Photo Credit Goes Here

Alan Hansen and Tim Rendall, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of

Illinois, USA

Soybean Innovation Lab Webinar, September 20, 2017

Implementation and

Evaluation of Appropriate

Scale Technologies for

Sustainable Intensification

Photo credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Ethiopia

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• Background to Appropriate Scale

Mechanization Consortium (ASMC)

• Engagement with countries and partners

• Technology implementation and

evaluation: factors to consider

• Final comments

Today

795 Million People are Undernourished (FAO, 2015)

Undernourished Population

98% in developing countries (FAO, 2015)

Added PressureWorld population to exceed 9 billion by 2050.Largest sections of growth will be in developing countries where undernourishment is most prevalent.

Role of mechanization in increasing food productionMechanization is perhaps the most neglected aspect of global food security.

• According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, in Africa

– less than 10% farm operations are performed by engine power

– 25% of farm power is provided by draft animals

– Over 70% of farm work is done by manual labor mostly by women, the elderly and children

Role of mechanization in increasing food productionMechanization is critical to ..

• Reduce drudgery of farm work especially performed by women and improve quality of life

• Increase productivity and improve quality and timeliness of farm operation

• Improve intensification and extensification

• Reduce losses

• Increase household income and reduce poverty

• Enhance entrepreneurship and business development

Sustainable Intensification Innovation LabKansas State University

Geospatial & Farming Systems

Research ConsortiumUniversity of California, Davis

Appropriate Scale

Mechanization ConsortiumUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

BangladeshKansas State Univ.

CambodiaPenn State Univ.

EthiopiaTexas A&M Univ.

TanzaniaMichigan State Univ.

Burkina FasoILRI

SenegalKansas State Univ.

SI Indicators

FrameworkColumbia & Michigan State U.

Innovation Lab on

Small Scale IrrigationTexas A&M Univ.

Research Subawards

Duration: Oct 2015-Sept 2019Award: $4.7 million

Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium

Alan Hansen (PI)

Agricultural Mechanization

Prasanta Kalita (CC)

Soil & Water

KC Ting

Systems Engineering

Alex Winter-Nelson

Economics & Evaluation

Michigan State Univ.

Ajit Srivastava (CC)

Agricultural Mechanization

Tim Harrigan

Draft Power

Nanda Joshi

Animal Nutrition

Kansas State Univ.

Carlos Campabadal(CC)

Processing & Storage

Ben Schwab

Economics & Evaluation

Manny Reyes (CC)

Agroecological Engineering

North Carolina A&T

Kenrett Jefferson-Moore

Gender Specialist

Paula Faulkner

Gender Specialist

Tim RendallProject Manager

CC-Country Coordinator

SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION

“Sustainable agricultural intensification is defined

as producing more output from the same area of

land while reducing the negative environmental

impacts and at the same time increasing

contributions to natural capital and the flow of environmental services” - Dr. Jules Pretty

APPROPRIATE SCALE MECHANIZATION

CONSORTIUM (ASMC)

Goal: Assess/develop/adapt/implement/promote appropriate-scale agricultural mechanization for sustainable intensification focusing on smallholder farming systems in Feed-the-Future countries associated with targeted geographical regions, and enhance the participation and experience of women in the adaptation/adoption of technologies for agricultural development.

TARGET COUNTRIES: INSTITUTIONS, VALUE CHAINS, AND ZONES OF INFLUENCE

EthiopiaBahir Dar UniversityMaize, Livestock and Vegetables inAmhara and Oromia

Burkina FasoBobo-Dioulasso Polytechnic University, Bobo-DioulassoMaize and Livestock inHauts-Bassins

BangladeshBangladesh Agricultural University, MymensinghRice in the Southern Delta

CambodiaRoyal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh; University of Battambang Rice and Vegetables in Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom and Battambang

Value Chains

Livestock VegetablesRiceMaize

APPROACH• Develop multifunctional and modular technologies and machinery

that are versatile, affordable, scalable, and reduce drudgery of operations performed by women

• Focus on smallholder, on-farm tasks that can benefit from appropriate scale mechanization

• Ensure that all activities build in-country capacity, integrate gender considerations, create measureable outcomes and impacts, provideimportant knowledge to relevant stakeholders, and facilitate creation of business ventures

• Overcome the barriers to adoption of mechanization • Build capacity at in-country institutions through innovation hubs

Strategy Formulation: Overall Objectives

Develop an actionable strategy that identifies high priority Appropriate Scale Mechanization subject areas

Gain insights into country stakeholders’ perspectives on how agricultural mechanization might significantly improve quality of life and livelihood of smallholder farmers in a sustainable way

Explore and build synergy and partnerships among stakeholders and practitioners in systems predominately involving smallholder farmers

Identify and possibly assemble resources for advancing the goals of ASMC in a timely fashion

Key Questions

What are the critical mechanization needs relative

to each value chain?

What are the top challenges for meeting each of

these needs?

What are the specific mechanization

opportunities with the highest potential for

addressing these challenges?

What are the top opportunities relative to impact

and availability of resources?

What tasks should be addressed, who will lead

them and who will be partners?

STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGEMENT

• User-Centric

Engagement

• System’s Approach

• Innovator’s Dilemma

• Incremental vs

Disruptive

Technologies

• Technology evaluation

• Scaling up and out

User-Centric Engagement: Appropriate Scale Mechanization Hubs

Innovation HubsFramework of multi-sector stakeholders including farmers, extension agents, universities (researchers and students), entrepreneurs, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations, with common purpose to support sustainable intensification by identifying, developing, and/or adopting appropriate-scale mechanization technologies.

Field HubsFarming community-based facility for engaging with farmers, women and youth and facilitating on-site training and demonstration of equipment and sustainable intensification practices. On-site research projects facilitate equipment development, evaluation and system-level impact measurement.

COUNTRY ENGAGEMENT• Workshops with local

stakeholders

• Presentations from in-country

partners

• Top challenges and top

opportunities for interventions

Bangladesh

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Bangladesh

Cambodia

Cambodia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia

COUNTRY ENGAGEMENT (CONT.)• Field visits

• Selection of suitable sites for visiting in specific regions of

country by local partners

• Investigation of sites for Field Hub

• Engagement with local smallholder farmers

• Identification/confirmation of challenges and opportunities

BattambangDon Bosco Agro-Technology SchoolHARVEST CambodiaConservation Agriculture MachineryConservation Agriculture on UplandsConservation Agriculture on Lowland RiceUniversity of Battambang

Siem ReapCommercial Vegetable

Home Garden

Phnom PenhRoyal University of AgricultureASMC WorkshopMr. Larano’s Manufacturing PlantRussey Keo Manufacturing Plant

CAMBODIA

BANGLADESHMymensinghBangladesh Agricultural UniversityASMC Workshop

GazipurBangladesh Agricultural Research InstituteBangladesh Rice Research Institute

DhakaUSAID Mission, US EmbassyBangladesh Institute of Developmental Studies International Food Policy and Research InstituteACI Motors LTD

Khulna and Polder 30Department of Agricultural ExtensionSIIL Project Site

BURKINA FASO

OuagadougouUSAID at US Embassy

Bobo-DioulassoPolytechnic University of Bobo-DioulassoASMC Workshop

KoumbiaVisit Mr. Ly’s farm

ETHIOPIA

Addis AbabaUSAID MissionCIMMYT/ILRI Campus

Bahir DarBahir Dar UniversityASMC WorkshopField site visit next to Lake Tana

Sebadar Kebele, Dangishita and Merawi KogaField site visits

IMPORTANCE OF SYSTEMS APPROACH

A Holistic Approach emphasizing the performance as a whole

based on the understanding of all components in the system

and the interrelationships among the components [i.e. making

things work better, as well as making things work together].

“In the face of complexity, many research efforts address a

component of the problem rather than attempting to deal with

all of its dimensions.” (Van Ginkel et al., 2013)

Assessment of current practices with an integrated

systems perspective

Eco-system of innovation

Why:

Individually functioning

components do not

necessarily make up a

workable system;

Piece-wise knowledge

about individual

components does not

automatically provide a

complete understanding of

the overall system;

Necessary yet missing

components can be

detected after

observing/analyzing the

system as a whole.

INCREMENTAL VS DISRUPTIVE

TECHNOLOGIES (Kalbach, 2012)

1

2

2

5

“Mechanization is a game changer”, Martin Richenhagen, CEO of AGCO.

EXAMPLE OF INCREMENTAL TECHNOLOGY

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale Technologies

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale

Hand Tools

Human factors &

ergonomicsSafety

Tool Effectiveness

Impact on Sustainable

Intensification

Economic Factors

Evaluation Framework Example: Hand Tools

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale

Hand Tools

Human factors &

ergonomics

Ease of Use

Gender ergonomics

Training requirement

Hand tool dimensions

Handle diameter &

length

Posture

Degree of bending

Safety

Potential for causing

discomfort & injuries

Type of discomfort or injury to what part of body

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale

Technologies

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale

Hand Tools

Tool Effectiveness

Availability/ Uptime

Reliability/ Frequency of breakdowns

Serviceability

Maintenance RepairabilityAvailability

of spare parts

Performance/ Capability

Productivity

Work rateEnergy/

power input

Quality of work

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale Technologies

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale Hand Tools

Economic Factors

Fixed & operating

costs

Tool life/

replacement

Manufact-urability

Scaling up & out

Financing/ franchise

Return on investment

Household impacts

Evaluation of Appropriate Scale

Hand Tools

Impact on Sustainable

Intensification

Environmental

Soil healthWater

availability/ use

efficiency

Climate change/

CO2 emissions

Socio-economic

Time commitment

Labor requirement

Scaling Up and Out• Targeting sustainable business

models around equipment

• Local custom hire services

• Farmer cooperatives or associations

Productivity

Environment

EconomicsHuman

Condition

Social

Burkina Faso: Improved Animal Handling and Yoke Design

Cambodia: Motorbike-Mounted Broadcaster for Mulch-based Cropping Systems

Bangladesh: Custom Hire Services

Ethiopia & Cambodia: Commercial Vegetable Home Gardens

Self-Help Groups (Farmer Collectives) Increased food security,

nutrition and capacity to

learn

INDICATOR

FRAMEWORK

BURKINA FASO CASE STUDY

Crop and livestock systems approach to sustain profitability and boost ecosystem resilience by alleviating labor bottlenecks

Farming SystemThe level of on-farm mechanization is low in Burkina Faso.

Mechanization OpportunitiesThe highest priorities for mechanization innovation reported by our stakeholders were for 1) land preparation, 2) planting, 3) weed control, 4) water use and conservation

0

20

40

60

80 ManualpowerDraftAnimalsTractors

BURKINA FASO CASE STUDY

Animal Productivity and Comfortlow-stress training of oxenImproved ox yoke

Land Preparationconservation, zone-tillage ripper

Sowingredesign and improve locally available, ox-drawn planters with a low-cost seed plate drive mechanism

Weed controlDesigned cultivators for weed control

Established a five-acre demonstration site comparing conservation tillage and mechanical planting with conventional plowing and hand-planting.

“Here in Africa, and especially in Burkina Faso, nothing has benefited us more than agriculture, so we live mainly from agriculture” – Quote from ASMC team leader in Burkina Faso

BURKINA FASO

Row crop cultivators

Ox-drawn row crop planter Refined ox yoke

Conservation ripper

ETHIOPIA

Maize Sheller

Solar-powered pump (Majipump) Ox driven planter (similar to BF)

Forage chopper

Photo Credit: Tillers International-Uganda

BANGLADESH

Axial flow pumps

Rice Transplanter Rice Reaper

Mini-Combine Harvester

Photo Credit: Cocoro Limited

CAMBODIA

2-wheel tractor pulled crimper

Motorbike broadcaster

4-wheel tractor Pulled Seeder

2-Wheel Tractor Pulled Seeder

Photo Credit: CASC

FINAL COMMENTS

• Strategies for engagement with target countries is vital for long

term sustainability of mechanization interventions

• Integrative systems approach accounting for local participation

and input is critical to the long term success of the project

• “Systems make it possible, but people make it happen” –

Christensen

• “Farming Needs to be a business” – Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina

2017 World Food Prize Laureate

• Need to be able to rely on a team with broad experience to

address challenges beyond basic technology

CONTACT INFORMATION

Alan Hansen

Professor and Interim Head

Director, Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium

Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Email: achansen@Illinois.edu

Tim Rendall

Project Manager, Appropriate Scale Mechanization

Consortium

Email: rendall1@Illinois.edu

www.feedthefuture.gov

Thank You

REFERENCES

Kalbach, J., 2012. Clarifying innovation: four zones of innovation.

https://experiencinginformation.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/clarifying-

innovation-four-zones-of-innovation/, accessed 7/18/2016.

Van Ginkel et al., 2013. An integrated agro-ecosystem and livelihood systems

approach for the poor and vulnerable in dry areas. Food Security 5:751–767.

Sustainable Intensification Innovation LaboratoryKansas State University

Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium

University of Illinois (PI)

Michigan State University

Kansas State University

North Carolina A&T State University