FOOD SECURITY IN AFRICA - DROUGHT AND FLOOD PROTECTION

You don't need rocket science or billions of dollars to deal with food security in Africa. What is needed is good technology, the means of delivery, and commited farmers and institutions that support them. Debela Dinka and Nekahiwot Beyene of Ethiopia's Sustainable Land Use Forum (SLUF) and the Ethiopia Vetiver Network sent a story about "The Vetiver Man of Tulube" - a farmer from western Ethiopia who has in this year of dought obtained four times the average yield of maize using vetiver hedgerows supported by other improved crop practices. Vetiver hedgerows were key in that they enabled efficient use of rainfall and soil fertility improvements. Read the full story. A pdf file of this story can be downloaded. Videos of similar Ethiopian vetiver success stories can be found at: Soil and water conservation (Farmer Hassan Ali), Ground water recharge, and Wetland Restoration

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