Resource information
Enhancing African farming systems holistically, through interventions that introduce innovative practices, is crucial for ensuring ample food production and sustaining food security. Given the diverse nature of farming systems, validating these interventions in specific contexts becomes essential to optimize their effectiveness and adoption rates. Therefore, this research was conducted in Gudo Beret and Goshe Bado, two research kebeles situated in the Basona Worena district, Amhara, Ethiopia, which predominantly features mixed crop-livestock systems and struggles with challenges tied to climate variability, soil erosion, and land degradation. Employing a two-step methodological approach, this study examined sustainable intensification within these farming systems. In the initial phase, a positive deviance analysis was carried out based on a RHoMIS dataset containing 238 households using indicators from the RHoMIS dataset to identify exemplary farms. In the subsequent step, two parallel methodologies were employed. Firstly, the FarmDESIGN model facilitated an in-depth analysis of 16 case study farms; 6 positive deviant and two negative deviant farms per village. This offered a comprehensive assessment of their performance. Secondly, a participatory research methodology was conducted. This entailed organizing three workshops containing ten participants each. During the workshops an adapted version of the serious game ReHab was employed, engaging stakeholders to explore agile scaling opportunities for sustainable intensification interventions. The positive deviance analysis successfully identified 23 exemplary farms and 215 sub-optimal dominated systems based on the subset of indicators adopted from the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework. The exemplary farms on average scored higher on all indicators except gender control. Thus, these farms still demonstrated trade-offs and compromises between indicators. Furthermore, the analysis showed that the most prominently trialled interventions were related to improved varieties. It was also shown that the adoption rate of the interventions did not differ significantly between the exemplary and sub-optimal dominated systems. The farm system modelling aspect provided an all-encompassing evaluation of farm performance across productivity, economic, and environmental dimensions. The exemplary farms in this analysis scored higher on most of the indicators, but not on all. Therefore, also here it was shown that trade-offs and compromises occur in these systems. Through the participatory research methodology, employing the ReHab serious game, local stakeholders actively delved into sustainable intensification intervention possibilities, yielding valuable insights on decision-making, crop preferences, and fertilizer strategies. The workshops underscored farmers' preference towards improved varieties and the significance of organic resources, while shedding light on challenges like limited technology access and labour availability. By synergizing these methodologies, the study aimed to integrate and validate both new and existing knowledge related to sustainable intensification. This comprehensive approach offered a deeper understanding of the dynamics within the local farming systems. Ultimately, the research adds to the ongoing endeavours of enhancing sustainable agricultural practices, addressing obstacles, and facilitating the scaling of sustainable intensification interventions in the Basona Worena district and comparable regions.
