Beating Famine- FMNR Rolf Shenton Grassroots Trust Zambia Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 1

Traditional CBNRM- Adapted Genius  Harvest of forest, fish and wildlife was moderated by local customary rules  Mosaic burning  Crops were mixed, no till, integrated with trees  Grazing was planned and communal to reduce disease and give time for vegetation to recover  ABUNDANCE & DIVERSITY ! Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 2

Disruptive Invasion-Conquer nature  Europeans introduced sport hunting, soon banning customary hunting like the “Chila”  Ploughs, mono-cultures, fertilisers and chemicals  Clear felling, stumping and plantation while Chitemene was banned and FMNR overlooked. Early burning became policy  Access to vast lands restricted by Protected Areas and large-scale farms introduced fencing & private land.  Mass resettlement- decision-making structures broken up  CONFUSION AND RESENTMENT SET IN! Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 3

Soil Economy in free fall  Bad practices spread, environments degraded, over 70% of livestock and 90% of large wildlife died, crop yields plummeting  Nationalization further undermined local & Traditional Authority responsibility over land and resources-  Africans lost control of soil economy- millions moved to cities straining services  Poverty cycle set in Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 4

Fortress conservation  Bunker resource management structures  Little or no meaningful involvement of stakeholders  Elite capture  Political appeasement – corruption  ‘Fya Boma’ attitudes- freedom became the freedom to ignore common sense Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 5

Perfect storm  Fertilizer subsidies off and on, soil damaged, yields finally collapsed to 1/4  Farmers clear for more crop land  Wildlife and fish finish quickly  Urban demand for cheap food and energy rises  People turned to charcoal for livelihoods Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 6

Summary of decline  Sense of ownership and responsibility transferred from local communities to state  Rights and benefits given to general public via state  New thinking undermined local established CBNRM systems  New technologies replaced tried and tested Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 7

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Part 2 Solutions Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 9

Pockets of Regeneration Landscape- consistent success  FMNR areas  Holistic Management areas- Namibian Conservancies, livestock ranches, farms  Wildlife Conservancies- Campfire, some GMA, Game Ranches, a few Pas Farm level- erratic success  Conservation farming Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 10

Factors for regeneration  Secure rights and clarifying responsibilities  Organized community-owned decision- making processes  Holistic management of resources  CBNRM business structures for commons  Focus on soil as robust base for growth  Regenerative technologies for biodiversity  Consistent and long-term mentorships Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 11

Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 12 CO 2

FMNR in Zambia  Still commonly used around homesteads- motivation is ascetic  No academic or official recognition vs tree planting  Currently low use of FMNR in commons  Increased use of FMNR with CBNRM approach Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 13

Making FMNR ‘ cool’ Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 14

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Holistic Context: Environmental regeneration, economic growth and social stability  Soil, water and natural resources regenerating  Organized rural communities, once a drain on public coffers now take responsibility for their lives, turn profits and pay taxes  Government able to concentrate on public services, security and infrastructure  THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT Grassroots Trust- Shaping a Viable Future 19