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Jennings S, Challinor A, Smith P, Macdiarmid JI, Pope E, Chapman S, Bradshaw C, Clark H, Vetter S, Fitton N, King R, Mwamakamba S, Madzivhandila T, Mashingaidze I, Chomba C, Nawiko M, Nyhodo B, Mazibuko N, Yeki P, Kuwali P, Kambwiri A, Kazi V, Kiama A, Songole A, Coskeran H, Quinn C, Sallu S, Dougill A, Whitfield S, Kunin B, Meebelo N, Jamali A, Kantande D, Makundi P, Mbungu W, Kayula F, Walker S, Zimba S, Galani Yamdeu JH, Kapulu N, Galdos MV, Eze S, Tripathi H, Sait S, Kepinski S, Likoya E, Greathead H, Smith HE, Mahop MT, Harwatt H, Muzammil M, Horgan G, Benton T. Author Correction: Stakeholder-driven transformative adaptation is needed for climate-smart nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. Nat Food 2024:10.1038/s43016-024-00988-x. [PMID: 38684751 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-024-00988-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Stewart Jennings
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew Challinor
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Jennie I Macdiarmid
- The Rowett Institute, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Pope
- Hadley Centre, Met Office, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Chapman
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Bradshaw
- Hadley Centre, Met Office, Exeter, United Kingdom
- The Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Clark
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvia Vetter
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Nuala Fitton
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Richard King
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sithembile Mwamakamba
- Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Ian Mashingaidze
- Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Bonani Nyhodo
- National Agricultural Marketing Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Precious Yeki
- National Agricultural Marketing Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Vivian Kazi
- Economic and Social Research Foundation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Agatha Kiama
- Economic and Social Research Foundation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Abel Songole
- Economic and Social Research Foundation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Helen Coskeran
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Quinn
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Susannah Sallu
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Dougill
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Whitfield
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Kunin
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Nalishebo Meebelo
- Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Andrew Jamali
- Malawi National Planning Commission, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | - Prosper Makundi
- Environmental Management Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Sue Walker
- Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Sibongile Zimba
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Joseph Hubert Galani Yamdeu
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Section of Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Ndashe Kapulu
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Marcelo Valadares Galdos
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Sustainable Soils and Crops, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Eze
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Department of Agriculture and Environment, Harper Adams University, Newport, United Kingdom
| | - Hemant Tripathi
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- UN Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Sait
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Kepinski
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Emmanuel Likoya
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Henry Greathead
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet Elizabeth Smith
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Marcelin Tonye Mahop
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- USAID West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABiLED) Programme, Accra, Ghana
| | - Helen Harwatt
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maliha Muzammil
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Horgan
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Benton
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
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Jennings S, Challinor A, Smith P, Macdiarmid JI, Pope E, Chapman S, Bradshaw C, Clark H, Vetter S, Fitton N, King R, Mwamakamba S, Madzivhandila T, Mashingaidze I, Chomba C, Nawiko M, Nyhodo B, Mazibuko N, Yeki P, Kuwali P, Kambwiri A, Kazi V, Kiama A, Songole A, Coskeran H, Quinn C, Sallu S, Dougill A, Whitfield S, Kunin B, Meebelo N, Jamali A, Kantande D, Makundi P, Mbungu W, Kayula F, Walker S, Zimba S, Galani Yamdeu JH, Kapulu N, Galdos MV, Eze S, Tripathi H, Sait S, Kepinski S, Likoya E, Greathead H, Smith HE, Mahop MT, Harwatt H, Muzammil M, Horgan G, Benton T. Stakeholder-driven transformative adaptation is needed for climate-smart nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. Nat Food 2024; 5:37-47. [PMID: 38168785 PMCID: PMC10810754 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00901-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Improving nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa under increasing climate risks and population growth requires a strong and contextualized evidence base. Yet, to date, few studies have assessed climate-smart agriculture and nutrition security simultaneously. Here we use an integrated assessment framework (iFEED) to explore stakeholder-driven scenarios of food system transformation towards climate-smart nutrition security in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. iFEED translates climate-food-emissions modelling into policy-relevant information using model output implication statements. Results show that diversifying agricultural production towards more micronutrient-rich foods is necessary to achieve an adequate population-level nutrient supply by mid-century. Agricultural areas must expand unless unprecedented rapid yield improvements are achieved. While these transformations are challenging to accomplish and often associated with increased greenhouse gas emissions, the alternative for a nutrition-secure future is to rely increasingly on imports, which would outsource emissions and be economically and politically challenging given the large import increases required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart Jennings
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew Challinor
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Jennie I Macdiarmid
- The Rowett Institute, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Pope
- Hadley Centre, Met Office, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Chapman
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Bradshaw
- Hadley Centre, Met Office, Exeter, United Kingdom
- The Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Clark
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvia Vetter
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Nuala Fitton
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Richard King
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sithembile Mwamakamba
- Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Ian Mashingaidze
- Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Bonani Nyhodo
- National Agricultural Marketing Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Precious Yeki
- National Agricultural Marketing Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Vivian Kazi
- Economic and Social Research Foundation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Agatha Kiama
- Economic and Social Research Foundation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Abel Songole
- Economic and Social Research Foundation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Helen Coskeran
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Quinn
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Susannah Sallu
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Dougill
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Whitfield
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Kunin
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Nalishebo Meebelo
- Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Andrew Jamali
- Malawi National Planning Commission, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | | | - Prosper Makundi
- Environmental Management Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Sue Walker
- Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Sibongile Zimba
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Joseph Hubert Galani Yamdeu
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Section of Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Ndashe Kapulu
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Marcelo Valadares Galdos
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Sustainable Soils and Crops, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Eze
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Department of Agriculture and Environment, Harper Adams University, Newport, United Kingdom
| | - Hemant Tripathi
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- UN Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Sait
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Kepinski
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Emmanuel Likoya
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Henry Greathead
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet Elizabeth Smith
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Marcelin Tonye Mahop
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- USAID West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABiLED) Programme, Accra, Ghana
| | - Helen Harwatt
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maliha Muzammil
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Horgan
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Benton
- Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, United Kingdom
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Eze S, Magilton M, Magnone D, Varga S, Gould I, Mercer TG, Goddard MR. Meta-analysis of global soil data identifies robust indicators for short-term changes in soil organic carbon stock following land use change. Sci Total Environ 2023; 860:160484. [PMID: 36436632 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The restoration of degraded lands and minimizing the degradation of productive lands are at the forefront of many environmental land management schemes around the world. A key indicator of soil productivity is soil organic carbon (SOC), which influences the provision of most soil ecosystem services. A major challenge in direct measurement of changes in SOC stock is that it is difficult to detect within a short timeframe relevant to land managers. In this study, we sought to identify suitable early indicators of changes in SOC stock and their drivers. A meta-analytical approach was used to synthesize global data on the impacts of arable land conversion to other uses on total SOC stock, 12 different SOC fractions and three soil structural properties. The conversion of arable lands to forests and grasslands accounted for 91 % of the available land use change datasets used for the meta-analysis and were mostly from Asia and Europe. Land use change from arable lands led to 50 % (32-68 %) mean increase in both labile (microbial biomass C and particulate organic C - POC) and passive (microaggregate, 53-250 μm diameter; and small macroaggregate, 250-2000 μm diameter) SOC fractions as well as soil structural stability. There was also 37 % (24-50 %) mean increase in total SOC stock in the experimental fields where the various SOC fractions were measured. Only the POC and the organic carbon stored in small macroaggregates had strong correlation with total SOC: our findings reveal these two SOC fractions were predominantly controlled by biomass input to the soil rather than climatic factors and are thus suitable candidate indicators of short-term changes in total SOC stock. Further field studies are recommended to validate the predictive power of the equations we developed in this study and the use of the SOC metrics under different land use change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eze
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK.
| | - Matthew Magilton
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK
| | - Daniel Magnone
- Department of Geography, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK; Lincoln Centre for Ecological Justice, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK
| | - Sandra Varga
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK; Lincoln Centre for Ecological Justice, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK
| | - Iain Gould
- Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK
| | - Theresa G Mercer
- Department of Geography, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK; Lincoln Centre for Ecological Justice, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK
| | - Matthew R Goddard
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, LN6 7DL Lincoln, UK
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Eze S, Dougill AJ, Banwart SA, Sallu SM, Mgohele RN, Senkoro CJ. Assessing soil system changes under climate-smart agriculture via farmers' observations and conventional soil testing. Land Degrad Dev 2022; 33:2635-2646. [PMID: 36249122 PMCID: PMC9545738 DOI: 10.1002/ldr.4339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Soil degradation remains a challenge in African highlands, where land management lacks a strong context-specific evidence base. We investigated the impacts of recently implemented soil and water conservation (SWC) practices-farmyard manure addition, incorporation of crop residues in soil and fanya juu terracing under an agroforestry system on soil health indicators in the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Farmers' observations of soil changes were combined with conventional soil testing to assess the initial impacts of SWC practices relative to conventional non-SWC practice. Majority of farmers (66%-83%) reported that combining fanya juu terracing with organic amendments led to soil colour change from red to black and an increase in crop yield. Despite the observed darkening of the soil, there was no significant increase in soil organic carbon stock and the contents of N, P, K. There were important changes in soil physical properties, including greater aggregate stability (mean weight diameter of 1.51-1.71 mm) in the SWC plots, a greater volume of transmission pores (>60 μm) and coarse storage pores (10-60 μm) in the surface soil layer (0-15 cm), and greater volume of fine storage pores (0.2-10 μm) and residual pores (0.2 μm) in the sub-surface layer (15-30 cm) of the SWC plots compared with the conventional plots. These changes indicate that SWC rapidly enhances infiltration and retention of water within the root zone, which are important for increasing crop yields and improving the resilience of the agro-ecosystem to environmental stress. Combining SWC with effective soil fertility management is needed for sustainable highland agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eze
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Andrew J. Dougill
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Steven A. Banwart
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Susannah M. Sallu
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Rashid N. Mgohele
- Tanzanian Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Mlingano CentreTangaTanzania
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Jennings SA, Challinor AJ, Smith P, Macdiarmid JI, Pope E, Chapman S, Bradshaw C, Clark H, Vetter S, Fitton N, King R, Mwamakamba S, Madzivhandila T, Mashingaidze I, Chomba C, Nawiko M, Nyhodo B, Mazibuko N, Yeki P, Kuwali P, Kambwiri A, Kazi V, Kiama A, Songole A, Coskeran H, Quinn C, Sallu S, Dougill A, Whitfield S, Kunin B, Meebelo N, Jamali A, Kantande D, Makundi P, Mbungu W, Kayula F, Walker S, Zimba S, Yamdeu JHG, Kapulu N, Galdos MV, Eze S, Tripathi HG, Sait SM, Kepinski S, Likoya E, Greathead H, Smith HE, Mahop MT, Harwatt H, Muzammil M, Horgan G, Benton T. A New Integrated Assessment Framework for Climate-Smart Nutrition Security in sub-Saharan Africa: The Integrated Future Estimator for Emissions and Diets (iFEED). Front Sustain Food Syst 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.868189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change will put millions more people in Africa at risk of food and nutrition insecurity by 2050. Integrated assessments of food systems tend to be limited by either heavy reliance on models or a lack of information on food and nutrition security. Accordingly, we developed a novel integrated assessment framework that combines models with in-country knowledge and expert academic judgement to explore climate-smart and nutrition-secure food system futures: the integrated Future Estimator for Emissions and Diets (iFEED). Here, we describe iFEED and present its application in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. The iFEED process begins with a participatory scenario workshop. In-country stakeholders identify two key drivers of food system change, and from these, four possible scenarios are defined. These scenarios provide the underlying narratives of change to the food system. Integrated modeling of climate change, food production and greenhouse gas emissions is then used to explore nutrition security and climate-smart agriculture outcomes for each scenario. Model results are summarized using calibrated statements—quantitative statements of model outcomes and our confidence in them. These include statements about the way in which different trade futures interact with climate change and domestic production in determining nutrition security at the national level. To understand what the model results mean for food systems, the calibrated statements are expanded upon using implication statements. The implications rely on input from a wide range of academic experts—including agro-ecologists and social scientists. A series of workshops are used to incorporate in-country expertise, identifying any gaps in knowledge and summarizing information for country-level recommendations. iFEED stakeholder champions help throughout by providing in-country expertise and disseminating knowledge to policy makers. iFEED has numerous novel aspects that can be used and developed in future work. It provides information to support evidence-based decisions for a climate-smart and nutrition-secure future. In particular, iFEED: (i) employs novel and inclusive reporting of model results and associated in-country food system activities, with comprehensive reporting of uncertainty; (ii) includes climate change mitigation alongside adaptation measures; and (iii) quantifies future population-level nutrition security, as opposed to simply assessing future production and food security implications.
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Tripathi HG, Kunin WE, Smith HE, Sallu SM, Maurice S, Machera SD, Davies R, Florence M, Eze S, Yamdeu JHG, Sait SM. Climate-Smart Agriculture and Trade-Offs With Biodiversity and Crop Yield. Front Sustain Food Syst 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.868870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biophysical evaluations of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) often overlook the potential interactions with and implications for biodiversity and ecosystem services, which are important determinants of food system resilience and sustainability. Drawing on a case study in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, we compare the impacts of CSA with other agricultural management practices on invertebrate pest and natural enemy diversity, and the associated effects on crop damage and crop yield. We found that the most common CSA practices in the region, terracing and trenching with live and compost mulches, provided the best outcomes for crop production, pest suppression and agricultural income. However, greater diversity of pests was observed when neighboring fields planted improved crop varieties, suggesting that the use of improved varieties by farmers creates increased vulnerability to pest damage among neighboring farmers that used local varieties. Also, greater natural enemy diversity was found when neighboring fields were either intercropped or left fallow highlighting spatial flows of ecosystem services between fields. Landcover heterogeneity was positively correlated with pest diversity, whilst landcover richness was positively associated with higher pest volume, highlighting the importance of landscape characteristics in pest and natural enemy dynamics. Finally, we found that crop damage was most severe when pest communities had low species richness, suggesting that a small number of key crop pests contribute to most yield losses. Our findings illustrate that those varied combinations of agricultural management practices lead to heterogeneous biodiversity outcomes and trade-offs, and highlight the importance of local management, neighborhood effects and landscape characteristics. CSA evaluations must therefore look beyond productivity as a measure for success, as trade-offs with invertebrate biodiversity, food production, and environmental sustainability often interact and feedback in complex and unexpected ways.
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Eze S, Dougill AJ, Banwart SA, Sallu SM, Smith HE, Tripathi HG, Mgohele RN, Senkoro CJ. Farmers' indicators of soil health in the African highlands. Catena (Amst) 2021; 203:105336. [PMID: 34345115 PMCID: PMC8191407 DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2021.105336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Improving soil health is necessary for increasing agricultural productivity and providing multiple ecosystem services. In the African Highlands (AH) where conversion of forests to cultivation on steep slopes is leading to soil degradation, sustainable land management practices are vital. Farmers' awareness of soil health indicators (SHI) influences their choice of land management and needs to be better understood to improve communication between land managers and other stakeholders in agricultural systems. This study aims to collate and evaluate case study analyses of farmers' awareness and use of soil health indicators in African Highlands. This is achieved by using a multi-method approach that combines a meta-summary analysis of AH's SHI data from 24 published studies together with farmer interviews in the East Usambara Mountain region of Tanzania (EUM). Our findings show that farmers across the AH use observable attributes of the landscape as SHI. Out of 16 SHI reported by the farmers, vegetation performance/crop yield and soil colour were most frequently used across the AH. These were also the only two SHI that influenced farmers' land management decisions in the EUM, where organic manure addition was the only land management option resulting from observed changes in SHI. Farmers' use of only one or two SHI in land management decisions, as is the case in the EUM, seems to limit their choice and/or adoption of sustainable land management options, highlighting the need to increase awareness and use of more relevant SHI. This could be achieved by sharing SHI knowledge through learning alliances and agricultural extension service. Integration of farmers' observation techniques and conventional soil testing in a hybrid approach is recommended for a more targeted assessment of soil health to inform appropriate and sustainable land management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eze
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
| | - Andrew J. Dougill
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
| | - Steven A. Banwart
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
| | - Susannah M. Sallu
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
| | - Harriet E. Smith
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
| | | | - Rashid N. Mgohele
- Tanzanian Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Mlingano Centre, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Catherine J. Senkoro
- Tanzanian Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Mlingano Centre, Tanga, Tanzania
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Hermans TDG, Dougill AJ, Whitfield S, Peacock CL, Eze S, Thierfelder C. Combining local knowledge and soil science for integrated soil health assessments in conservation agriculture systems. J Environ Manage 2021; 286:112192. [PMID: 33636630 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The challenges of soil degradation and climate change have led to the emergence of Conservation Agriculture (CA) as a sustainable alternative to tillage-based agriculture systems. Despite the recognition of positive impacts on soil health, CA adoption in Africa has remained low. Previous soil health studies have mainly focused on 'scientific' measurements, without consideration of local knowledge, which influences how farmers interpret CA impacts and future land management decisions. This study, based in Malawi, aims to 1) combine local knowledge and conventional soil science approaches to develop a contextualised understanding of the impact of CA on soil health; and 2) understand how an integrated approach can contribute to explaining farmer decision-making on land management. Key farmers' indicators of soil health were crop performance, soil consistence, moisture content, erosion, colour, and structure. These local indicators were consistent with conventional soil health indicators. By combining farmers' observations with soil measurements, we observed that CA improved soil structure, moisture (Mwansambo 7.54%-38.15% lower for CP; Lemu 1.57%-47.39% lower for CP) and infiltration (Lemu CAM/CAML 0.15 cms-1, CP 0.09 cms-1; Mwansambo CP/CAM 0.14 cms-1, CAML 0.18 cms-1). In the conventional practice, farmers perceived ridges to redistribute nutrients, which corresponded with recorded higher exchangeable ammonium (Lemu CP 76.0 mgkg -1, CAM 49.4 mgkg -1, CAML 51.7 mgkg -1), nitrate/nitrite values (Mwansambo CP 200.7 mgkg -1, CAM 171.9 mgkg -1, CAML 103.3 mgkg -1). This perception contributes to the popularity of ridges, despite the higher yield measurements under CA (Mwansambo CP 3225 kgha-1, CAML 5067 kgha-1, CAM 5160 kgha-1; Lemu CP 2886 kgha-1, CAM 2872 kgha-1, CAML 3454 kgha-1 ). The perceived carbon benefits of residues and ridge preference has promoted burying residues in ridges. Integrated approaches contribute to more nuanced and localized perceptions about land management. We propose that the stepwise integrated soil assessment framework developed in this study can be applied more widely in understanding the role of soil health in farmer-decision making, providing a learning process for downscaling technologies and widening the evidence base on sustainable land management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thirze D G Hermans
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew J Dougill
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Whitfield
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline L Peacock
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Eze
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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Eze S, Dougill AJ, Banwart SA, Hermans TD, Ligowe IS, Thierfelder C. Impacts of conservation agriculture on soil structure and hydraulic properties of Malawian agricultural systems. Soil Tillage Res 2020; 201:104639. [PMID: 32624633 PMCID: PMC7233133 DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2020.104639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces climate change and food insecurity challenges, which require action to create resilient farming systems. Conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted across SSA but the impacts on key soil physical properties and functions such as soil structure and hydraulic properties that govern water storage and transmission are not well understood. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of long term (10-12 years) maize-based CA on soil hydraulic conductivity, water retention and pore size distribution. Root zone (0-30 cm depth) soil total porosity, pore size distribution, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and plant available water capacity (PAWC) of conventional maize monocrop farming systems (CP) are compared with those of adjacent CA trials with either sole maize or maize intercrop/rotation with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) or velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L) in trial locations across central and southern Malawi. Results show that maize-based CA systems result in significant changes to soil hydraulic properties that correlate with improved soil structure. Results demonstrate increases of 5-15 % in total porosity, 0.06-0.22 cm/min in Ksat, 3-7 % in fine pores for water storage and 3-6 % in PAWC. Maize monocrop CA had similar effect on the hydraulic properties as the maize-legume associations. The values of Ksat for CA systems were within optimum levels (0.03-0.3 cm/min) whereas PAWC was below optimum (<20 %). There was no significant build-up in soil organic matter (OM) in the CA systems. The results lead to a recommendation that crop residue management should be more pro-actively pursued in CA guidance from agricultural extension staff to increase soil OM levels, increase yields and enhance climate resilience of sub-Saharan African farming systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eze
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK
| | - Andrew J. Dougill
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK
| | - Steven A. Banwart
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK
| | - Thirze D.G. Hermans
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK
| | - Ivy S. Ligowe
- Department of Agricultural Research Services, Chitedze Research Station, P.O. Box 158, Lilongwe, Malawi
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Eze S, Palmer SM, Chapman PJ. Negative effects of climate change on upland grassland productivity and carbon fluxes are not attenuated by nitrogen status. Sci Total Environ 2018; 637-638:398-407. [PMID: 29753228 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Effects of climate change on managed grassland carbon (C) fluxes and biomass production are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the individual and interactive effects of experimental warming (+3 °C above ambient summer daily range of 9-12 °C), supplemental precipitation (333 mm +15%) and drought (333 mm -23%) on plant biomass, microbial biomass C (MBC), net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and dissolved organic C (DOC) flux in soil cores from two upland grasslands of different soil nitrogen (N) status (0.54% and 0.37%) in the UK. After one month of acclimation to ambient summer temperature and precipitation, five replicate cores of each treatment were subjected to three months of experimental warming, drought and supplemental precipitation, based on the projected regional summer climate by the end of the 21st Century, in a fully factorial design. NEE and DOC flux were measured throughout the experimental duration, alongside other environmental variables including soil temperature and moisture. Plant biomass and MBC were determined at the end of the experiment. Results showed that warming plus drought resulted in a significant decline in belowground plant biomass (-29 to -37%), aboveground plant biomass (-35 to -77%) and NEE (-13 to -29%), regardless of the N status of the soil. Supplemental precipitation could not reverse the negative effects of warming on the net ecosystem C uptake and plant biomass production. This was attributed to physiological stress imposed by warming which suggests that future summer climate will reduce the C sink capacity of the grasslands. Due to the low moisture retention observed in this study, and to verify our findings, it is recommended that future experiments aimed at measuring soil C dynamics under climate change should be carried out under field conditions. Longer term experiments are recommended to account for seasonal and annual variability, and adaptive changes in biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eze
- School of Geography, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK.
| | - Sheila M Palmer
- School of Geography, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK.
| | - Pippa J Chapman
- School of Geography, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK.
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Eze S, Palmer SM, Chapman PJ. Soil organic carbon stock in grasslands: Effects of inorganic fertilizers, liming and grazing in different climate settings. J Environ Manage 2018; 223:74-84. [PMID: 29906675 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands store about 34% of the global terrestrial carbon (C) and are vital for the provision of various ecosystem services such as forage and climate regulation. About 89% of this grassland C is stored in the soil and is affected by management activities but the effects of these management activities on C storage under different climate settings are not known. In this study, we synthesized the effects of fertilizer (nitrogen and phosphorus) application, liming and grazing regime on the stock of SOC in global grasslands, under different site specific climatic settings using a meta-analysis of 341 datasets. We found an overall significant reduction (-8.5%) in the stock of SOC in global managed grasslands, mainly attributable to grazing (-15.0%), and only partially attenuated by fertilizer addition (+6.7%) and liming (+5.8%), indicating that management to improve biomass production does not contribute sufficient organic matter to replace that lost by direct removal by animals. Management activities had the greatest effect in the tropics (-22.4%) due primarily to heavy grazing, and the least effect in the temperate zone (-4.5%). The negative management effect reduced significantly with increasing mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation in the temperate zone, suggesting that temperate grassland soils are potential C sinks in the face of climate change. For a sustainable management of grasslands that will provide adequate forage for livestock and mitigate climate change through C sequestration, we recommend that future tropical grassland management policies should focus on reducing the intensity of grazing. Also, to verify our findings for temperate grasslands and to better inform land management policy, future research should focus on the impacts of the projected climate change on net greenhouse gas exchange and potential climate feedbacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Eze
- School of Geography, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK.
| | - Sheila M Palmer
- School of Geography, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK.
| | - Pippa J Chapman
- School of Geography, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK.
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Adewole OO, Eze S, Betiku Y, Anteyi E, Wada I, Ajuwon Z, Erhabor G. Lipid profile in HIV/AIDS patients in Nigeria. Afr Health Sci 2010; 10:144-149. [PMID: 21326966 PMCID: PMC2956300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alterations of serum lipid profiles have been reported widely among Human Immuno deficiency Virus (HIV) positive patients on Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy (HAART). However, there are few data on serum lipid profile among treatment naïve HIV positive patients in our environment. OBJECTIVES To describe the pattern of lipid profile among treatment naïve HIV positive patients and changes following HAART initiation. METHODS One hundred and thirty HIV positive patients seen in HIV center in an urban area in Nigeria and 44 matched individuals were recruited. Data were collected on socio demographic characters, baseline lipid profiles and CD4 count. Values of lipid parameters were retrieved after 12 months on HAART. RESULTS The mean Low density lipoprotein(LDL) was 2.26+ 0.9 mmol/l among the test group compared with 0.96+0.39 mmol/L among the control, p value=0.000. The mean High density lipoprotein (HDL) was also significantly lower, 0.8+0.6 mmol/L reaching a dyslipidemic level, in the HIV positive group than the control, p value = 0.00. Tuberculosis/HIV co infected patients had a significantly elevated mean LDL, p=0.002. CONCLUSION Abnormality of serum lipid is common among treatment naïve HIV patients seen in Nigeria. The NNRTI regimen is associated with elevation of HDL and some stabilization of TC and TG.
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Affiliation(s)
- O O Adewole
- Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria.
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