Pitch
Providing locals alternative to forest exprolation via home gradens will keep our forest and increase their ablity to clean our environment
Description
Summary
This project is an outcome of studies on the overexploitation of wild plants for their domestic and economic use. Since majority of village people depend on these plants as their MAJOR source of Livelihood, Our studies have shown alarming effects of human activities on the forest due to collection of these plants.Most surprising is that, majority of the people in villages have complained about not having access to these plants in the forest again. Some villagers have admitted that they are not aware of their detrimental effects on the forest biodiversity caused by their exploration.
In response to this, this project hopes to provide alternative methods of propagation of these plants to help boost domestic and economic livelihood while reducing pressure on the forest around the community. In reducing the pressure on the forest will increase growth of the forest and in-turn increase the ability of the forest to clean the environment. Maximizing the potentials of these crops in rural communities via home gardens can be sustained when approaches that combine indigenous knowledge with modern based science and technology are in place. I hope to apply modern Tissue culture (TC) techniques to mass-multiply Tissue Culture plantlets .
The attraction of TC as an alternative to other propagation methods lies in its ability to mass multiply plant materials very rapidly.TC shortens the plant’s development time while producing plantlets that would have long overcome the effects of pest and diseases at seedling stage. It also serves as a tool for their germplasm collection and conservation in vitro.The project will also bridge the gap between conservation and human behavior towards conservation and adaptation to new technologies for conservation.
What actions do you propose?
1. A community advisory/Implementation committee (CAIC) will be set up to oversee the activities of the project. With the assistance of the project facilitators, who will be responsible for interview and interactions to collect information on the community’s perception towards conservation and adaptation to new technologies in conservation.
2. A meeting in collaboration with the CAIC and members of the community will be converged to discuss the results of the questionnaire survey and agree on modalities for implementing the project on providing alternative source of plants.
3. Over 10,000 plantlets will be distributed to the potential community farmers for the establishment of farms. Gender will be taken into consideration in selecting the participatory farmers for the project. Apart from providing TC plantlets, the communities will be provided with plantlets that can be propagated by traditional means. Its important to note that TC will be used to propagate those ones that are difficult to grow traditionally.
4. Members of the CAIC and potential farmers will have a facility tour on our laboratories to get firsthand knowledge on the process of TC.
5. A “train the trainer” workshop organized to teach potential framers on the handling of the new plants.
6. A pictorial training manual will be produced and distributed to members of the community to illustrate the cultivation, propagation, harvesting, drying, storage as well as value added packaging will be produced in the local language of the locality.
7. Public awareness drive to show acceptability of the plantlets as being safe as well as creating a market for the plants.
8. Questionnaire survey to show the how the project has affected the livelihood of the farmers and the community in general as well as Group discussion on awareness of biodiversity loss issues with the community.
Who will take these actions?
1. From the unset, the community will own the project. They will be involved in all aspects of the project.
2. The setting up of a CAIC from the unset will ensure full participation in terms of planning, design and monitoring all stages the project. The CAIC will be responsible for getting feed backs from participatory farmers on the progress and difficulties encountered during the project.
The gardens will be solely developed and managed by the farmers. With the training manual new and innovative packaging methods will increase demand for these plants vis a vis increased income for the farmers.
The trained community members will in turn train other intended farmers on how to handle the plants.
Community will ensure safety of the farms by providing security.
Where will these actions be taken?
The Project will be carried out in three local communities in three states of the south eastern part of Nigeria. The following are forest- adjacent communities to be used as case study,
1. Bende-Etiti Ulor, Abia State
2. Ohaozara, Ebonyi State
3. Obinze, Imo State.
How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?
The three pilot communities have approximately 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of forest and in protecting this am approximate of 30,000,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be reduced.
What are other key benefits?
The project did not only provide the essentials for improving home gardens but also counteracted progressive genetic erosion of these crops.
It was able to promote and improve their commodity chains, hence an increased marketing potential within local markets around the community.
there will be a better use of the species in relation to the farmers’ life situation i.e. in their nutrition, health, income as well as strengthen of their cultural identity.
What are the proposal’s costs?
In all the project is expected to cost 5 million naira. This monies will be used to buy laboratory reagents for the Tissue culture, Train farmers in aspects of plant regeneration that do not need to pass through TC methods. Training on handling of TC plantlets will be done. Monies will also be used to by small farm planting materials as well as develop training manuals. Money will be set aside for the M and E
Time line
the life span for the project is 5 years after which these well established gardens are expected to last a life time. it is hoped that more communities will take up the idea and expand the project.
For the duration of 5 years
the 1st year: training and setting up CAIC members
Yr1-2: developing of plant materials
Yr2-Y3: establishments of gardens
Yr3-Y5: Gardens fully established and up and running.
Related proposals
NIL
References
Burkill, H.M (1994).Useful plants of West Tropical Africa Vol. 2 families E – T. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
De-Smet. K. (1995) Germplasm conservation in banana and plantain in: Lectures on plant tissue culture and biotechnology. African Biosciences network (ABN) International training course, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Eneobong, E.E. (1997). Biotechnological Techniques for the conservation and use of plant genetic resources. Pp 72 – 73 in: E.E. Eneobong (Ed). Biological Conservation for sustainable Agricultural Production Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria.
Hmialoudama, F. (1993). Tropical Forest, People and Food: Bio-cultural Interactions and applications to development. Pp177-181. In: Hladik C. (Ed) Man and the Biosphere Series Vol. 13, UNESCO.
International Genetic Resources institute (IPGRI) (2001). Forest Genetic Resources. www.Ipgri.Cigiar.org/programmes/grst/FGR/activities.htm
Okafor, J.C. (2003). Conservation and use of traditional vegetables from woody forest species in South Eastern Nigeria.www.fao.org/docrep/x2161e/x2161e13.htm.
Okafor, J.C. Okolo, H.C. and Ejiofor, M.A.N. (1996) strategies for enhancement of utilization potential of edible woody forest species of South – Eastern Nigeria. Pp. 684-695. In: Vander Maesen (Ed) The Biodiversity of African Pants. Kluwer, The Netherlands.
Shiembo, P.N (1997). The sustainability of ERU (Gnetum africanum and G buchholzianum): an over-exploited non woody forest product from the forests of central Africa.www.fao/docrep/x2161e06.htm
Uyoh, E.A, Nkang. A. E and Eneobong E.E. (2003) Biotechnology, genetic conservation and sustainable use of bio-resources. African Journal of Biotechnology, 2(12): 704-709.
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