Conservation Agriculture Namibia (CAN) is a Namibian non-governmental organization (NGO) that was formed for the purpose of increasing agricultural production in Namibia. CAN Director Colin Nott is also an HMI Certified Educator and has been working in the field of conservation agriculture for years as part of his efforts to holistically improve rangeland and communal land health.
The key focus of the Rangeland and Marketing Development Support Project of CAN that has been funded by the European Union and the Meatco Foundation is to increase the awareness and active involvement of key stakeholders at the local, regional and national levels in climate change adaptation strategies related to rangeland, livestock, marketing and cropping.
More specifically, the goals of that program are:
- To improve the awareness and active involvement of key stakeholders at the local, regional and national levels in climate change adaptation strategies related to rangeland, livestock, marketing and cropping.
- To support locally established organizations to develop regionally appropriate responses to improve uptake of increased production of fodder, improved herd productivity as well as increased sales of livestock.
- To improve the whole chain of production of livestock farmers in selected sites in the Northern Communal Areas.
- To address key issues affecting the sustainability of the rangeland and livestock sectors.
So far CAN has been able to increase its efforts and is now operational in seven Northern Communal Areas in Namibia (Kunene, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Kavango East and West) with a focus on climate change adaptation strategies in the livestock and cropping sector. They work in 33 Grazing Areas (GAs) in these seven regions where they are piloting improved rangeland and improved crop production as well as starting to facilitate the development of local level land use plans.
Already almost 35,000 acres have been directly influenced to date from within these grazing areas and some of the specific activities and topics have included: teaching herder roles and responsibilities; explaining qualities, benefits, challenges, animal health of low-stress animal handling; adjusting livestock numbers to the available fodder; explaining livestock marketing /off-take; developing solutions to the issue of neighbouring villages invading/disturbing rangeland management practices in participating grazing areas; livestock kraaled at high density in rangeland at nights; and exploring rip furrowing on cropland and analyzing the benefit to the soil.
The major challenges that confront the program are: 1) drought, 2) grass poaching, with no recourse, 3) limited grazing areas due to fencing issues, and 4) no legal framework to apply grazing plan.
The third component of this program is focused on cropping and is titled Namibia Specific Conservation Agriculture. It focuses on getting farmers who own crop land and are members of the grazing areas where the livestock project is happening who are willing to be trained in and follow good cropping principles and practices.
Recently CAN has asked for help from HMI to support the training and capacity building of CAN staff and key implementing partners such as the NNFU and MAWF in Holistic, as well as farmers and key stakeholders in the Northern communal areas – including traditional authorities, and regional government structures—in Holistic Management. HMI’s collaboration will enable more targeted and specific training to be delivered to these various stakeholders as well as to enable better institutional planning and delivery of services and technical support.
The focus of this part of the program will be on improved decision-making, visioning and planning to achieve improved quality of life of residents through successful natural, human, and financial resource management. As Colin has noted: “The restoration of Namibian rangelands will help alleviate the poverty of vulnerable communities in Namibia.” With holistic decision-making, financial planning, and grazing planning as critical pieces of this program, HMI is helping to support capacity building for the success of this critical regenerative agricultural program for Namibia.
To support this program, you can select “Aid Africa” from HMI’s Choose Where You Give Page.
Adelene is a resident of Arkansas and loves exploring the state’s natural trails. Her passion for education and technology led her to earn a master’s in learning systems technology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With her professional experience managing student/client databases and instructional design, Adelene will bring skill and understanding to her role as Office Manager & Instructional Designer at HMI. Her focus on making education more accessible to diverse communities is evident through her volunteer work as an board member for a scholarship program. Adelene is devoted to creating educational opportunities that align with HMI’s mission to promote healthy, resilient lands and thriving communities.
Seth Wilner has been a Holistic Management International Certified Educator since 2005. For 22 years he has worked as an agent educator with University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension where he specializes in farm business management with an emphasis on whole farm planning.
Dana was first introduced to Holistic Management in the 1990s while working in the Texas Hill Country. She strongly believes that Holistic Management can positively impact families that are on the land, the communities they are a part of, and larger landscape resource regeneration efforts.
Sarah Robertson grew up in Taos, New Mexico and has always been passionate about land stewardship, growing things, and nurturing others. After completing a BA in Communication from the University of New Mexico and working with local non-profits, she started her journey as a first-generation farmer. Since 2015, she has been learning and growing alongside her husband on various leased properties in Albuquerque, NM and running a small market farm with goats, chickens, and a CSA. In her role as Programs Assistant at HMI, Sarah brings her enthusiasm for regenerative agriculture, devotion to supporting others, and drive for lifelong learning and growing.
Jozua Lambrecht is from South Africa and divides his time between their home in Somerset West and their family farm in Sutherland, one of the coldest places in South Africa, where they farm with sheep. He is married to his wife Therese and they have two daughters.
Alejandro Carrillo is a fourth-generation rancher, and he is quite familiar with the challenges of running a profitable cattle ranch in the Chihuahuan desert. Because annual precipitation seldom exceeds nine inches, every drop counts when it comes to growing more grasses. Grazing year-round with only sea salt as an input, he is not willing to waste any water in such a brittle environment.
Jared L Talley was born and raised in Southwestern Idaho and now seeks to help rural communities adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. He is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Service at Boise State University, earning his PhD in Philosophy from Michigan State University and his MPA in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management from Boise State University. An environmental philosopher by training and an interdisciplinary scholar in practice, he seeks to better understand how communities relate to the land and how this relationship poses obstacles and opportunities for collaboration and governance. In doing so, he studies the role of science in collaborative policy, the role of place in environmental identity, and the role of the imagination in mediating both. Specifically, he studies grazing management and public land permitting, community-led conservation programs, rural education and entrepreneurship, place-based environmental governance, and the imaginative experience of our natural and built environments — all in the contexts of the intermountain American West.
I am Amukoshi Sebaastianus a 22 year old student at the Namibian University of Science and Technology, studying towards a bachelor in Natural Resources Management. I would like to apply for my Work Intergrated Learning at CAN. I have gone through Rangeland management and Climate Change course. I am willing to raise awareness campaign to local people, which will involve school kids and introduce them to Climate Change Adaptation. I have Conservation Agriculture field experience which i gained from the Cheetah Conservation Fund. I would like to work in Oshana,Omusati and Oshikoto Region. I will be thankful if granted the opportunity and looking forward to your respond. Kind Regards.
Hello Amukoshi,
Did you management to find further work in Resource Management in Namibia?
regards
South Africa
I am Amukoshi Sebastianus a student at the Namibian University of Science and Technology, studying towards a bachelor in Natural Resources Management. I would like to apply for my Work integrated learning at CAN for the year 2019 as from January to May. I have gone through rangeland, holistic and climate change management course. I have field experience in which a gained from the Cheetah conservation fund. I would like to work in the following regions namely, Oshana, Omusati and Oshikoto. I will be thankful if granted the opportunity and looking forward to your respond. Kind regards.