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AGRO-FORSTRY FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF AFRICAN COFFEE. 1.Background. Africa is the continent which gave coffee to the world including the following two commercially cultivated species:
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1.Background • Africa is the continent which gave coffee to the world including the following two commercially cultivated species: • The first one is C. arabica, which originated in Ethiopia. The second is c. robusta, which is grown in the rain forests between western Uganda and the Congo. Coffee excelsa and C.liberica, though of a very small commercial demand, have also their origin in West Africa. • All these coffees were found growing in forests and not in the open.
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda are the main producers of C. arabica in Africa which is internationally known for its high quality while Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Angola,Cameroon and Uganda are the main African producers of Robusta coffee.
2.African share of the world coffee production • As studies show, African coffee production between 1967 and 1976 was at its peak1. It accounted for about 30% of the world’s production. This study shows that production started declining for different reasons such as climate, internal conflict in some countries like Uganda (during Amin’s time) Angola and others.
But gradually situations have improved since the 1990s. For example, Ugandan coffee production has survived and has thus increased drastically. • African Development Bank, Coffee subsector study, June1989
According to this speaker’s observation and visit of the last July, 2014 to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the overall effort of coffee research, extension and other supports to the coffee industry was encouraging. For example, Ruiru Coffee Research foundation in Kenya has started favoring coffee shade trees in addition to its strong research program. In Tanzania and Uganda he observed shade grown coffee wherever he visited.
3.CLIMATE CHANGE • I mentioned above the practice of shade grown coffee, because it is a method which is one of the best means to reduce the negative impacts of the rising temperature. This is the result of global climate change, the signs of which are all around us. • All the above good efforts which are being practiced for the improvement of East African coffee production, now there is a need to include in the research and other development programs, the means to fight against climate change, which is especially the negative impact of the rising temperature or global warming.
Scientists and climatologists are telling us about global warming which changes the climate and increases the temperature in the world where no geographic region is immune. Africa is no exception as well.
4.Causes of the climate change • The main cause of climate change is the rising green house Co2 emission to the atmosphere. As Co2 increases in the atmosphere, the temperature also keeps on rising. • Man is responsible for CO2 increases in the atmosphere, by burning fossil fuels like coal and oil for industries and transportation. As a result 6 billion MT of CO2 is pumped out into the atmosphere every year.
CO2 by far is the most abundant human- generated green-house gas emission responsible for the rising of temperature. • Deforestation also accounts for about 20% of all human-caused CO2 emission of which Africa is responsible for its own big share. • Families too, contribute their share. For example, the American family contributes about 5000 pounds of CO2 a year and, about ten thousand more for example, than in Botswana. So, families and counties, some more than others, are CO2 contributors to the atmosphere.
5.EFFECTS OF THE CLIMATE CHANEGE • Whether we like it or not, scientists or climatologists are warning us that climate change is taking place and so temperature is rising everywhere. As a result of the rising temperature, the main hazards are drought, floods, storms and hailstorms, landslides caused by heavy rainfall, desertification and others. • In Africa, the main negative effects of the rising temperature so far observed have been occasional drought, erratic rainfall, crop failure etc.
As temperature rises, crop production usually declines. This is because each crop has its own optimum level temperature beyond which production will decline. This is the same for coffee as shown by the following Brazilian study. • This is the summary of the findings of the study carried out on the range of suitable temperature for the production of Arabica.
A. The optimum average annual temperature is between d18 and 220C. During the day, it was about 25 to 270C and more. • B. The marginal average annual temperature occurs between 22oC and 230C. • C. The unsuitable average annual temperature is above 230C and below 180C.
In addition, the study reflected • The optimum temperature and photosynthesis: the maximum photosynthesis took place at 24oC. Then for each 0C above this, photosynthesis continued declining until it seized at 340C. • The optimum temperature and flowering. The maximum number of flowers was produced at 230C. Above this the number gradually continued decreasing until flowering stopped at 300c. • The optimum temperature and roots development. The optimum temperature for the root development was 24-270c, which occurred during the day.
So, for Africa to continue to maintain the optimum temperature possible for its coffee production, it needs to develop or adopt the best option that can minimize the negative impacts of the rising temperature on coffee. In this regard, it would be worthwhile to share the Ethiopian experience which is the home of C. arabica.
In Ethiopia, coffee was found growing natural in the forest, some of which still exist in the south and south western Ethiopia. • From there, man started to cultivate coffee. • First by domesticating the natural coffee, thinning the forest trees and slashing the weeds to facilitate crop picking. • Secondly, with time, he took one further step, planting coffee with natural seedlings from the forest. • And lastly, the development continued until improved plantation has expanded in the country ever since the 1950s.
With all this gradual coffee farming development, the growers kept up to now using shade trees as an integral part of the plantation which sustained the Ethiopian coffee ecology and environment. • Growing coffee under shade is especially necessary today more than ever to sustainably produce African coffee where temperature is rising worldwide. Africa is no exception. • The system of growing coffee or other crops in combination with trees is called agro-forestry, which is indigenous to Ethiopia.
Then what is agro-forestry? • Agro forestry is a collective name for land-use system where multi-purpose trees or shrubs are grown in association with crops including perennials like coffee.
7. Agro-forestry in African coffee production • Agro forestry where coffee shade trees are grown together with coffee is a sustainable future for African coffee. It is the best adaptation system to minimize the negative impacts of the rising temperature. In this system, the trees provide several benefits such as these: • Shade trees reduce CO2 emission by accumulation part of the rising gas to the atmosphere. Thus more trees mean more CO2 accumulation and less warming effects. In this regard some studies show that open coffee
plantation accumulates less than 10MT CO2 compared with coffee under shade of 20-30 MT accumulation per year, per hectare. Where there are big shade trees with higher biomass, CO2 accumulation would be higher.
8.THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DESIRABLE SHADE TREES • Shade trees must be adaptable to the area • Big trees are preferred with high biomass to absorb more CO2 and to cool the air within the plantation • They must be deep rooted in order not to compete with the coffee plants for martinets and moisture • and to be able to absorb nutrients and water form deep soil layers • They must be ever-green • They must have good response to coppicing specially to serve as fodder and wood source for domestic use • They must be adaptable to higher temperature in lower altitude areas
9. conclusions • In conclusion, agro forestry enables coffee to grow on ecologically sound and sustainable environment. • Agro forestry is one important means to reduce CO2 emission. • The trees add fertility to the soil by the litters they drop and by the nitrogen they fix in the soil • Trees improve the physical properties of the soil, the structure, porosity, moisture retention capacity and permeability. • The trees create cooler air within the plantation.
10.Recommendations • We have to make farmers and whole communities aware of the danger of global warming and the negative effects of the rising temperature. • We have to train them what they should know about the changing climate and what they can do to reduce the temperature. • We have to let them know that agro forestry saves their coffee from the effects of the changing climate. • We should also save the biodiversity surrounding the coffee areas. • The research and other agricultural development programs must be involved in finding new ways and technologies to help farmers better survive the global warming effect.
My last advice to my Ethiopian friends is: • To stop deforestation and • To plant coffee under shade and to use conservation based plantation management system With this piece of advice, I believe that the Ethiopian coffee production will further increase and sustainably be in the international markets with its unique qualities.
My Last message to other African friends is the same. • They should use agro-forestry system as a shield against the rising temperature and make African coffee beneficial to the livelihood of the farmers who produce it.
