Transcript Sustainable livelihood approaches Concepts and their application in research Frank Eyhorn

Sustainable livelihood approaches
Concepts and their application in research
on organic cotton farming in India
Frank Eyhorn
Helvetas Organic & Fairtrade Competence Centre
Ziele
 Kennenlernen
des Sustainable Livelihood
Approach
 Illustration
seiner Anwendung in einem
konkreten Fallbeispiel (Bio-Baumwolle
Indien)
 Anwendung
des Konzeptes anhand des
eigenen Livelihood Systems
 Übertragung
auf die personelle
Entwicklungszusammenarbeit
What happens at the other end of the chain?
“100% organic cotton“ - ???
Challenges in cotton farming
Cotton

Worldwide ~ 100 Mio. farmers

Important economic sector in many
developing countries

Production involves environmental
and health hazards

Decreasing net returns for farmers,
increasing indebtedness
Organic cotton farming

Increasing number of farmers grow
organic cotton

Growing market demand
 Is organic cotton farming a viable alternative?
Case study: the Maikaal bioRe initiative in Central India

Located in the Narmada Valley in
Madhya Pradesh

Organic nutrient and pest
management of the entire farm
(robust varieties, organic manures,
intercropping, botanical sprays etc.)

No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides,
GMO

Company with 1’500 associated
certified organic farms (now: 7’900)

Extension and internal control system

20% organic price premium on local
market prices for cotton
India
In search of a conceptual approach...
Criteria for a reference frame
1.
Help in formulating relevant questions for
the analysis of impact and of decision
making
2.
Allow meaningful interpretation of
observable behaviour
3.
Be based on respect for the societies and
actors to which it applies
Two possible conceptual approaches
1) The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (DFID 1999)
H
Vulnerability
Context

Shocks

Trends

Seasonality
Livelihood
Assets
S
N
Transforming
structures
outcomes
Livelihood
and
strategies
processes
P
Livelihood
F
2) The Rural Livelihood Systems Mandala
(RLS-Mandala) (Högger 1994)
Individual
Family
Collective
Orientation
Orientation
Orientation
Inner
Human
Space
Family
Socioeconomic
Space
Emotional
Base
Knowledge
& Activity
Base
Space
Physical
Base
inner reality   outer reality
Developing the framework step by step
1.
In how far does the Sustainable
Livelihoods Framework (DFID)
help us to tackle the research
question?
2.
What can the RLS-Mandala
contribute to a more holistic
understanding of livelihoods of
(organic) cotton farmers?
3.
Combining the two approaches
and testing the framework in
research on organic cotton
farming in India
 The example of farmer Vishnu
Gangaram
The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (DFID 1999)
High input costs,
low cotton
prices, droughts
Declining income, increasing debts
H
Vulnerability
Context
Shocks

Trends

Seasonality
N
Transforming
structures
and
processes
P
New trade relation, better price,
less risk
Livelihood
Assets
S

Decreasing soil
fertility  declining yields
Livelihood
Livelihood
outcomes
strategies
F
Know-how on
organic farming
methods, skills
Better soil fertility, less costs,
more income
„Money to buy inputs“?
„Good monsoon“?
H = Human Capital S = Social Capital
N = Natural Capital P = Physical Capital
F = Financial Capital
Maikaal bioRe:
extension, price
premium
?
Conversion to
organic farming
Use of fertilizers;
exclusion from
the project
The Rural Livelihood Systems-Mandala
9. Individual
Orientation
e.g. self-image of
being a
progressive
farmer / a leader
8. Family
Orientation
e.g. caste
affiliation,
ambitions for the
children’s future
7. Collective
Orientation
e.g. image of
organic farming in
the village
6. Inner Human
Space
e.g. pride on
being a good
farmer (= high
yields)
5. Family Space
e.g. division of
tasks and
decisions
4. Socio-economic
Space
e.g. relation with
traders, access
to markets
3. Emotional
Base
e.g. attachments
to the land and to
farming
2. Knowledge and
Activity Base
e.g. cropping
patterns, farming
methods,
readiness to learn
new things
1. Physical
Base
e.g. access to
fertile land and
irrigation water
inner reality
Additional
dimensions
outer reality
(Högger 1994)
Blending Elements from the Livelihood-Frameworks of DFID and RLS
 www.poverty-wellbeing.net
Research questions
What is the impact of
organic farming on the
livelihoods of farmers?
What does the adoption of
organic farming mean to a
farm household?
... and approach
System
comparison study
(quantitative)
Adoption
analysis study
(qualitative)
Can adoption of organic farming be meaningfully
integrated into a livelihood strategy that enables
the farm household to improve its livelihood
situation and to cope with the dynamic context?
System comparison study

Comparison of 60 organic
and 60 conventional
farms, randomly selected

Interviews and agronomic
data monitoring (2 years)

Measurements and soil
sample analysis

Analysed: cropping
patterns, production
costs, labour input, water
use, yields, gross margins
impact on soil, etc.
Main results (organic farms)

Cropping patterns: more diverse crop rotation

Labour input: 0-10% higher

Production costs: 10-20% lower total costs, 40%
lower input costs

Yields: no significant difference

Net profit: 30-40% higher in cotton, 10-20%
higher in overall farm (including rotation crops)

Soil fertility: no differences in soil organic matter
content and water retention capacity detected

Soil nutrients: less fields with nutrient deficiency
of P, K and B

No significant difference in irrigation water
quantities applied in cotton
Adoption analysis study
Analyzed aspects:

Perceptions

Attitudes

Motivations

Decision making

Risk behaviour

Vulnerability



Methods:

Interviews on motivations
and perceptions

Time-line analysis

Interviews on changes in
the livelihood system

Controversial statement
analysis
Gender aspects

Obstacles to
conversion
Group discussions based
on video screening

Observation protocols

Research feedback
Dropping out of
organic farming
„Controversial statement analysis“
Nandu-bhai, an organic farmer
Topics
Sheru-bhai, a conventional farmer
I want to keep the land fertile for my
sons.
Future
perspective
Anyway there is no future in farming.
I get a better price for my cotton.
Motivation /
premium
How long will they pay the premium?
In the future I will have a better income.
Conversion
I can’t afford to loose yields in the initial
years.
With chemical farming you ultimately get
more pests.
Risk of crop
failure
I better spray my crops, to be on the
safe side
Anyway it doesn’t pay off to use
fertilizers!
Risk of bad
monsoon
In a god monsoon you get high yields
with using fertilizers.
I am less dependent on money lenders,
because input costs are low.
I need less time for spraying.
Indebtedness / You depend on money lenders
relation to
because you can’t get advance
money lenders payments from cotton traders anymore.
Work load /
gender
But the women of your house have
more work to prepare compost.
Group discussions based on video screening
Interviews on changes in the livelihood system
Individual Orientation
Family Orientation
Collective Orientation
 What do you want to
achieve in the future?
 What does your family think
about the conversion?
 Did your image in the village
change?
 What are your fears for the
future?
 What are your plans for your
children?
 What would your ancestors
think about you?
 Who inspired you to go for
OF?
 How will you utilize the extra
money you saved / earned
through organic farming?
 What do you expect from the
government?
Inner Human Space
Family Space
Socio-economic Space
 Did you change due to the
conversion? How?
 Any change of roles in the
family?
 What changed in the
village?
 Have you made new
friends?
 Did health condition
change?
 Do the farmers cooperate
more?
 Are there new things you
want to try out?
 Were there tensions in the
family due to conversion?
 What does the relation to
bioRe mean to you?
Emotional Base
 Did your relation to your
farm (land) change?
 How do you feel about the
change to organic?
 What metaphor / image
would you use for OF?
Knowledge & Activity Base
Physical Base
 What did you learn?
 What changed in the fields?
 How did your work load
change?
 What new equipment did
you acquire?
 Any new activities?
 Any change in income?
 Do you have more or less
water then before? Why?
Obstacles to adopting organic farming
Concerns and doubts
Lack of information, know-how
and skills

All change requires efforts

Low awareness on costs

Never heard about organic farming

Doubts on feasibility and viability

Lack of know-how on farm ecology

Dissens within the family

Complex standard requirements

Status concerns

Short-term needs

Obstacles to adopting
organic farming
Economic
hurdles

Need to learn skills

Management of
rotation crops
Technical
Challenges
Strategy
development

Expecting drop in
yields and incomes
Shortage of
dung and biomass

Need to sustain during initial years

Organic methods work slowly

Covering costs of conversion

Control of problematic pests

Fear of increased workload

Farmers find record keeping for

Limited availability of labour
certification difficult
Farmers dropping out from organic farming

Compliance with organic standards checked by
internal and external control system

Farms excluded from the project due to the use of
synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or GMO

High ‘defaulting-rates’ in 2003 (40%) and in 2004
(30%)!

Mainly wealthier farmers defaulted  opportunism!

Temptation of trying out GMO-cotton  „being
progressive“!

Insight that free-riding puts the entire group at risk!
(losing the certification)

Importance of building emotional project ownership
and group coherence, leading to mutual control
Conclusions from the research project
Is organic farming a viable option for
smallholders in developing countries?

Organic farming can substantially contribute to
improving the livelihoods of smallholders.
•
It can produce similar yields at lower production
costs and involving less risk.
•
It can generate higher incomes and helps
strengthening the livelihood base.
•
It allows more sustainable management of
natural resources.
•
It can contribute to re-inforce cooperation
among farmers and strengthen the role of
women.
Challenges ahead

Diversification of incomes, soil fertility
management and water management (climate
change!) need further efforts.

To enable smallholders to adopt organic
farming, concepts are needed to minimize
and bridge the gap of income during the
conversion period.

To avoid defaulting, it is important to build
“emotional ownership“ for the project and
mutual social control among farmers.

Influence of a dynamic context? GMO-cotton,
increasing fuel and food prices, globalisation