Simple transport solutions cut drudgery and improve livelihoods |
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| Building Partnerships for Sustainable Rural Transport Development | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In Uganda, Intermediate Means of Transport (IMTs) - such as pack animals and ox and donkey carts - are lessening rural women's burden by helping to move crops, water and firewood. Previously, women covered their transport needs by head-loading, carrying heavy bundles from the field to the homestead and from there to the market. The use of oxen for ploughing is also enabling farmers to pay back quickly the loans they take out to purchase draught animals and carts. At the community level, IMTs are being used to haul building materials for community centres, schools, and churches. The Uganda Transport Forum Group has helped to spread the use of IMTs, coordinating project activities among farmer groups, intermediary organisations and international research institutes. Project Ref: CPH27:
Research Programmes: Crop Post-Harvest Programme Relevant Research Projects: R8114: Improved Food Crop Marketing through Appropriate Transport for Poor Farmers in Uganda; undertaken from April 2002 to December 2004. Project Partners
The project aimed to address on the key constraint to market access, i.e. transport of crops from the field to the homestead and from there to the market, aiming particularly to alleviate problems that women encounter in transporting produce i.e. backloading and headloading. The project produced the following outputs:
The project had a strong emphasis on partnership building amongst the project coalition members. The Kampala based Transport Forum Group played a lead role in coordinating project activities involving farmer groups, intermediary organisations in the three districts (i.e. Iganga, Kasese, and Katakwi), and international research institutes (i.e. Knowledge Providers) such as the Natural Resources Institute, TRL Ltd., and Silsoe Research Institute. The project was able to demonstrate the usefulness and also economic viability of the Intermediate Means of Transport (IMTs), i.e. oxen and ox-carts, donkeys as pack animals, and donkey carts. Ploughs have been distributed to farmers taking into account the multi-purpose function of most IMTs and the potential to increase agricultural production. All IMTs were used for transporting crops as well as for domestic purposes such as carrying water and firewood, thereby relieving women from transport chores requiring headloading. Testing and validation of the IMTs has been undertaken by farmer groups as part of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation exercises. Besides workshop and monitoring reports, the project partners have produced publications for wider dissemination such as a project brief (IFRTD Update 4, October 2004, Building Partnerships for Sustainable Rural Transport Development), which was disseminated worldwide to members of the International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD, London), and a paper has been published in the Uganda Journal for Agricultural Sciences (Kleih, U., Kaira, C., Iga, H., Kwamusi, P. (2004) Rural Transport and Livelihoods in Uganda; pp56-63; Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Vol.9 No.1 September 2004, ISSN 1026-0919).
The project focused on farming systems in Uganda, East Africa. As such the emphasis was on a range of commodities including maize, beans, cotton, cassava, coffee. In addition to the transport of agricultural crops, households and small-scale enterprises benefited from the project in using improved means of transport for transporting water, firewood, and building material.
In order to add value to the outputs of R8114, it could be clustered together with outputs of projects related to market access, inventory credit schemes, animal draught power, animal welfare, e.g.
How the outputs were validated: The project had two main components, i.e. a process component and a technical component. The process component consisted of the building of a project coalition and partnership for sustainable transport development. As such, this action research project adopted the innovation systems approach outlined by the DFID Crop Post-Harvest Programme (CPHP) that focuses on the interaction between stakeholders as a key determinant of the uptake of new technologies or systems. Instead of a linear transfer of knowledge from the research organisation to passive beneficiaries, this methodology recognises that anyone touched by or directly involved in the research process will affect its outcome, and that the role they play, in line with their interests and expectations, may change over time. The adoption of the innovation systems approach placed further emphasis on a participatory and inclusive approach to monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The programme stressed that participatory M&E should not be limited to the involvement of end-users, but should take a multi-level approach recognising the differing and often conflicting information needs of various stakeholders. The indicators used for performance monitoring reflect this by incorporating a separate set that measure the level and quality of interaction among stakeholders. Validation, which involved participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E), was mainly carried out by intermediary organisations and end users of the project outputs. In particular, PM&E by end users focused on key parameters such as work-plan implementation, effects of outputs, benefits, and partnerships. As such the project can be seen as a successful partnership model creating a coalition between its internal (i.e. farmers and community based organisations, local NGOs and service providers/intermediary organisations, Transport Forum Group, international research institutes) and external stakeholders (e.g. DFID/CPHP Regional Office and GoU PMA Secretariat, and NAADS). In addition, through participatory appraisals and ergonomics / economics related studies, the project was able to demonstrate the usefulness and also economic viability of the technical component (i.e. Intermediary Means of Transport such as oxen and ox-carts, donkeys as pack animals, and donkey carts). Ploughs have been distributed to farmers taking into account the multi-purpose function of most Intermediate Means of Transport (IMTs) and the potential to increase agricultural production. Also, the economic analysis has shown that a farmer stands a much better chance of being able to reimburse a loan for animals and equipment if contract ploughing for neighbours is involved. All IMTs were used for transporting crops as well as for domestic purposes such as carrying water and firewood, thereby relieving women from transport chores that traditionally involve headloading or backloading. As a consequence, women reported that their health had improved, they felt less stressed, and had more time for leisure or other productive purposes. Where the Outputs were Validated: The validation took place in 2004 in three districts of Uganda (i.e. Iganga, Kasese, and Katakwi). The production systems where testing and validation of the outputs took place include high potential, hillsides, forest-agriculture, and to some extent semi-arid (e.g. Katakwi, due to drought conditions during project execution). The farming systems include mixed cropping systems with emphasis on crops such as maize, coffee, beans, and cassava. All the farming systems were based on rainfed, smallholder production in humid, highland, and dry conditions. In particular, poor farming communities were targeted as part of the validation exercise. This involved female members of farmer groups that tested and validated the Intermediate Means of Transport distributed as part of the project. In particular, donkeys as pack animals proved popular amongst women in areas where little or no alternatives exist (e.g. Mountains of Kasese District) in that they can handle the animals themselves. Whilst oxen and carts also proved attractive to users, they are more a men's domain. Who are the Users? Process output The partnership created by the project is in use in that the Transport Forum Group (TFG) is being recognized as a Ugandan information centre for rural transport issues. For example, NGOs active in Katakwi District (e.g. Actionaid) would contact TFG for advice prior to carrying our initiatives on the ground. Likewise, the Iganga based intermediary organization MTCEA is in regular contact with TFG. Only the intermediary organization based in the more remote district of Kasese (i.e. KFP) seems to have more difficulties to maintain contact. Technical outputs Oxen are used for both ploughing and transport. Use is always high at the beginning of the planting season when trained oxen and a few donkeys are used for ploughing (e.g. Iganga and Katakwi). The validation exercises have shown the importance of using oxen not only for transport but also for ploughing in order to enable farmers to break even in the shortest time possible. Without ploughing activities, farmers owning oxen are likely to struggle to pay back the credit they obtained for purchase of draught animals and cart. Ox carts, donkey carts, and donkeys as pack animals are used for a range of activities including the transport of crops, firewood, water and building material. The latter has helped communities to construct community centres, schools, and churches. In particular, in the mountainous parts of Kasese Districts, there appear to be no alternatives to donkeys as pack animals. Women's chores are alleviated as a consequence of the animals. Where the outputs have been used: The project outputs are primarily used in the districts where they were introduced (i.e. Iganga, Kasese and Katakwi). However, within these districts use of the outputs is spreading from the original sub-counties to other sub-counties as farmers recognise their usefulness. It has been difficult to ascertain the use of the outputs in other parts of Uganda and in other countries. Nonetheless, the fact that the project outputs have generated some interest by donors (e.g. Danida's Road Sector Programme Support in Uganda), private sector stakeholders (e.g. potential user of donkeys for transport and ploughing in Kabarole District), and international organisations (e.g. Institute for Transportation & Development Policy) may well have led to uptake beyond the original project sites. Scale of Current Use: As mentioned above, the scale of current use of outputs is concentrated in the districts where the original research took place. Use of project outputs was quickly established during the course of the project (i.e. phase II). As indicated above, use is still spreading albeit at a relatively slow pace. Policy and Institutional Structures, and Key Components for Success: In particular NGOs have provided the platform for the adoption of the outputs. For example, in addition to the original project partners, Action Aid and SOCADIDO have provided more IMTs in Katakwi District and sensitised poor farmers on animal handling and welfare. In Iganga, it was the British based NGO Farmer Action Overseas Group (FAOG) that has provided support to farmers and the intermediary organisation MTCEA. At the same time, these NGO initiatives can only meet a fraction of the demand, and in some cases may only provide inputs for demonstration purposes. Despite their original enthusiasm for the project outputs and active attempts by the team to involve them in the project, Local Governments and supporting agencies such as the Belgian Technical Cooperation in Kasese have not lived up to their promise, according to local stakeholders. Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture annual report 2003/2004 has highlighted the success and importance of project outputs. NAADS (National Agricultural Advisory Services) has incorporated animal traction in some of the areas where they work (e.g. some sub-counties of Iganga). One of the issues with transport promotion is that the sector is considered a private sector domain, as a consequence of which private sector entrepreneurs are largely expected to take their own initiatives. Capacity strengthening would require a concerted effort by a government department to promote best practice amongst stakeholders (e.g. farmer representatives, artisans, veterinaries) through regional workshops, training, and media initiatives. At present, the use of Intermediate Means of Transport seems to be neglected in this respect. Direct and Indirect Environmental Benefits: Positive environmental impacts are likely if, as a consequence of this project, agricultural implement manufacturers (e.g. SAIMMCO in Soroti, Uganda) will replace the steel-wheels on their carts by rubber tyres. The latter are more environmentally friendly and cause less damage to fields and rural roads. Also, the utilisation of manure from the draught animals can contribute to more sustainable land use patterns. Adverse Environmental Impacts: There are no negative impacts on the environment as a result of this project. Coping with the Effects of Climate Change, or Risk from Natural Disasters: As a consequence of improved transport, farming systems may become more flexible, and farmers may therefore be in a better position to adapt to climate changes. Relevant Research Projects,
with links to the
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For relevant research projects, with links to further information Geographical regions included: Uganda,  Target Audiences for this content:Crop farmers, Livestock farmers, Fishers, Forest-dependent poor, Processors, Traders, |
