Sustainable diversification strategies in potato based farming systems in East African highland regions (Concept Note GlobE)

• University of Nairobi
• Egerton University
• Kenian, Rwandesian and Ugandian Research Centers for Agriculture
• University of Hohenheim
• German Development Institute
• Technical University of Munich
• Helmholtz Center Munich
• NGOs

BMBF – (311061)

01/2012 - 06/2012

In East African highlands potato production increased in the last 20 years by 400 % and became the 2nd important source of calories. However, as the growing management is still insufficient yields are between 7Innovative strategies for copper-free low input and organic farming systems (2012-2015) and 10 t/ha despite an estimated potential of 20-40 t/ha. Major constraints challenging the farmers’ income and basic food security are poor crop rotations, soil fertility management deficiencies, and low quality seed tubers, increasing disease pressure, insufficient infrastructure and unreliability of market access. A consortium of Kenyan and German scientists elaborated in a 6-month period a proposal for a 5 year project which aims

1. to better understand the problems of potato production and commercialisation in Kenya, to elaborate solutions and to contribute to unleashing its potential for agriculture, poverty reduction and food security in the entire East African region, and
2. to develop diversification strategies in the potato based cropping system by applying participatory research on an improved rotation system through introduction of sweetpotato, legume and vegetable crops with a strong view on crop-livestock interactions supplemented by a value chain approach looking at the actors, their relations and linked socio-economic factors.

• Christian Bruns
• Jürgen Heß