project commenced, the fruit sector was announced to be the highest priority of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in Albania and the area under apple production began increasing markedly. Apple production is of increasing economic importance, especially for farmers in the Korca region where conditions for growing apples are favourable compared to other regions in Albania. There are approximately 1,200 apple producers in the Korca region, but this number is increasing as farmers become more eager to invest in fruit production.

• However, farmers were still lacking key knowledge about good agricultural practices and were heavily dependent upon the use of pesticides for pest management. The goal of this project was therefore to improve farmer knowledge and agricultural practice in the Korca region of Albania and support their technical needs in the implementation of more sustainable pest management measures and reduction in pesticide misuse.

• The major partners within the project, all based in the Korca region, were: Agrinet (a local NGO), the Ministry of Agriculture Korca, the Centre for Agricultural Technology Transfer (CATT); the Agriculture Faculty of the University of Korca, the Agrobusiness School of Korca (ABS) and apple producers.

2.1.2 Major outputsI. An Apple Integrated Production Producer Club established• In 2008, an Apple Integrated Production (IP) Producer Club was established in the Korca region

of Albania with an organisational and management structure based on democratic principles to ensure good governance (see Figure 1). Pivotal within this management structure is the fact that the producers, as members of the General Assembly, own the club and are therefore in control of the club’s organisation, management and activities.

• The club started with 40 members in 2008 and was officially recognised and accredited by the government in Tirana, Albania, in 2009. Membership increased to 60 in 2009 and reached 110 by the time the project ended at the end of March 2011. Currently, seven different villages of the Korca region are represented in the producer club. All members of the producer club must agree to produce according to an IP standard (see ‘Technical Guideline for Apple Integrated Production’ below).

• Based on a decision by the General Assembly, an Apple IP Producer Club Office was established under the management of a local NGO, Agrinet. An external Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) was also formed, comprising Agrinet, the University of Korca, the ABS and the CATT.

• An Apple IP Producer Club constitution was developed together with the main project partners, defining the purpose, management and organisation of the club.

• A membership fee for the producer club was also defined and agreed on to support the Apple IP Producer Club Office and enable the provision of advisory services and training to the members of the Apple IP Producer Club.

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Figure 1: Organisational and management structure of the Apple IP Producer Club

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

EXTERNAL TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRODUCER CLUB OFFICE

TREASURY BOARD

• General Assembly = all members of the producer club, i.e. individual producers, and other relevant stakeholders e.g. traders, supermarkets, consumer groups, research institutes, universities etc.

• Executive Committee = President, Vice President and at least 5 producer club members

• Producer Club Office = Manager and other part-time advisors

• External Technical Advisory Panel = technical experts from organisations outside of the producer club

• Treasury Board = members of the producer club elected by the General Assembly on an annual basis

II. A ‘Technical Guideline for Apple Integrated Production’ developed• In parallel to the establishment of the Apple IP Producer Club, members of the TAP, together with

four producer club members and a representative of the Regional Directory of Agriculture and Food of Korca, developed a 16-page ‘Technical Guideline for Apple IP’. Based on IP standards of the International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC), this guideline defines the minimum agricultural requirements for apple production that must be implemented by members of the Apple IP Producer Club, such as appropriate site selection and management, implementation of fruit thinning and appropriate fertiliser and pesticide application, etc. (see Figure 2).

• Three annexes (the Key Pests and Diseases List, the Green & Yellow List (see Figure 3) and the Pesticide List) were also developed as supporting documents to the Technical Guideline. The Pesticide List, which provides technical and safety-related details about the pesticides recommended for use in apple IP, was harmonised with Albanian legislation and European Standards (Annex I of EC 91/414) in 2009.

• The IP Technical Guideline was approved by the General Assembly in 2009 meaning that all IP Apple Producer Club members agreed to strive towards meeting the defined minimum requirements.

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Figure 2: The International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC) and its Integrated Production Principles and Technical Guidelines

• Integrated Production (IP) is a concept of sustainable agriculture that was developed by the IOBC in 1976.

• The concept is based on the use of natural resources and regulating mechanisms to replace potentially polluting inputs.

• In 1993, the IOBC published a conceptual framework for IP (‘Integrated Production: Principles and Technical Guidelines‘), which was updated in 1999 and again in 2004.

• These guidelines provide a basic concept of IP and have raised international interest and recognition of the approach.

• They also provide a framework for the formulation of regional or national guidelines and standards for IP, and aid harmonisation of these concepts and guidelines at an international level.

• The IP guidelines and related tools have already proven helpful and inspirational for farmers’ organisations looking for a feasible way to work with IP.

• The guidelines address the following topics:

– General Aspects

– Biological Diversity and Landscape

– Site Selection

– Site Management

– Cultivars, Seeds, Rootstock, and Cultivation Systems

– Nutrition

– Irrigation

– Integrated Plant Protection

– Harvest

– Post-harvest Management and Storage

– Animal Production on Mixed farms

– Worker‘s Health, Safety and Welfare

III. An internal farm inspection system pilot tested• The development of an internal inspection system was initiated under the umbrella of the Apple IP

Producer Club. Such a system will enable i) the implementation of the requirements of the Technical Guideline for Apple IP to be assessed on each farm, and ii) certification to be awarded to apple IP producers.

• Once the inspection system is up and running, only certified IP producers, i.e. those who fulfil the minimum agricultural requirements of the IP system, will be permitted by the Apple IP Producer Club to trade their apples under the IP name.

• Together with the TAP, an internal farm inspection protocol was developed. This protocol is structured in a similar format to a questionnaire, listing the requirements of the Technical Guideline for Apple IP. The aim is for the farm inspectors to complete a farm inspection protocol during each farm inspection and analyse the results to determine whether the producer has fulfilled sufficient requirements to be considered an IP producer.

• Capacity building of a number of TAP representatives and more experienced farmers was conducted to transfer the skills necessary to be able to inspect farms in an effective and objective manner using the inspection protocol. It is intended that the internal inspection system will become fully operational from 2012 onwards.

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IV. Knowledge transferred to members of the Apple IP Producer Club • In order to support members of the Apple IP Producer Club with the implementation of the

requirements specified in the Technical Guideline for Apple IP, a number of ‘farmer-friendly’ documents were developed jointly with the TAP and distributed to all Apple IP Producer Club members. The intention is for these documents to become key reference documents for all apple IP producers in Korca region to promote a more sustainable and environmentally sound method of production. The documents include:

– A pest monitoring booklet to facilitate scouting and population assessment of the key insect pests and diseases of apples, as well as to support decision making with regards to pest management

– A farmer-friendly Green & Yellow List to support the IPM ‘thought process’, i.e. prevention, monitoring and intervention, as well as to assist with appropriate application of pesticides in terms of using the most appropriate product at the correct time and dosage (see Figure 3).

– A natural enemy and pest identification tool to facilitate recognition of important natural enemies and key insect and disease pests in the apple orchards (see Figure 4).

Figure 3: The farmer-friendly Green & Yellow List (Annex 2 to the Technical Guideline for Apple IP)

• The Green & Yellow List follows a traffic light system to guide producers towards the best methods of prevention, monitoring and control of the key insect pests and diseases of apple listed on the Key Pests and Diseases List.

• The Green List comprises the indirect (preventive) plant protection measures, i.e. the preferred options within IP. They are based on agronomic approaches such as soil management, ecological infrastructures, choice of adequate cultivars and clones etc., supported by the introduction and/or protection of key antagonists in the cropping area.

• The Yellow List of control measures is applied if the Green List measures cannot achieve the expected results alone. It is a very restrictive list of „second choice“ plant protection measures – mostly pesticides – that must exhibit only minor negative side-effects. These “yellow measures” have clearly defined criteria and restrictions of use. Monitoring guides and economic thresholds are provided as instruments to decide if, when and what kind of highly selective direct control measures must be applied.

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Figure 4: Natural enemy and pest identification tool developed for the Apple IP Producer Club members

• Field and classroom training sessions, involving all Apple IP Producer Club members, were implemented by Agrinet throughout the project to support the implementation of the Technical Guideline for Apple IP. Training topics included relevant aspects of IP, such as monitoring and forecasting of key insect pests and diseases, record keeping, pruning and thinning, fertilisation and orchard establishment and management. Depending on the subject, TAP members supported the training in order to enhance the level of knowledge transferred to the farmers.

• In total, 12 leaflets were designed, printed and distributed to all Apple IP Producer Club members during the project to accompany the training activities of Agrinet and support the implementation of key requirements of the Technical Guideline for Apple IP (see Figure 5).

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Figure 5: A selection of training leaflets produced for the Apple IP Producer Club members by Agrinet and CABI

V. A rational pesticide use training programme and examination developed and implemented• A training curriculum, focussing exclusively on rational pesticide use (RPU), was developed together

with Agrinet and implemented from 2009 onwards for all producer club members (see Figure 6). This was a topic in which many Apple IP Producer Club members were particularly failing to meet the specific requirements of the Apple IP Technical Guideline. Using participatory training methodologies, Agrinet now offers four classroom sessions to transfer knowledge on the theoretical aspects of RPU, as well as one outdoor-based session covering a range of practical topics related to pesticide handling, use and application.

• An accompanying multiple choice examination was also developed and implemented to assess knowledge uptake and comprehension by the farmers of the key issues associated with the safe handling, use and storage of pesticides. It is a requirement of the Apple IP Producer Club that all members participate in this course and pass the final examination. In the future, it is anticipated that this will also be required for members to be able market their apples as IP.

• Despite national plant protection laws specifying that farmers must be qualified to apply pesticides, there is no national scheme in place offering the training and certification required. The producer club’s RPU course is therefore looked upon favourably by the Agricultural Minister of the Regional Directory of Agriculture and Food of Korca as a progressive step forward towards fulfilling national law. It is the aim that this training scheme becomes officially recognised and approved by the national Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

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Figure 6: Members of the Apple IP Producer Club must attend training sessions on rational pesticide use and pass a final examination

VI. Appropriate storage and application of pesticides implemented• A pesticide sales and distribution system, with links to major pesticide companies (Syngenta,

Bayer Crop Science, BASF and DuPont), was established in 2010 under the auspices of the Apple IP Producer Club (see Figure 7). The purpose of the system is to i) provide members with access to reliable, less toxic pesticides that satisfy the requirements of IP, and ii) prevent the use of fake products. The Apple IP Producer Club now manages the purchasing and subsequent sale of pesticides to its members through a part time employee who acts as the manager of the producer club’s ‘pesticide shop’. Only pesticides that have been sourced from the major pesticide companies linked to the producer club are sold to the members. Agrinet is not involved in the pesticide sales and distribution process, in order to avoid a conflict of interest between being a provider of neutral crop management advice and a pesticide sales outlet, but is considered as an expert agency, responsible for training and supervising the manager of the pesticide shop during the initial stages.

• Supporting documents for the pesticide sales and distribution system were developed together with Agrinet detailing i) the organisational structure, ii) the terms of reference for the involved entities, and iii) a business plan.

Figure 7: Set up of the pesticide sales and distribution system within the Apple IP Producer Club

APPLE IP PRODUCERS

AGRINET

EXTERNAL TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL

VILLAGE COORDINATOR

VILLAGE COORDINATOR

VILLAGE COORDINATOR

OWNER (GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF APPLE IP PRODUCERS CLUB)

PESTICIDE SHOP MANAGER

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• Pesticide storage cabinets were also designed by Agrinet and manufactured locally to enable the appropriate storage of pesticides and fulfilment of the important relevant requirements of the Technical Guideline for Apple IP. The storage cabinets were distributed to Apple IP Producer Club members during the final classroom session of the RPU training course, accompanied by an activity to demonstrate how to store pesticide-related equipment appropriately inside the cabinets.

• In 2008, the first ventilation sprayer was purchased by Agrinet to demonstrate the benefits that such an upgrade in pesticide application machinery would bring to farmers and the environment. Demonstration trials showed that the ventilation sprayers led to a 50% reduction in the volume of water and pesticide applied to a particular orchard area. At the same time, pesticide coverage on the tree foliage was improved and control of major diseases, particularly apple scab, was enhanced (damage was reduced by about 75%). Following these demonstrations, additional ventilation sprayers were purchased in 2008 and 2009 by apple producers and a sharing system was organised to ensure that all members had access to this more modern and efficient pesticide spray machinery. Through this sharing approach, members are no longer using the traditional spray equipment, which tended to result in over-application and ineffective results.

• To further support this initiative, Apple IP Producer Club members received training on how to calibrate and maintain the ventilation sprayers. This was conducted by the company, Agricola, in Macedonia where the machines were purchased.

VII. Marketing channels for IP apples identified• Activities were initiated from 2009 onwards to increase trader and consumer awareness of the Apple

IP Producer Club and their produce.

• Information leaflets describing the major characteristics of IP and its benefits to farmers, consumers and the environment were developed and distributed to traders active in the Korca region.

• Agrinet now also hosts a stand at an annual agricultural fair to which the producer club members bring along their apples and promote the IP approaches. A great deal of publicity is gained from this activity since all levels of the agriculture sector are represented at the fair, from farm and extension to trade, retail and government.

VIII. Capacity of local partners enhanced• Capacity building has been central to the project in Albania and has been ongoing throughout. Two

study tours to Switzerland for i) representatives of Agrinet, the University of Korca, the ABS and the CATT, and ii) apple producers and representatives from Agrinet, were implemented to provide further information on relevant topics such as the establishment and management of producer clubs, advisory services, production standards and apple management under IP.

• Coaching was also provided as an ongoing process throughout the missions and study tours to build knowledge and capacity of Agrinet staff in:

– Technical aspects of IP and implementation of suitable strategies for apple production;

– Sustainable establishment and management of producer clubs;

– Development of policy documents such as IP Technical Guidelines;

– Participatory training approaches for more effective training of farmers;

– Development of educational/didactic and promotional material.

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2.1.3 OutcomesI. Change in behaviour of Apple IP Producer Club members• Apple IP producers no longer carry out prophylactic spraying. Instead, their increased knowledge of

IP means that they are aware of the importance of monitoring the insect pest and disease situation in their orchard, and then using this as a basis for deciding if and when a pesticide application is necessary. In situations where they are uncertain, the farmers are able to seek advice from Agrinet.

• In 2008, an average of two treatments per season were carried out using highly toxic WHO class I pesticides. However, Apple IP Producer Club members have now completely eliminated the use of such products.

• In 2009 and 2010, members of the Apple IP Producer Club applied 40% fewer treatments using WHO class II pesticides than non-members.

• Data from 2009 and 2010 show that, overall, Apple IP Producer Club members are making 20% fewer pesticide treatments throughout the season than non-members.

• All members of the producer club are now using a modern ventilation sprayer to apply pesticides rather than the traditional equipment used by many at the start of the project. This has led to a 50% reduction in the volume of pesticides applied per treatment as well as a more thorough coverage of the foliage, which in turn has contributed to enhanced pest control (see next section).

• In 2010, all of the pesticides applied by Apple IP Producer Club members were included on the Pesticide List of the Technical Guideline. This is an improvement from 2008 when 25% of the pesticides applied by producer club members were not on the recommended list. Furthermore, 30% of the pesticides applied by non-members in 2010 were not included on the Pesticide List, which again exemplifies the higher standard of pest management that the producer club members have managed to achieve.

• Four new pesticides of WHO toxicity class II or lower (Pirimor 50 WG®, Actara 25 WG®, Dimilin 48 SC®, Avauint 15 SC®) as well as a biological product, Madex®, were introduced into Albania during the project and are now being used by apple IP producers in place of a number of highly toxic products they had been using before.

• All members of the Apple IP Producer Club are now applying pesticides that they have obtained through the pesticide distribution system of the Apple IP Producer Club and that are in line with those recommended on the Pesticide List of the Technical Guideline for Apple IP.

• General knowledge about RPU has been enhanced through the specialised RPU training course run by Agrinet, such that all of the existing Apple IP Producer Club members had attended the RPU training and passed the examination by March 2011. All members are now using the specially-developed, lockable pesticide storage cupboards, thus reducing the health and safety risks associated with on-farm storage of pesticides.

• A steady increase in ‘outreach’ to non-member apple producers has been observed throughout the project. Most of the approximately 2,000 apple producers in Korca region are aware about the activities of the Apple IP Producer Club and many are showing high interest to join the club. Many have been adapting their pest management strategies according to what they see at neighbouring IP producers’ farms. It has been determined from producer feedback, for example, that virtually no highly toxic pesticides (from WHO class I) were applied in 2010 by apple producers throughout the Korca region while most farmers were using such pesticides at least once per season in 2008. Furthermore, modern ventilation sprayers are now being used by several non-members of the Apple IP Producer Club.

II. Apple production enhanced• Based on feedback from Apple IP Producer Club members, the pest monitoring booklet, the farmer-

friendly Green & Yellow List pest and the natural enemy and pest identification tool are being used regularly as key reference documents for pest management-related decision-making.

• More than 95% of Apple IP Producer Club members keep records on the use of inputs, such as fertilisers and pesticides, whereas none of the non-members are doing this.

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• Soil samples have been taken for the first time by all Apple IP Producer Club members in the Korca region and sent to the CATT for nutrient content analysis. Based on the results of this sampling, as well as the training provided by Agrinet, a reduction in the overuse of fertiliser has been observed. Apple IP Producer Club members applied approximately 40% less nitrogen in 2010 compared to 2008. This will not only contribute to enhanced fruit quality but also reduced contamination of ground water.

• Improved pest management practices by Apple IP Producer Club members have led to a reduction in apple damage inflicted by the key insect pests and diseases. The number of apples infested by apple scab was two to five times lower for Apple IP Producer Club members in 2009 and 2010 than for non-members.

• The quality of apples has also significantly improved. A total of 85% of the apples produced by Apple IP Producer Club members were rated as grade I at the end of the project compared to 55% of the apples produced by typical apple growers in 2006.

• Apple IP Producer Club members have substantially improved general orchard management in line with IP requirements, including the avoidance of bare soil and the implementation of sound pruning and thinning practices. These improvements will greatly support improved fruit quality and enhanced biodiversity.

III. Support network for apple producers improved• The local NGO, Agrinet, has been transformed into a provider of advisory services and farmer

training. It is a well-established and respected institution in the Korca region capable of providing advice to apple IP producers on all aspects of pest management and apple production.

• Agrinet’s links to relevant institutions, including the MoA in Tirana and its regional branch in Korca, have been strengthened through joint activities within the project.

• The establishment of the TAP has also facilitated the establishment and/or strengthening of links to other organisations/stakeholders relevant to apple production in Korca. The strengthened links and communication between the Apple IP Producer Club and the CATT, ABS, and University of Korca will allow a bidirectional flow of information and knowledge that will benefit all parties; key problems being faced by farmers, for example, may be used to prioritise applied research topics, and any new solutions/techniques/practices will be immediately relayed back to the producer club and its members.

• The quality of the advisory service provided by Agrinet has been enhanced through the various capacity building and coaching activities. As an example, forecasting tools based on day-degree models are now available for the main insect pest, the codling moth, which means that Agrinet are now able to provide apple producers with accurate pest risk warnings and information.

IV. An emerging market niche for IP apples • Improvements to the quality of apples being produced under the IP system, together with the

strengthened links between the producers and traders, have resulted in enhanced market access for the Apple IP Producer Club members. Although the traders are not yet offering a higher price for the apples, they are more aware about the new production methods and are showing interest in the enhanced quality of apples being produced.

• Through the emergence of this market niche, producer club members are able to attain a good price for their produce, as well guaranteed sale of their complete harvest. In 2009 and 2010, IP producers in the Korca region sold all of their apples before the non-IP producers. This, together with the fact that they can now produce a higher amount of grade I apples, and occasionally reduce input costs, has ultimately resulted in increased income for the apple IP producers and their families. Based on feedback from the producers, the additional income is mostly being used to invest in new orchards or agricultural equipment, improve living conditions (house, furniture, equipment) and/or enhance their children’s education.

• Investment potential of the producer club members has subsequently increased, as demonstrated by the fact that total orchard surface area has increased by 50% since the beginning of the project in 2008. Apple IP Producer Club members now own an average of one hectare of apple orchards.

• Due to increased interest from local traders, three apple storage facilities, with a total capacity of 1300 tons, have been established in Korca region by members of the Apple IP Producer Club. This will further improve the marketing strength of apple producers by enabling staggered trading of apples and avoidance of the price-cutting effect of apple gluts.

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2.1.4 Anticipated impactI. Economic benefits• It is anticipated that apple IP producers will enjoy an enhanced and more stable income due to a

secured, and growing, market niche for the IP apples they produce, as well as a reduction in input costs.

• Apple producers will be able to continue investing in new orchards and equipment, as well as improve their general standard of living. This will result in an enhanced livelihood for the producers and their families, which will continue to improve as yield and quality of apple production increases even further.

• It is expected that the market for the IP apples will continue to grow as an increased number of traders, retailers and consumers become aware about the IP apples and the benefits associated with their production over conventional practices.

II. Social benefits• The general health of IP producers, their families and consumers is anticipated to improve due to the

phasing out of highly toxic pesticides, the observation of pre-harvest intervals and the reduction in pesticide misuse.

• Cooperation and collaboration among apple IP producers is also expected to increase through their active participation in a stable and democratically-driven IP Apple Producer Club. The personnel and group management skills will form the foundations for further future business-related endeavours similar to the apple storage facility establishment project.

III. Environmental benefits• Phasing out of highly toxic pesticides, together with the overall reduction in pesticide misuse and

fertiliser use, will support the mitigation of the negative environmental impacts of apple production. This includes water and soil contamination as well as non-target effects.

• In the mid- to long-term, the biodiversity within and surrounding the orchards is likely to increase, thus supporting natural pest control and a further reduction in the need for pesticides.

IV. Other benefits• The partners of this project constitute some of the major stakeholders of the agriculture sector of

Korca (farmers, extension, government, research and education). The strengthened linkages between these partners will help to increase awareness of, and knowledge about, IP approaches on a far greater scale among the agriculture sector. This enhanced knowledge and capacity among the stakeholders is anticipated to motivate the promotion of wider scale implementation of apple IP and the development of similar approaches for other crops.

• Increased recognition of the IP Apple Producer Club, and its demonstration of good governance, at the national level, e.g., the MoA in Tirana, through awareness creation events, is anticipated to lead to the promotion of similar approaches in other regions of Albania as well as in other crops and agriculture sectors.

• Recognition by the government of the positive impact of implementing agricultural production standards is hoped to have policy implications, particularly relating to the promotion of elevated standards of production and the enforcement of national agricultural legislation. Movements in this direction would ultimately lead to overall improvements to Albanian agriculture, employment, and human and environmental health.

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2.1.5 SustainabilityI. Sustainability indicators• For the implementation of a new agricultural approach, such as IP, to become sustainable, it is necessary

to ensure its institutionalisation within the existing national agricultural system. The establishment of an officially registered Apple IP Producer Club, in which members must implement IP as standard practice, is a significant step towards the institutionalisation process for IP. The fact that members must pay a fee to belong to the club means that there is a high level of commitment to the organisation.

• Partnerships and linkages between all the relevant stakeholders of the agricultural system also need to be strong in order to achieve widespread acceptance, promotion, dissemination and overall sustainability of the new agricultural approaches. Significant progress has been made in this respect within this project, with several relevant actors now being functionally connected to the Apple IP Producer Club through the external TAP. These partners contributed their expertise throughout the project while developing technical documents and implementing training courses, and thus developed a sense of ownership over the progress made and outputs generated. This in turn will increase the likelihood of them sustaining and further disseminating the IP approaches in the future.

• In a project separately-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and SDC (SCOPES IZ74Z0_127997/1), the ABS and the University of Korca have been working together to develop an IP training curriculum, based on the knowledge and experiences gained through the current project. This is a significant example of how strong links can promote wider dissemination of a concept and in turn contribute to its sustainability.

• As with any organisation requesting a membership fee, there must always be adequate incentive for members to remain willing to pay, otherwise the sustainability of the organisation will come under threat. Regarding the Apple IP Producer Club, the incentive to pay to be a member is generated through the unlimited access that members have to the high quality advisory services that Agrinet is able to offer. Without this advice, apple producers would not be in the position to produce high quality apples, minimise the need for inputs and attain the higher income they have been able to achieve in the last two years. A very positive indicator for sustainability at this point in time is the fact that the number of Apple IP Producer Club members is not limited by the number of producers interested to join, but by Agrinet’s capacity to train them and to organise the advisory service and general management of the club. As long as efforts are made to increase and sustain the advisory and management capacity of Agrinet, then membership demand should not come under threat.

II. Suggested ways forward

Launch a certification scheme and continue to develop a market niche for the IP apples

• Before a market niche can be forged, it is necessary to install a mechanism to guarantee that the IP apples have been produced according to specific standards. In this respect, the inspection system that was initiated in this project should be further developed and launched, such that only apple producers that reach the agreed minimum requirements defined in the Technical Guideline for Apple IP may be certified as IP producers. An external inspection body, either a private company, governmental body or independent international organisation would be required to verify the integrity of the internal inspection system.

• In parallel to the establishment of an inspection and certification scheme should be the establishment and registration of a logo for the IP apples. Only those apple IP producers who pass the inspection system may then be certified and granted the right market their produce under the IP logo.

• To further verify that IP systems lead to the production of higher quality and safer produce, and thus also help to stimulate market growth for IP produce, it is recommended that a pesticide residue testing facility is established to measure pesticide residues on IP and conventional produce. Once set up, this analytical process could also be linked to the inspection and certification process of IP producers. Currently, there is no laboratory or other facility in Albania that is being used on a national level to measure and quantify pesticide residues, and thus, the establishment of such a facility and service would also bring Albania closer in line with international food safety standards.

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• Despite the existence of national plant protection laws specifying that farmers must be qualified to apply pesticides, there is no national scheme in place offering the training and certification required. Efforts should therefore be made in the near future to seek official recognition and approval by the MoA for the RPU training and certification course developed and implemented by the Apple IP Producer Club. In doing so, this would not only significantly increase the credibility and reputation of the RPU course and the overall approaches of the Apple IP Producer Club, but it would also constitute a significant step forward towards fulfilling and implementing national law.

• The long-term sustainability of the IP approach will ultimately rest on whether there is market demand for the IP apples. Advocacy campaigns must be up scaled in the future and targeted at supermarkets, consumers and traders in order to create this demand. Awareness of the safer methods of production and their benefits, including the production of higher quality apples, the implementation of more natural methods of pest management, the reduced impact on the environment, and the increased health benefits to farmers and consumers, etc., needs to be generated before market interest can grow. Once a market has been established, there will also be greater opportunities for increasing the sale price of the IP apples.

Increase the effectiveness of the advisory service of the Apple IP Producer Club

• The revenue from the membership fees is not yet sufficient for the producer club office, i.e. Agrinet, to cover staff costs and pay for the materials and transport required to implement its advisory service and training events. However, the initial membership fee was deliberately set at a low rate in order to test the willingness of members to contribute financially towards the club and evaluate whether such a membership fee system could work. Since the outcome of the producer club has so far been a success in terms of the benefits it has brought to its members, it is anticipated that there would not be any opposition to the suggestion to charge a higher fee. In fact, the fee was already slightly increased between 2008 and 2009. Another approach to increasing revenue would be to request additional fees from the members for selected services such as special training events, personal on-farm advice, etc. With ever-growing interest from apple producers in the region to join the club, it is not expected that these additional charges would affect its popularity and growth. The additional revenue would then significantly contribute towards making the producer club, and its advisory service, a self-sustaining entity.

• In order to enable Agrinet to continue effectively managing an expanding producer club and operating an effective advisory service for its members, it will need to start expanding its staff base. This will need to be done in parallel to increasing the membership and training fees in order to cover the associated salary costs. It will also require speedy, but effective, capacity building to transfer and build the necessary knowledge and expertise of the new staff.

• Agrinet could also consider initiating a graduate training/work experience programme to enable young graduates from the ABS and the University of Korca to carry out short-term placements to gain more hands-on experience in the field of IP, for example, by supporting training and advocacy events, assisting with the production of training and advocacy material etc. In return, these graduates would provide much-needed support to Agrinet, especially during busy periods of the season. Such a programme could be implemented immediately via the existing links between the producer cub, the ABS and the University of Korca.

Create an IP interest group

• The sustainability of the Apple IP Producer Club will depend upon the creation of market demand for IP apples. However, for the overall IP approach to sustain itself and potentially expand into other agricultural sectors and geographical regions, the next phase must involve the creation of market demand on a much larger scale. The establishment of an IP Interest Group is one way to initiate this process. Such a group would comprise all relevant stakeholders in the agriculture sector and would function as a platform for discussing, planning and implementing all future IP-related initiatives, focusing on fruit production in Korca during the initial stages. Significant progress was made towards strengthening the linkages and networking between the main stakeholders involved in this project (farmers, extension, government, research and education) and this should be used as a foundation for building such an IP Interest Group. Additional stakeholders to be invited into the group would include traders, consumers and input suppliers. Such a group would i) enable better coordination of IP activities, ii) create awareness and interest in IP at various levels, e.g., consumers, supermarkets, traders and government, iii) stimulate the creation and expansion of market demand and iv)

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encourage faster eventual dissemination of the approaches into other crops in Korca, using the Apple IP Producer Club in Korca as a model. It would also help to strengthen the support network for farmers in general. Through the links and communication pathways established within such a group, current problems being faced by farmers would be identified more rapidly and informed responses would be discussed, developed, researched and communicated back to the farmers in a much more focused and coordinated manner.

Engage more actively with government and promote dissemination of IP approaches to other regions of Albania

In order to promote wider dissemination of IP and encourage the implementation of such elevated standards of production across other regions and crops in Albania, it will be necessary to encourage further engagement at the government level. The MoA is aware of the achievements of Agrinet and the Apple IP Producer Club but there is not yet a strong link in place and no efforts have been made to encourage promotion of IP by the government on a national level. Efforts are needed to create stronger and more regular dialogue between the Apple IP Producer Club and the MoA, potentially via the IP Interest Group once it is established. The long-term aim would be for government to consider the IP Interest Group as an ‘Advisory Panel’ to the government, providing recommendations and influence at the policy level, particularly relating to the creation and implementation of national plant protection legislation and accompanying IP guidelines.

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2.2 NICARAGUA

2.2.1 Background• Plant protection is currently a highly relevant topic in Nicaragua due to increasing consumer

awareness and desire for safe, high quality products. Although there is a general awareness about the risk and impact of pesticide misuse, the problem still exists. The purpose of this project was to improve the scope and quality of the plant health services for farmers that promote sustainable pest management and reduction in pesticide use.

• MIP-COSUDE2 (the local name for the current SDC IPM Advisory Group project in Nicaragua) worked closely with the Diagnostic and Plant Health Management Network (Red de Diagnóstico y Manejo Fitosanitario) of Nicaragua (or, Plant Health Network, PHN). This includes all major players involved in crop protection in the country and covers extension, research, education and phytosanitary regulation (see Figure 8). The PHN was formed out of a ‘National Initiative’ to create a ‘plant health system’ for Nicaragua based on local plant health clinics as providers of primary plant healthcare, supported up specialist services supplied by network members (secondary and tertiary plant healthcare). The network aims to overcome difficulties in coordinating support services for farmers based on alliances between professionals with a shared interest in IPM. It was therefore logical to include the project within the strategic framework of the National Initiative in order to work smoothly with key players in plant health and maximise outreach and impact of the project’s activities.

Figure 8: The Diagnostic and Plant Health Management Network (Red de Diagnóstico y Manejo Fitosanitario) of Nicaragua

• PROMIPAC (Central American IPM Programme; Donor)

• FUNICA (Nicaraguan Foundation for Technological Development in Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry; Donor)

• UNAN León (National Autonomous University of Nicaragua León; West region)

• UNA Managua (National Agrarian University; South region)

• UCATSE (Catholic University of the Dry Tropics; North region)

• INTA (Nicaraguan Agricultural Technology Institute; Clinic operation)

• Farmers (Farmer cooperatives; plant clinic operators)

• CNEA (National Commission for Agricultural Education)

• MAGFOR (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry)

• DGPSA (General Directorate for Agricultural and Livestock Health and Protection)

• INPHRU (Human Promotion Institute)

• INATEC (National Technological Institute)

• The main partner for the IPM Advisory Group project was PROMIPAC (Programa de Manejo Integrado de Plagas para América Central), an SDC-funded IPM programme for Farmers in Central America being managed by Zamorano, a leading agricultural university in Central America. It was anticipated that there would be notable gains in combining the IPM Advisory Group project’s interests in strengthening plant clinics with PROMIPAC’s efforts to establish eco-friendly input suppliers, ‘plant pharmacies’, in rural communities. PROMIPAC agreed to co-finance activities with the IPM Advisory Group project in Nicaragua, as did FUNICA (Fundación para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Agropecuario y Forestal de Nicaragua), a private-public partnership funded by DANIDA and IFAD and which was prominent in helping establish plant clinics in 2005. Both these partners covered their own staff costs for joint activities and also provided logistical support.

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• The previous phase of this project focussed on training extension workers and farmers on technical aspects of crop protection. This phase shifted directions towards enhancing the outreach of the extension service. Thus, it was less about “what messages to convey to farmers” and more about “how to convey those messages to farmers”; an equally important aspect of the extension problem. Plant clinics were considered to be the main tool that would help improve the method of transferring knowledge to farmers. The project therefore had the following objectives:

• Strengthen the quality of plant clinic services

• Disseminate IPM practices through plant clinics

• Strengthen links between plant clinics and suppliers of alternative inputs

• Establish sustainability criteria for plant clinics

2.2.2 Major outputsI. Plant clinics strengthened in diagnosis and plant health management

Plant clinic monitoring and quality control system improved

• Three workshops on ‘Monitoring Quality and Progress of Plant Clinics’ were conducted during the project with a total participation of 58 persons, including PHN members and plant doctors. The aim of the workshops was to improve the plant clinic monitoring process and the quality of information gathered so that it can be used to inform strategies to improve the services offered by the plant clinics (see Figure 9). Monitoring of plant clinics in Nicaragua has so far been inconsistent and weak, partly because the plant clinics were still relatively young, but also because of a lack of awareness about quality control and why it is fundamental to an effective plant health system. There was also limited knowledge and experience of how to monitor clinics and carry out quality control of the services. This was the first time that these workshops were held in Nicaragua. The schedule and the training material were developed by CABI in 2008, building on experiences and lessons from Nicaragua, Bangladesh and Vietnam. CABI led the first two workshops, but through observation of this process, the PHN members gained the knowledge and experience required to run their own monitoring workshops. The third workshop was therefore led by the PHN and backstopped by CABI.

• Eight plant clinic quality criteria and five simple monitoring methods (see Figure 10) were defined during the workshops as a basis for establishing a plant clinic monitoring system. Knowledge on how to establish and operate a simple monitoring system for the plant clinics was transferred, emphasising that a regular and systematic monitoring system is essential for documenting plant clinic progress, assessing the quality of the diagnoses and advice provided by the plant doctors, identifying weaknesses and difficulties, and defining actions for speedy responses to current and emerging plant health problems.

Figure 9: What is a plant clinic?

• Plant clinics provide advice to farmers on a local basis and offer advice as required on any problem and any crop.

• They are set up in marketplaces and other locations which are readily accessible to poor farmers.

• The farmer brings along a sample of a sick plant and discusses the problem with a trained adviser (a “plant doctor”) who belongs to a local or national organisation

• The farmer receives a diagnosis of the problem affecting his or her crop, together with written and verbal recommendations for managing it.

• Before running a plant clinic, plant doctors are given additional training to help them diagnose problems using field symptoms and use a pragmatic approach to applying their knowledge to give immediate advice.

• Diagnostic support to the plant clinics is offered through national diagnostic laboratories and facilities, where available.

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Figure 10a: Quality criteria for plant clinics 10b: Simple monitoring methods for plant clinics

• Technical quality• Timeliness and reliability• Access to inputs• Communication and attitude• Feasibility• Location, equipment, presentation• Organisation• Scale and scope

• Monitoring visits• Analyses of clinic registers• Regular follow-up meetings• Field visits• Feedback from clients

• Together with the PHN, a monitoring system, based on the quality criteria and monitoring methods identified, was then developed to enable more efficient evaluation of the plant clinics in Nicaragua. The system included a methodology, guidelines, monitoring forms, a monitoring data base, and a procedure to ensure the results are fed back to the plant clinics. In situ monitoring visits to plant clinics were conducted during the workshops to test out the monitoring system and procedures.

• Using the knowledge and experience gained during the monitoring workshops, the PHN members and plant doctors subsequently conducted a total of 38 plant clinic monitoring visits, around 15 of which were backstopped by CABI. These visits provided their first real insight into the effectiveness of the plant clinics and the standard of services provided. PHN members and plant doctors will be able to use these results to strengthen the plant clinics in line with the quality control criteria identified.

Plant clinic data collection enhanced

• A new and more complete version of the plant clinic register and data base was jointly developed with the PHN members and plant doctors. The register is a valuable tool used by plant doctors for documenting each of the insect pest and disease problems brought to the plant clinics by the farmers, as well as the advice given to the farmers. The information from the register is later transferred to a central data base and amalgamated with that of the other plant clinics in Nicaragua.

• This central database therefore serves as a national record of plant clinic related data. Information captured on the primary problems facing farmers can be used to monitor the plant clinic activities, as well as inform, design, and target proactive extension approaches so that key messages can be delivered at scale to a wider audience.

Plant doctor knowledge and capacity increased

• Training courses were implemented to increase the knowledge of plant doctors about good agricultural practices (GAP) and integrated pest management (IPM), and their capacity to prepare and disseminate extension messages to farmers. A total of six training course were implemented with 115 participants, including farmers, plant doctors and PHN members.

• Upon the request of the PHN, a writing also workshop was implemented for a number of plant doctors and PHN members with the aim of i) improving their writing skills, ii) transferring knowledge about different writing styles and how to direct key message to specific audiences, and iii) supporting the elaboration of some important manuals. In total, six plant doctors and six members of the PHN participated in the workshop. The practical session involved initiating some of the preliminary versions of the documents requested by the PHN. As a result, draft versions of a manual on ‘How to establish a plant clinic’; and another on ‘How to organise a Public Plant Health Campaign’ were developed.

• Also upon the request of the PHN, an additional training course was conducted to enhance the capacity of new plant doctors in selected key areas. This course was attended by 25 plant doctors from nine different new and existing plant clinics, as well as four PHN members. The art of developing extension messages and presenting them effectively, for example, in the form of fact sheets and photo sheets, etc., was introduced. The participants also learned a number of photography techniques. Extension messages normally include pictures to effectively illustrate the problem. Photography techniques are therefore important for producing high quality images that can be used for various extension material, as well as reference material used at the plant clinics. Various techniques to validate the extension message were also transferred since this process is essential for ensuring that farmers are able to understand the language and the practices or control methods suggested. During the course, the participants were given the opportunity to develop extension messages, discuss them and validate the information with the farmers. A total of nine documents were developed and validated during the workshop.

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Diagnostic support to plant clinics strengthened

• Plant doctors’ diagnostic capacity is highly variable. Although basic training is given as part of the plant doctor training, linking the plant clinics with support networks to provide technical assistance in this arena is invaluable for cases where plant doctors are unable to diagnose a problem with absolute certainty. Progress with linking diagnostic labs to plant clinics in Nicaragua in the past has been varied and a need was identified to improve the functional capacity of the laboratories themselves – making best use of existing resources – as well as to improve service delivery by the laboratories that give greater priority to research.

• In order to address and try to improve the diagnostic support available to plant doctors, three of the key diagnostic laboratories that are already linked to the plant clinics were evaluated in 2010. The interactions with the plant clinics and the type of support they offer were evaluated, along with their operation procedures, logistics and constraints. Advice was provided to facilitate improvements to their overall performance with respect to providing plant clinics with an effective and reliable diagnostic support service.

II. IPM practices disseminated through the plant clinics and public plant health campaigns

Public plant health campaigns

• A new extension method, the public plant health Campaign (PPHC) (see Figure 11), was developed for Nicaragua during this project to complement the regular function of plant clinics. The initial model called ‘Going Public’, which was used in Bangladesh and other countries, was modified to fit the local needs and situation in Nicaragua.

Figure 11: What is a public plant health campaign (PPHC)?

• The PPHC is a new method of massive extension that allows the plant clinics to expand their work and reach large numbers of farmers in areas that are more remote and difficult to access.

• PPHCs enable large-scale promotion and dissemination of specific IPM control options and prevention practices for major plant health problems.

• The campaigns are quick, inexpensive and reach farmers who otherwise receive little or no support.

• A PPHC involves a group of up to 10 persons (plant doctors and members of the PHN) travelling to different farming communities and making one or two stops in order to transfer knowledge to groups of farmers about IPM practices for a particular pest known to be an important one in that area.

• Megaphones are often used as a means to gather as many people together as possible.

• A short baseline questionnaire is used to gather key information immediately before the campaign starts. These data help to 1) assess the existing knowledge and current practices of farmers; 2) determine whether the extension message is correct, and 3) gather information about other problems concerning the farmers.

• Short demonstrations are sometimes used to further explain how and when the recommendations should be implemented.

• During the implementation of the PPHC, the extension message is also normally evaluated by the farmers, thus providing the implementers insight as to whether the message has been clearly understood and whether the recommendations are feasible, accessible and efficient.

• The PPHCs focus on topics that have identified through the plant clinics or feedback from farmers at previous PPHCs.

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• A training course was developed and implemented for approximately 30 plant doctors in order to introduce the PPHC method and process, and to develop materials required to implement the PPHCs. In total, 18 new fact sheets were produced for printing and distribution to farmers to provide information on the pests being addressed and the management strategies being recommended at the campaigns.

• The plant doctors and PHN members (UNAN-Leon, UCATSE, UNA Managua and PROMIPAC) implemented a total of 28 PPHCs, transferring information about IPM practices and alternative methods of control for the ten most important pest problems in each selected region to approximately 1372 farmers.

Mobile plant clinics linked to PPHCs

• Mobile plant clinics have now also started to run alongside the PPHCs in order to allow the farmers to bring samples along and receive recommendations for the control of problems they are currently experiencing. This idea was developed in response to suggestions made by farmers participating in previous PPHCs and has so far been well received. In addition, Plant Pharmacies have also been incorporated into the whole approach in order to ensure that farmers have immediate access to the alternative methods of control being recommended to them at the PPHCs.

Development of high quality extension material

• During the project, a total of 14,000 fact sheet copies, covering various subjects, were produced and provided to farmers via the plant clinics and PPHCs around the country. Approximately 250 laminated photo sheets were also produced and provided to the plant clinics as reference material to help the farmers visualize and recognise the problems and thus aid the diagnosis process. In addition, 10 banners were provided for use during the PPHC to introduce the activity and provide information about the institutions implementing the event. All of the extension messages and materials were produced as part of the preparation process for the PPHCs and were validated before printing.

III. The provision of alternative inputs strengthened at local level

Plant pharmacies established

• A total of three ‘plant pharmacies’ were established and linked to plant clinics in rural areas where the availability, and thus also the use, of biological pesticides and other alternative products to pesticides is restricted (see Figure 12). Lists of providers of such biologically-based products were compiled together with various PHN members (UCATSE, UNAN LEON and PROMIPAC) to facilitate the linking and increased access of the plant pharmacies to sources of these alternative, less toxic products.

• Three one-day training courses were implemented in collaboration with PROMIPAC to train the owners of each plant pharmacy. Six plant doctors from three plant clinic attended. During the workshops, the plant doctors received training on how to manage the plant pharmacy as an agribusiness. Other relevant topics, such as marketing, identification of products, recommended product dosages, technology of application, management and distribution of products in the recommended dosages, intoxication management, product storage requirements, etc., were also covered. Following successful completion of the training in plant pharmacy operation, the participants received a certificate to confirm they have been approved to distribute biologically-based products.

• During this project, supplies were donated by CABI and PROMIPAC to facilitate the initial set-up of the plant pharmacies, with a view to the farmers running them as a business thereafter, using revenue to buy new stock as required. In addition to a variety of biological pesticide products, the start-up packs also included parasitoids and predators, biofertilisers, seeds and a few low-toxicity chemical pesticides. In order to enhance plant doctors’ knowledge on predators and parasitoids, and thus encourage the sale of such products at the plant pharmacies, a one-off workshop on how to identify natural enemies was held.

• A total of three plant pharmacies are now up and running, helping to improve farmer access to the plant pharmacies in rural areas where public transport is very limited or even non-existent. One of the pharmacies is linked to a cooperative-run plant clinic. The cooperative treats the plant pharmacy as a micro-business, reinvesting revenue from sales in to new stock. The other two plant pharmacies are currently being evaluated to see if their operations can be re-modeled to match the more sustainable approaches of the first pharmacy.

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Figure 12: What is a plant pharmacy?

• In the rural areas in Nicaragua, the farmers face significant restrictions in terms of the availability of biopesticides and alternative methods to pesticides.

• PROMIPAC has been addressing this problem since 2005 through the establishment of ‘plant pharmacies’

• A plant pharmacy is a local business, owned by government institutions and cooperatives and operated by plant doctors, which sells alternative, biological products and only the least-toxic pesticide products.

• Owners of plant pharmacies are trained in business management and the technical and operational aspects of owning and running a plant pharmacy.

• The plant pharmacy owners are provided with a basic starter kit of products to help launch the business (by CABI and PROMIPAC in the current project), with a view to the owners running them as a business thereafter, using revenue to buy new stock as required.

• Some of the pharmacies are mobile, reaching farmers that normally have difficulty to get to input dealer locations.

IV. Sustainability criteria established for plant clinics

Sustainability workshops held

• Two workshops were held in May 2009 to discuss and develop plans for ensuring the future sustainability of the plant clinics. A total of 100 participants attended, including the managers and directors of the different institutions (governmental institutions and private cooperatives (farmer associations)) responsible for operating the plant clinics. During these workshops, the experiences of plant doctors were shared and discussed, and then used to formulate potential strategies and criteria to ensure future plant clinic sustainability:

– Incorporation of a small fee for the services provided at the plant clinics: This approach would not be appropriate for government-led plant clinics; however, cooperatives could consider incorporating plant clinic services into the membership fees. Those cooperatives also servicing non-member farmers at their plant clinics would have to consider alternative solutions;

– Government-run plant clinics could work in cooperation with other institutions in the area: This would enable the recruitment of additional plant doctors and the rotation of staff, thus helping to ensure that the plant clinics operate efficiently and are not forced to close when plant doctors are involved in other government priority activities.

– Extension services could be integrated, e.g., fixed plant clinic + mobile plant clinics + plant pharmacies + PPHCs: This would expand extension efforts and outreach. In 2010, several meetings were held with governmental insitutions (INTA and MAGFOR) who indicated they would implement some changes in this direction. It is expected that the government will include these integrated services within their yearly plan of operation.

– Expand the range of services and advice offered by plant clinics: Plant doctors could offer a broader range of advice covering plant health in general, including plant nutrition and soil health/conservation, etc.

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– Embed plant doctor training in a national university curriculum: UNAN- Leon has volunteered to be the coordinating body for plant clinics in Nicaragua. The university will develop new curricula for plant doctors, comprising topics covering plant protection, crop management and good agricultural practices. The duration of this course is expected to start in June 2011. Trainees will attend classes on the weekends for a period of between three and six consecutive months, after which they will be accredited based on their performance in an exam. The first group (25 persons) will include new and experienced plant doctors.

• After the two sustainability workshops, the PHN members followed up with each of the plant clinics, identifying the best sustainability approaches for each one. The operation and management of five plant clinics were subsequently restructured. Currently, five cooperatives have included the activities of the plant clinics in their yearly plans of operation, making them an official responsibility of the plant doctors. They have also included the operation of the plant clinics as part of the services they offer to the community. It is expected that these two adjustments will contribute significantly to ensuring the sustainability of the plant clinics in the long term.

• Furthermore, plant clinic activities have been incorporated into the yearly plans of operation of five PHN member institutions (PROMIPAC, UCATSE, UNA Managua, UNAN-LEON and FUNICA), thus indicating that this approach has been accepted and adopted as one of their major responsibilities.

Integration of plant clinics into value chains promoted

• An additional follow-up to the sustainability activities was the organisation of two further workshops to promote the integration of the plant clinic approach into the value chains of the major producers in the different regions. A total of 100 people, plant doctors and managers from the different cooperatives and government institutions running the plant clinics, attended to be given an introduction on how to develop value chain strategies. One strong idea emerging from the workshops was for PHN specialists and plant doctors to select one or more key crops, such as coffee, and develop a specialised ‘technological package’ for each one, comprising crop-specific production guidelines, recommended inputs, management techniques for key pests and diseases, etc. Plant doctors would then be provided with additional training in this area such that they are in the position to offer specialized, paid-for technical support to farmers belonging to the cooperatives. It is anticipated that this activity will be prioritised from 2012 onwards.

2.2.3 OutcomesI. Farmer behavioural changes and yield increases• Farmers are adopting the crop management advice offered at plant clinics. Out of 106 plant

clinic users interviewed from 11 plant clinics, 63 (59.43%) said they had adopted all of the recommendations they had been given by the plant doctors. Of these, 38 have been applying the recommendation for more than one year. Assuming that all of the advice offered by the plant doctors is sound and based on GAP/IPM practices, this would mean that farmers using the plant clinics are tending to improve their farming practices in this direction.

• A total of 42.5% of farmers interviewed have experienced yield increases after adopting the recommendations given at the plant clinics.

• Farmers are adopting new methods of control being recommended to them via the new, large-scale PPHCs. Out of a total of 82 farmers interviewed, 71.9% remembered in detail the problem presented, while 53.6% remembered the recommendations presented. A total of 25% indicated that they had fully implemented the recommendations given, 38% had partially implemented them, whilst 19% had not adopted any recommendations at all. When questioned further, the group that had not implemented any recommendations expressed that they had either not been affected by the problem presented, or did not have the resources to obtain the product or implement the practice being recommended.

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II. Plant clinics offering a higher standard of service• As a result of the training provided to plant doctors, and the integration of sustainability criteria into

plant clinic operation, the plant clinics are now working under a new approach, offering advice that coheres with GAP/IPM, covering aspects of pest and disease prevention and management, plant nutrition and soil health.

• Plant doctors have an enhanced understanding of alternative methods of pest control, including how to identify and apply natural enemies and other biologically-based products, and are incorporating this new knowledge into recommendations given to the farmers.

• Plant doctors’ skills in writing, designing and validating extension messages and material have improved significantly. This has led to increased production and dissemination of extension materials detailing recommended crop management techniques, based on IPM and GAP approaches. The extension material is helping plant doctors transfer the recommended technologies/methodologies to the farmers and is aiding subsequent implementation of the practices in the field. Farmer feedback indicates that the extension material is invaluable for aiding pest recognition in the field.

• The evaluation process of the diagnostic laboratories has helped the PHN to understand how a better service can be offered to the plant clinics, and what improvements must be implemented at the facilities to enable this. As a result of the evaluations, one of the diagnostic facilities, at UNAN-Leon reduced its charges to enable increased use of its service by the farmers or plant clinics.

• Plant clinics are now operating according to the newly-established quality criteria and monitoring system. With the newly-developed monitoring tools the PHN members have learned how to be more critical, analytical and systematic of plant clinic performance, and are undertaking the monitoring visits with more confidence. Furthermore, plant doctors from different plant clinics are sharing experiences and learning from each other through organising and attending meetings that are held approximately every two months in each region.

• The PHN has committed itself to continuing to increase the use of the plant clinic register and database, and returning the results to the clinics. It is important that plant doctors receive the information from the database, to see the practical use of the recording system and increase their motivation to maintain records. Following the introduction of the improved plant clinic register, plant doctors are beginning to use it on a more regular basis.

• The scale and scope of the plant clinic has increased with the integration of the targeted PPHCs, plant pharmacies and mobile plant clinics. A far greater number of farmers are being reached with extension messages that have been designed specifically to meet their local needs. A total of eight plant clinics are now working under this integrated framework.

III. Plant clinics integrated within a stronger plant health network• At the start of the project, some of the links between the PHN members were rather weak which

meant that the members were not always working together in the most effective manner. Through joint implementation of the project activities, however, the PHN members have now begun to work in a more targeted and coordinated way. Guidelines comprising the roles and responsibilities of the PHN board and its member institutions, which were established during the project, are helping in this respect.

• Through joint implementation and integration of plant clinics, PPHCs and mobile plant clinics, various important links within the PHN have been strengthened, particularly between the following actors:

– Farmers and extension services: through the extension approaches being implemented, farmers now have regular access to sound, locally-relevant crop management advice

– Extension services and technical expertise: Functional links between plant clinics and diagnostic facilities enable support to be provided to plant doctors when necessary. Furthermore, through the PHN, those organisations running plant clinics have direct links to other plant health related organisations, including research institutes, universities and diagnostic laboratories, with whom strategies can be developed to further improve technical support to the plant clinics.

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– Extension services and input suppliers: the presence of the plant pharmacies ensure that the advice plant doctors give is locally applicable, and that the recommended inputs can be sourced or bought locally.

– Extension services and regulatory bodies: the plant clinic registers and the data base together provide a mechanism to capture information from the field about pest abundance and spread, the advice being given to the farmers, as well as information on new and emerging pests. Governmental institutions within the PHN have direct access to this information and thus also an up to date link to what is happening on the ground.

IV. Farmer support diversifying and extending in its outreach • Data from the plant clinics are proving to be a critical source of information leading to faster, better

informed responses at local and national levels, such as through the PPHCs, which are designed to target current and locally-relevant plant health problems.

• The introduction of a new PPHC extension approach has enhanced the scope, scale and efficiency of the plant clinic services and has improved the extension capacity of the PHN member institutions.

• The PPHC method has already been received with huge enthusiasm by the national partners and farmers that participated since it is quick, inexpensive and reaches farmers who receive little or no support. The PHN has provided support for the implementation of more campaigns in the country and has included them in their Yearly Plan of Operations.

• PHN members now have the capacity to develop high quality extension messages and materials and are disseminating them independently of external support via well-organised PPHCs.

• Some of the cooperative-run plant clinics have implemented the PPHCs independently without the presence of the PHN, thus indicating the popularity and ongoing sustainability of the approach.

• The project has helped people cope with the challenges of implementing such large-scale mass dissemination events. At the beginning this represented a challenge to the plant doctors, but now they are more confident and are doing an excellent job.

• Through the PPHCs, groups of women with specific training requirements in tomato production, specifically virus and whitefly management, were identified. As a consequence, a training course was developed and implemented, which led to an increase in tomato yields by 20%.

V. Access to less, toxic and more appropriate inputs increased• The establishment of plant pharmacies has led to the creation of an agribusiness approach;

increasing access to less toxic and biologically-based products in more remote regions, whilst providing farmers with the opportunity to create and develop their own businesses. Being of benefit to both the provider and user will help to ensure the sustainability of the approach.

• Farmers in more remote and inaccessible areas are now able to access alternative products, which in turn is anticipated to lead to a reduction in the use of more toxic, conventional pesticides.

VI. New approaches being developed to run plant clinics• Plant clinics have begun to forge links with new members and funding sources. Working in a value

chain, the plant clinics have the opportunity to secure operational funds from both private sector sources, such as farmer cooperatives and the food industry, as well as through public sector channels, including government investment.

• Four plant clinics have become specialised in up to three of the most important commodity crops in their region and are being run by farmer cooperatives. In such a way, these organisations have become accountable to farmers and work together to respond more directly to farmers’ needs while continuing to maintain their standard diagnostic and advisory service for other crops presented in their region.

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2.2.4 Anticipated impact• The enhanced pest recognition and crop management skills of extension workers and farmers is

expected to lead to a continued reduction in the use of highly toxic and/or inappropriate pesticides.

• As plant clinics, PPHCs, mobile plant clinics and plant pharmacies continue to expand in number, geographical area and outreach, this is anticipated to lead to the implementation of sound methods of crop management on a larger scale.

• Farmer to farmer exchange of knowledge gained through plant clinics and PPHCs will increase the further dissemination and understanding of key messages.

• Increases in yield will become more apparent as a result of more reliable and widespread advisory support for farmers, particularly in more remote, difficult to reach, areas.

• Increased yields will then lead to potential increases in income and improved livelihoods for farmers and their families. With the extra income, farmers will be able to reinvest in their land, property or childrens’ education.

• Over time, as a result of the good advice and support offered, farmers will be better positioned to comply with national and international production standards. This in turn will have a positive impact on their income and investment potential.

• A reduction in the misuse of agrochemicals will gradually lead to a positive effect in human and environmental health. Farmers’ direct exposure to toxic chemicals is likely to decrease, environmental damage will be reduced through more appropriate crop management practices and consumer safety will be enhanced through a resulting reduction of residues on harvested crops.

• By aggregating observations from the plant clinics, the central database will help the PHN to monitor and respond to the shifting demands of farmers by year, location and production system. With such a vigilance system in place, the PHN will be able identify new problems early on and develop appropriate response strategies. Such an early detection and rapid response mechanism will contribute to the prevention of potential large crop losses in the future.

• The links between the extension services and the farmers that have been strengthened through this project will lead to increasing use and demand for plant clinics and other advisory services. Other organisations may become interested in initiating plant clinics and those already running them expand their existing schemes. This in turn will mean that more and more farmers across the country will benefit from good crop management advice and a resulting increase in production following implementation of new and targeted agricultural practices.

• Increased knowledge, capacity and experience of running plant clinics will over time lead to smarter responses by plant clinic organisers and extension providers to arising plant health problems. This in turn will lead to increased impact and hopefully more investment by government and other PHN institutions.

• High quality, updated and validated extension material will support increased impact of extension in general and lead to a greater uptake and implementation of recommended agricultural practices by farmers.

• It is anticipated that demand for plant pharmacies will continue to grow and in doing so will stimulate an increase in their number and geographical outreach. Links to the plant clinics will become stronger, which in the long term will help to improve the use of more appropriate crop management products by farmers.

• As diagnostic laboratories become more efficient and plant clinic-responsive, their value to extension and research will increase. Research will become more responsive to farmers’ needs, through closer interaction with such diagnostic facilities.

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2.2.5 Sustainability

I. Sustainability indicators• Plant clinics need to be embedded in national systems and organisations if they are to survive. In

Nicaragua, significant progress has been made over the last three years to gradually institutionalise the plant clinics within the PHN. The inclusion of plant clinic activities in the yearly plans of operation of five PHN member institutions (PROMIPAC, UCATSE, UNA Managua, UNAN-LEON and FUNICA) indicates that this approach has been fully accepted and adopted as one of their major responsibilities.

• A number of cooperatives are running plant clinics as part of the support service offered to their members. Institutionalisation of plant clinics indicates a high level of sustainability for the plant clinics, particularly in this situation where they are a being offered as a service to paying members; attention to quality and plant doctor commitment will be at their highest.

• New institutions, such as INPHRU, recently joined the PHN in 2010, thus indicating that it is perceived as a sustainable and worthwhile network to be part of.

• Plant doctor training courses have started to be developed and embedded within the university curriculum at UNAN-Leon, with the PHN being responsible for the overall implementation and evaluation of the course. Once up and running, all new plant doctors will be trained and accredited by UNAN-Leon. This is a significant step in the direction of sustainability for the plant clinic approach, with the responsibility for high quality training and accreditation of plant doctors becoming a national interest and priority.

• The government of Nicaragua has also indicated an interest to increase their collaboration and participation in plant clinic activities. Approximately 300 government staff have been nominated to participate in the newly-developed university course to become plant doctors. This course will commence in September 2011. Having the government on board, and at such a large scale, is likely to have a significant impact in terms of ensuring the growth and sustainability of the plant clinic approach to extension.

II. Suggested ways forward

Institutionalisation and improved management of plant clinics

• The sustainability of plant clinics largely depends upon them becoming institutionalised. Efforts need to continue to focus on understanding why some organisations are more successful in maintaining plant clinics and expand schemes that have demonstrated success, such as farmer cooperatives.

• Having national coordinators has proven instrumental in ensuring the effective organisation and implementation of project activities, as well as general coordination of the PHN activities. An approach is now needed to maintain the national coordinator positions, independent of external support, such that this management and coordination role can continue. Without this, the PHN risks losing focus, drive and continuity.

• In Nicaragua, the success of the plant clinics in reaching many farmers has attracted interest from the government; efforts are now needed to build upon this to improve increased dissemination and uptake of the approach on a national scale.

• Business management is often lacking in the organisations leading plant clinics in Nicaragua. The management capacity of the managers and directors therefore needs to be enhanced to further ensure the sustainability of the extension services they operate and eliminate their dependency on external project funds.

Strengthening the national plant health system and the support provided to plant clinics

• Achieving long term sustainability, scale and wider impact will require further actions that can most effectively take place in the context of the PHN. Linkages within the PHN need to be further developed and strengthened to bring them more in line with a national ‘plant health system’ (Figure 13) and put Nicaragua in a better position to tackle plant health more effectively and more extensively on an on-going basis. The plant clinics in Nicaragua provide the basis upon which to facilitate this process, since they provide valuable links between farmers and extension and also input supply (via the plant pharmacies). Efforts are now needed to build upon these links and to establish and/or strengthen the remaining, weaker associations amongst the existing national PHN.

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• Progress in terms of linking diagnostic labs to plant clinics in Nicaragua has been made but more could be done to enhance service delivery by the laboratories. New and sustainable ways to work with the diagnostic laboratories need to be evaluated, such as implementing a minimal charge per sample sent for diagnosis, thus generating funds that can be reinvested in equipment and resources. Furthermore, focus should be placed on forging stronger links to diagnostic laboratories that give greater priority to research, since the problems they encounter could be used to inform the identification and prioritisation of future crop health related research topics.

• Broader networks of plant pharmacies are also needed to improve the availability of recommended inputs to farmers; with further training provided to the plant doctors who take on the responsibility of managing them. Operating a small business requires a new way of thinking and behaving and this is proving difficult for some of the plant doctors. Extra efforts are required to ensure that they are adequately prepared if the long-term sustainability of this approach is to be more certain. It is also anticipated that farmers will be able to start operating and managing the plant pharmacies rather than plant doctors. This will ensure that there is no conflict of interest that might affect the quality and impartiality of the service provided by the plant clinics.

• In areas where farmers have access to established agro-dealers, work should be done to identify the more reliable outlets and affiliate them with the plant clinics. Establishment of an ‘Agro-dealer Code of Conduct’ would also help to ensure good practice and effective service to farmers. Positive relationships with agro-dealers can lead to mutual benefits: plant doctors know the agro-dealer they recommend is trustworthy, and agro-dealers known for good practice receive additional business. At the same time agro-dealers can be more effective, when information gathered by plant clinics is used to inform stockists of the key products needed by farmers.

Figure 13: What is a plant health system?

FARMERRESEARCH & EDUCATION

EXTENSION

INPUT SUPPLY

REGULATION

• A plant health system can be defined as an entity, or association of entities, that functions to prevent disease, reduce crop losses and promote plant health.

• This can be achieved through the organised efforts and informed choices of public and private organisations, communities and farmers.

• The plant health system comprises the farmers together with four key components or functions: research, education and extension, which deliver knowledge intended to improve plant health; input suppliers who deliver knowledge and physical inputs such as seeds, biological and other crop protection products and fertilisers; and finally, regulation which oversees the production, sale and use of agricultural inputs, as well as protecting countries from new and emerging pests and diseases.

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Capitalising on the information gathered by plant clinics and expanding their scope

• The plant clinic register and data base together form an extremely important feature of the plant clinics. Further improving their user-friendliness and management, and thus also their frequency of use, would reap significant benefit in terms of the quantity and quality of data gathered, as well as the scope and value of the information that subsequent analyses may yield, for example:

• Monitoring the quality of the diagnosis and advice given at plant clinics;

• Identifying aspects of the plant clinics that require improvement, such as the availability of additional extension and reference material for the plant doctors, further training of the plant doctors in certain topics, stronger links to technical expertise, etc.;

• Tracking the abundance and spread of key insect pests and diseases facing farmers, detecting any new and potentially threatening crop health problems and coordinating appropriate proactive responses to curb them.

• Plant clinics alone cannot achieve large scale impact. Linking them with complimentary extension approaches has proven a huge success in Nicaragua. This should be expanded in the next phase, and other approaches, such as radio, television, video, mobile phones, investigated and tested for their reach and impact. In this way, a much larger number of farmers will have access to reliable, timely and locally relevant information both through the plant clinics and through associated extension methods linked with the plant clinics.

• Plant clinics in Nicaragua have already been visited by farmers who seek advice on topics other than plant health, such as livestock production. As a response, the PHN members organised PPHCs specifically addressing key topics in livestock rearing. In Nicaragua, a large proportion of farmers carry out mixed livestock and crop production, and it thus follows that they would also be keen to receive support in this arena. One approach to increase the future impact and sustainability of the plant clinics, and PPHC, approach would therefore be to expand the advisory service provided by the plant clinics. Plant doctor training and preparation would need to be revised and modified accordingly if this approach were taken up.

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2.3

TANZANIA

2.3.1 Background• Tomato is a key vegetable crop of small holder farmers in Northern Tanzania. Farmers participating

in the current project had been trained in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) during season-long tomato farmer field schools (FFS). These farmers therefore had the knowledge and skills to produce tomatoes according to IPM practices. However, with no secure market for their IPM tomatoes or other vegetables, this project aimed to further build the capacity of farmers to produce tomatoes according to an IPM Technical Guideline and to develop and implement a marketing system for IPM tomatoes.

• The purpose of the project was to establish a functional marketing system for IPM tomatoes that would give farmers access to a secure niche market for a consumer- and environmentally-friendly product, and reduce production costs through lowered pesticide use according to IPM principles.

• This project involved the joint efforts of farmers, village extension officers, local IPM experts of the National Horticultural Research and Training Institute (HORTI Tengeru), a local marketing expert from the agricultural marketing development system programme of the Ministry of Agriculture of Tanzania (AMDSP) as well as IPM and marketing experts from CABI Africa and CABI Europe-Switzerland (CABI E-CH) (Figure 14).

Figure 14: Project partners and project organisation

Input suppliers

IPM Vegetable Producer Clubs converted from Farmer Field School

groups from project phase 1Traders of IPM tomatoes

Extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture of

Tanzania facilitate farmers and traders

IPM experts and researchers from the National Horticultural Research and

Training Institute (HORTI-Tengeru) are subcontracted and responsible for

project implementation

Support from marketing experts from the Agricultural Marketing System

Development Programme of the Ministry of Agriculture of Tanzania (AMSDP)

Advice from IPM, marketing and coordination experts

of CABI In H

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Tan

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2.3.2 Major outputs I. Vegetable producer clubs established to conduct sustainable tomato production as a business• Farmer field schools were successfully transformed into seven functional vegetable producer clubs,

capitalising on previous capacity building on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The producer clubs are located in three districts of the Northern Zone of Tanzania and comprise eight to 30 IPM farmers (in total 117 farmers), who are both the members and the owners of the clubs.

• A constitution was developed by each vegetable producer club and agreed on by all members to define the organisation and management structure, ensure good governance, and obtain commitment from the members to follow an agreed production standard to secure access to more reliable and profitable markets.

• A business plan was also developed by each IPM vegetable producer club and agreed on by all members to facilitate effective planning and implementation of IPM tomato production as a profitable business.

• All seven IPM vegetable producer clubs were registered by the Government of Tanzania and presented with an official certificate (see Figure 15). Such official government-level registration grants the producer clubs the right to exhibit in government-organised agricultural trading fairs, therefore presenting a greater number of effective opportunities to better promote the IPM approaches and produce.

• All seven IPM vegetable producer clubs also established linkages to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (extension), HORTI-Tenguru (research) and AMDSP (marketing) to facilitate access to the information and knowledge required to enhance tomato production and overall business opportunities.

Figure 15: Registration certificate for a vegetable producer club, issued by the Government of Tanzania

II. An ‘IPM Technical Guideline for Outdoor Tomato Production’ developed• An IPM Technical Guideline for Outdoor Tomato Production in Northern Tanzania was jointly

developed, based on local knowledge and using the framework of the IOBC standards for IP. This guideline clearly describes the agreed mandatory IPM practices such as crop rotation, variety selection, cultivation techniques, nutrition management and plant protection (see Figure 2).

• A first edition was completed in March 2010, followed by a second edition in November 2010 (see Figure 16).

• The final versions of the IPM Technical Guideline were made available in both English and Swahili following a thorough review and validation by the producer club members and extension staff.

• Three annexes to the IPM Technical Guideline were jointly developed: the List of Key Pests, the Green & Yellow List, and the Positive Pesticide List. Among these, the Green & Yellow List was particularly important for defining the most appropriate (e.g., least toxic) preventive and direct plant protection measures.

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• A total of 135 copies of the IPM Technical Guideline were printed and distributed to the IPM vegetable producer clubs, relevant extension staff, agro-input dealers, traders, research institutes and governmental bodies, such as the Tanzanian Horticultural Authority.

• Agro-input dealers provided IPM-compatible plant protection products to producer club members as a response to the implementation of the IPM Technical Guideline.

Figure 16: A snapshot of the Swahli version of the 50-page IPM Technical Guideline for Outdoor Tomato Production in Northern Tanzania, which includes three annexes: the List of Key Pests, the Green & Yellow List, and the Positive Pesticide List

III. Information cards designed and placed on IPM tomato crates for marketing and traceability• IPM tomato information cards, with text in both English and Swahili, were jointly developed by

representatives of the IPM vegetable producer clubs, traders, extension staff, marketing experts from the Agriculture Marketing Sector Development Programme, and IPM experts from Horti-Tengeru (see Figure 17).

• The marketing system of attaching these IPM tomato information cards to the sold tomato crates aims to create public awareness of IPM vegetables, protect the identity and authenticity of IPM tomatoes, ensure traceability, and create important dialogue between producers, consumers and potential new traders.

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• The final version of the IPM tomato information card was made available for use by all producer club members, following a thorough review and validation by the producer club members, traders and extension staff.

Figure 17: IPM tomato information cards are fixed onto each IPM tomato crate sold by IPM vegetable producer club members

IV. Sound farmer-trader relationships established to facilitate development and sustainability of markets for IPM tomatoes• A method was introduced to IPM vegetable producer club members and adapted to be used for

conducting participatory searches for market information and identifying and targeting different markets.

• Three formal and 14 informal agreements were made between IPM vegetable producer clubs and traders to strengthen the farmer-trader relationships and secure a stable market request. These agreements include methods of producing and selling IPM tomatoes, expected qualities and quantities, frequencies and modes of delivery, methods of communication, etc. (see Figure 18).

• Traders established a routine of meeting with producer clubs on a regular basis to exchange information on grading, sorting and packaging of tomatoes according to the market and trader needs.

• A strategy was developed to organise staggered production of preferred tomato varieties among IPM farmers to respond to the market’s need for a constant supply of these varieties and to avoid tomato gluts and associated drops in market prices.

• Methods were introduced to IPM vegetable producer club farmers to increase information exchange on current market situations, such as prices.

Figure 18: Left: Traders share information with an IPM vegetable producer club on grading and packing tomatoes; Right: Example of a written contract-like agreement between IPM tomato growers of ‘Upeneema IPM Vegetable Producer Club’ and its major trader

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V. Awareness of IPM tomatoes increased to improve and sustain market demands• IPM vegetable producer clubs, in collaboration with traders, developed an IPM logo to facilitate easy

recognition of IPM tomatoes and to support awareness creation activities (see Figure 19).

Figure 19: Left: The IPM tomato logo that was selected for use by the IPM vegetable producer clubs of Northern Tanzania; Right: A number of potential IPM tomato logos that were designed and put forward for selection by producer club members

• As mentioned above, producer club members also placed newly-developed IPM tomato information cards on to their sold IPM tomato crates to increase public awareness of IPM vegetables and create important dialogue between producers, consumers and potential new traders (see Figure 17).

• An additional major awareness creation strategy initiated during this project was the exhibition of the IPM tomatoes by IPM vegetable producer club members at government-organised agricultural trading fairs, such as the ‘Nane Nane Agri Shows’. Information about the IPM methods being used was also provided to aid better understanding of the benefits of the approaches that have been introduced and are being used by the tomato producers.

• IPM vegetable producer clubs also organised information events in their tomato fields to create awareness among other producers, traders and consumers. This included information on IPM techniques and the advantages of IPM tomatoes over conventional tomatoes.

2.3.3 Outcomes

I. Farmers are using more sustainable production practices and a more rational approach to pesticide use• The integrated and sustainable pest management and production approaches developed in this

project have reduced the over-reliance on pesticides and the associated risks to the tomato growers and the environment. This has been achieved particularly through exchange of indigenous and scientific knowledge and the selection and validation of sustainable pest management solutions adapted to local conditions and beneficiaries’ needs.

• The use of hazardous pesticides has been reduced by 85% during this project, with complete phasing out of the most toxic products (World Health Organisation (WHO) toxicity class I) and nearly complete phasing out of WHO class II products by producer club members. The use IPM methods, such as preventive pest and disease management measures, pest and disease monitoring, balanced fertilisation and ‘green’ biologically-based direct control measures has increased. In general this means that farmers are producing tomatoes that are far less likely to pose toxic effects on human and environmental health.

• Local knowledge and capacity to use natural resources more effectively and sustainably have been enhanced among tomato growers. Technical skills have also been improved to enable the development and dissemination of alternative IPM measures and ensure the sustainability of the improved production system.

• The IPM Technical Guideline for Outdoor Tomato Production in Northern Tanzania is currently being implemented by 117 farmers in seven IPM vegetable producer clubs in the Hai, Moshi and Arumeru districts of the Northern Zone of Tanzania. Most tomato growers are able to fulfil all of the obligatory

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requirements (in 2010, 65% of the farmers were fulfilling all of the 25 obligatory requirements of IPM implementation). This includes, for example, adhering to pre-harvest intervals for pesticide applications. Moreover, all farmers were able to fulfil the recommended IPM practices, as outlined in the self-evaluation checklist of the guideline. By 2010, it was discovered that an average of 92% of the recommendations for IPM implementation were being fulfilled by each farmer, thus surpassing the required threshold of 75%. For example, pest monitoring was being used for decision-making, and on-farm records were being kept throughout each tomato cropping season by 70% of the 90 farmers analysed.

• Through the active involvement of agro-input dealers in various activities, this project has also stimulated a significant increase in the local availability of registered, IPM-compatible plant protection products.

II. Improved market access • The producer club approach has effectively linked IPM tomato producers to local and/or regional

target markets, thereby creating sustainable demand for the IPM tomatoes.

• Through improved information exchange between tomato producers and traders, producers are now able to access reliable, up-to-date information on current market demands and prices. This is enabling producers to time the supply of their tomatoes to the market more appropriately and thus obtain maximum return.

• Through registering the IPM vegetable producer clubs with the Government of Tanzania, the members are now permitted to hold meetings, apply for public or private funds and conduct business as a group, thus generating greater bargaining power.

• The marketing approach of attaching IPM tomato information cards to the sold tomato crates has helped to create public awareness of IPM vegetables, protect the identity and authenticity of IPM tomatoes, ensure traceability, and create important dialogue between producers, consumers and potential new traders.

III. Tomato growers are experiencing economic benefits from producing and marketing IPM tomatoes • The IPM vegetable producer club members are already experiencing economic benefits from growing

and marketing IPM tomatoes. For example, farmers sold approximately 190 crates of IPM tomatoes per acre in July and August 2010, compared with 161 crates of conventional tomatoes per acre. Furthermore, pesticide input costs for producing IPM tomatoes were lower (39,000 Tsh per acre) than for conventional tomatoes (61,000 Tsh per acre) due to reduced use of costly synthetic pesticides.

• Farmers are also benefiting from the functioning marketing systems established by the IPM vegetable producer clubs. For example, higher prices have been secured for the IPM tomatoes in newly-identified target markets (8500 to 17000 Tanzanian Shillings (Tsh) per tomato crate) compared to ordinary markets (7000 to 13000 Tsh per crate). Additionally, producers and traders are creating contract-like agreements, which are leading to contract tomato production.

IV. IPM implementation is leading to creation and strengthening of multi-stakeholder linkages • Within this project, the IPM vegetable producer clubs have created new, and strengthened existing,

multi-stakeholder relationships along the IPM tomato value chain, including agro-input dealers, extension, research, producers, traders and consumers.

• Partnerships with traders and agro-input dealers have particularly been strengthened through conducting joint planning and decision-making activities. This is benefiting the producer club members via the identification and strengthening of market niches as well as increasing access to reliable, less toxic inputs.

• The newly-developed public-private partnerships have proven critical for enabling producer clubs to liaise with the local government and create awareness of the private sector approach to improving agricultural production and farmer livelihoods.

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2.3.4 Anticipated impact I. Economic benefits• In the long term it is expected that the outcomes of this project will lead to improved livelihoods of the

IPM farmers and their families, particularly through:

• A more stable income from a secured market;

• Higher market prices for IPM tomatoes in target markets than conventional tomatoes in ordinary markets;

• Slightly increased tomato production compared to non-IPM practices.

• The project has laid the foundations and created the necessary capacity for further expansion and improvement of sustainable and profitable tomato production. Increased income that is already being experienced is expected to be channelled to new business development opportunities by producer club members, such as cooperative sourcing and purchasing of inputs, negotiating new market channels for produce, establishing storage facilities to improve marketing power, financing transport to market towns, etc.

• In the long-term, it can be expected that the producer clubs will expand and diversify their business endeavours, perhaps also using expertise and resources to implement similar approaches in other crops. Gradually over time, and with the continuation of awareness creation activities, it is anticipated that the private-sector approach to agricultural production will be increasingly adopted in a greater number of regions and across a range of other crops within Tanzania. This could eventually contribute to increased employment opportunities and greater income for smallholder farmers across the entire agriculture sector on local, regional and national-levels.

II. Social benefits• The joint establishment and management of stable, democratically-driven IPM vegetable producer

clubs has led to improved relationships and cooperation among tomato growers and other relevant stakeholders they are in contact with. It is predicted that this, in turn, could stimulate further collaborative development of IPM approaches in the future as well as the potential identification and implementation of new joint business ventures.

• The phasing out of highly toxic pesticides, as well as the implementation of a more rational use of pesticides achieved within this project is expected to lead to a significantly reduced occurrence of health problems suffered by IPM growers and their families, as well as consumers. In the long term it is anticipated that this could contribute towards relieving the burden on the national health system and improving overall quality of life, especially within the agricultural community where regular, direct contact with pesticides can be common place.

III. Environmental benefits• With the phasing out of highly toxic pesticides and a reduction in the misuse of pesticides, it is

anticipated that this will lead to a significant decrease in associated negative environmental effects.

• Where non-target effects of highly toxic, broad spectrum pesticides kill a number of beneficial insects and other non-target vertebrates and invertebrates, this trend will be reversed as these products are no longer applied. It is well-known that a highly diverse agro-ecosystem more effectively supports a sustainable agricultural production system, one in which natural pest control reduces the need for inputs and plants are better defended against insect and disease attack.

• Pesticides are also known to contaminate rivers and underground water supplies. This not only threatens the wildlife living in, or depending upon, the water, but it can also threaten the communities of people that rely on such sources as drinking water. With the reduction in pesticide use that accompanies an IPM approach, these threats are anticipated to decline significantly, creating an almost immediate effect on the restoration of water and riparian wildlife communities as well as the health of the people using this water as a drinking supply.

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IV. Other benefits• The newly developed public-private relationships, which are facilitating improved interactions between

producer clubs and government, extension, research and marketing programmes are expected to generate greater awareness on the national level about the improved agricultural standards being implemented and the high quality IPM tomatoes being produced. Over time, it is anticipated that this will stimulate and encourage wider dissemination of the approaches across other regions and crops of Tanzania and could also lead to policy-level changes with regards to implementing agriculture production standards and enforcing a more rational use of pesticides.

2.3.5 Sustainability

I. Sustainability indicators• All seven of the IPM Vegetable Producer Clubs are operational and have a functioning marketing

system within which producers and traders have started to establish contract-like agreements that are leading to contract farming.

• The IPM Vegetable Producer Club members are already experiencing economic benefits from producing and marketing IPM tomatoes; the number of crates of tomatoes being sold has increased and higher prices have been secured for the IPM tomatoes in new target markets compared to ordinary markets. Furthermore, pesticide input costs for producing IPM tomatoes are lower than for conventional tomatoes due to reduced use of costly synthetic pesticides.

• Good governance within the producer clubs, facilitated by the agreed constitutions, is helping to ensure their stability and development, as well as adherence by members to the agreed production standards and quality control checks.

• Government recognition of the producer clubs, through their official registration, means that they are permitted to exhibit in government-organised agricultural trading fairs. This in turn constitutes a powerful advertising mechanism that will continually increase public awareness of IPM vegetables and contribute to their further growth in popularity and demand.

• Competence and capacity in IPM production and marketing has been enhanced significantly in Northern Tanzania among producers, extension and research institutes (IPM producer club members, extension service of the Ministry of Agriculture and HORTI Tenguru). This, together with the IPM Technical Guideline that was developed during this project has laid the foundations for further dissemination of the private sector approach to improving sustainable vegetable production.

• Throughout the project, various public-private partnerships were established and/or strengthened, for example, between the producer clubs and i) companies selling plant protection products, ii) public research bodies, iii) public extension services, and iv) public agricultural marketing programmes. This has led to greater support for tomato producer club members and will thus contribute to the sustainability of IPM production and the producer club approach.

II. Suggested ways forward

Strengthen the support offered to members of the IPM Vegetable Producer Clubs

• Experiences from implementing the current project show that the members of the IPM Vegetable Producer Clubs benefited enormously from capacity building in both IPM and marketing aspects. It would be logical to establish a system that provides producer club members with regular training, either through their links to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, AMDSP and/or another identified advisory service. This will enable the producers to continue developing their knowledge and skills as well as increase their capacity to further improve production and marketing of their produce. It could be considered that members pay an annual set training fee to their producer club, or they could pay per training event.

Further develop a market niche for the IPM tomatoes

• The long-term sustainability of the IPM approaches in tomato production will ultimately rest on whether it is possible to upscale and sustain market demand for the IPM tomatoes. Advocacy campaigns must be scaled up in the future in order to create greater public awareness of, and demand for, the IPM produce. Awareness and interest in the new, safer methods of production and

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their benefits, including a reduction in use of highly toxic pesticides, the application of more natural methods of pest management, reduced impact on the environment, and increased health benefits to farmers and consumers, etc., must be generated to enable market interest to further develop. As the market grows, so will the opportunities to generate more income from the IPM produce.

• A broader range of alternative markets for IPM tomatoes must also be sought and secured in order to spread marketing risks over a larger and more diverse spread of trader and consumer groups.

• In order to build consumer and trader confidence in the IPM production approaches and further develop the IPM tomato market niche established during the current project, it is suggested that next steps should involve setting up a mechanism that guarantees that the IPM tomatoes have been produced according to minimum production requirements, as defined in the IPM Technical Guideline. In this respect, an internal inspection system, similar to the one initiated by the Albania Apple IP Producer Club (see p. 7), should be developed and launched within each of the IPM Vegetable Producer Clubs. Each of the producer club members would be inspected on an annual basis through an internal system set up and operated within the club. Only those tomato producers that can prove they are implementing the agreed minimum requirements defined in the IPM Technical Guideline may be certified as IPM producers and permitted to market their produce under the IPM logo developed within the project.

• In parallel to the establishment of the inspection and certification scheme should be the national registration of the logo for the IPM tomatoes.

• Furthermore, an external inspection body, e.g., a private company, a governmental body or an independent international organisation, would then be required to verify the integrity of the internal inspection system and confirm that the certification process for IPM tomato growers is valid.

Disseminate private sector IPM approach

• Enormous progress has been made during this project in the area of facilitating improved tomato production and increasing small holder farmer income on a local-level. This has been achieved through the development of an agricultural production standard and its implementation via a private sector approach. It is suggested that in the immediate future the number of such IPM Vegetable Producer Clubs, focussing on outdoor tomato production, is expanded both within the area where the existing ones are set up and also in neighbouring areas. The organisation of open field days and other promotional events would help to develop interest and motivation among producers to join the new producer clubs.

• In the long term, this system could also be used as a model to expand efforts on a national-level. Initial focus would be on working with the government to develop and implement a national-level IPM Technical Guideline for outdoor tomato production, with an accompanying logo. Following on from this would be the development of IPM Technical Guidelines for other key crops in Tanzania. The private sector approach, and its ability to empower producers, could be promoted as an effective and sustainable method for implementing these elevated standards of production and improving market access. The support that producers receive as members of such a club enables them to effectively elevate their standards of production, reduce the amount of hazardous inputs required, establish relationships and agreements with more reliable traders and then sell their produce in more specialist markets that they would have been unable to access independently.

• In order to support this expansion process and better support the new and existing producer clubs, the creation of an IPM Interest Group could be initiated in parallel. Such a group would comprise all of the relevant stakeholders in the agriculture sector and would function as a platform for discussing, planning and implementing all future IPM-related initiatives, focusing on outdoor tomato production in northern Tanzania during the initial stages. Significant progress was made during this project towards strengthening the linkages and networking between the farmers and traders. Effective links were also established between the IPM Vegetable Producer Clubs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (extension), HORTI-Tenguru and AMDSP. Bringing representatives together from each of these different sectors would form the basis for an IPM Interest Group. Furthermore, other relevant stakeholders, such as input suppliers, consumers and government, should also be involved in order to create awareness about IPM on different levels and be better positioned to influence agricultural policy at local, regional and national levels. Such an Interest Group would enable better coordination of IPM activities, create awareness and interest in IPM, provide a faster route towards creating market demand and encourage faster eventual dissemination of the approaches into other crops in Tanzania. It would also help to strengthen the support network for producers in general.

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www.cabi.org

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

contact CABI

AfricaKenya CABI, ICRAF Complex United Nations Avenue, Gigiri PO Box 633-00621 Nairobi, Kenya T: +254 (0)20 7224450/62 E: africa@cabi.org

AmericasBrazil CABI, UNESP-Fazenda Experimental Lageado, FEPAF (Escritorio da CABI) Rua Dr. Jose Barbosa de Barros 1780, Fazenda Experimental Lageado CEP:18.610-307 Botucatu, San Paulo, Brazil. T: +5514-38826300 E: y.colmenarez@cabi.org

Trinidad & Tobago CABI, Gordon Street, Curepe Trinidad and Tobago T: +1 868 6457628 E: caribbeanLA@cabi.org

USA CABI, 875 Massachusetts Avenue 7th Floor, Cambridge MA 02139, USA T: +1 617 3954051 E: cabi-nao@cabi.org

AsiaChina CABI, Beijing Representative Office Internal Post Box 56 Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie Beijing 100081, China T: +86 (0)10 82105692 E: china@cabi.org

India CABI, 2nd Floor, CG Block, NASC Complex, DP Shastri Marg Opp. Todapur Village, PUSA New Delhi – 110012, India T: +91 (0)11 25841906 E: cabi-india@cabi.org

Malaysia CABI, PO Box 210, 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor, Malaysia T: +60 (0)3 89432921 E: cabisea@cabi.org

Pakistan CABI, Opposite 1-A, Data Gunj Baksh Road Satellite Town, PO Box 8 Rawalpindi-Pakistan T: +92 (0)51 9290132 E: sasia@cabi.org

EuropeSwitzerland CABI, Rue des Grillons 1 CH-2800 Delémont, Switzerland T: +41 (0)32 4214870 E: europe-CH@cabi.org

UK CABI, Nosworthy Way Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8DE, UK T: +44 (0)1491 832111 E: corporate@cabi.org

CABI, Bakeham Lane Egham, Surrey TW20 9TY, UK T: +44 (0)1491 829080 E: microbiologicalservices@cabi.org E: cabieurope-uk@cabi.org