Project Title: Community based Integrated Pest Management of Cotton Pests
Grantee: UNDP-GEF/SGP
Country: Pakistan
Name of the executing organization: Implementation by Human Development Foundation (HDF) and technical support by Eco-Conservation Initiatives (ECI)
Type of the organization: NGO, CBO, IP: Both Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Number of people served: 15
Location: District Rahim Yar Khan (Southern Punjab) marked with red colour. The district lies between 27.40′ – 29.16′ north latitudes and 60.45′ – 70.01′ east longitudes.
SGP Contribution: Total of about US $ 100,000 in 2 phases (2005-06 and 2006-09)
UNDP Contribution: Nil
In-Cash Co-financing: Nil
In-Kind Co-financing: Almost equal to cash contribution
Start Date: 2005
End Date: 2009
Background Information
The farmers have to use 10 to 15 pesticide sprays for control of bollworm insect pests in a season. Most of these contain POPs chemicals as their ingredients. As a result, human health and ecology was getting seriously affected.
Of course, this problem is connected with ecological degradation as a whole. As a result, land air and water pollution is created that is connected with climate change.
Since 1960’s chemical insecticides were being promoted in this area; almost 80% were used on cotton. Primarily, it gave good control of the insect pests without knowing that insecticide sprays that were being used also contained POP contents. With the passage of time, insects developed resistance against insecticides and the number of sprays continued to increase till it reached up to 10 or 15 per season. This created human health problem, soil, air and water contamination, loss to biodiversity along with environmental degradation. The SGP supported project was started to gradually reduce and then eliminate POPs containing pesticides and give biological alternatives as part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that helped resolved the problem in target areas.
Project Description
Main objectives of the project were identifying the POPs containing pesticides, reduce number of sprays, give IPM based alternatives to the farmers, protect biodiversity and decrease cost of production.
GEF-SGP provided financial support, ECI technical support and HDF implemented the project with its strong social mobilization component and in-kind contribution in the form of infrastructure, human resources and transport, etc. Farmers joined the field based activities by attending on-farm Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and Training of the Trainers (TOTs).
Initially, the project duration was for one year. Depending upon evaluation of the project, it was extended for another 3 years with the aims to cover more area. Project activities were planned in coordination with the stakeholders. Community based IPM approach was adopted to identify the pests, study their ecology, nature of damage and provide IPM techniques based on biological, cultural, mechanical control along with use of pheromones for management of the pests keeping under threshold levels. Beside, on-farm training and exposure visits were conducted for the farmers including women cotton pickers. They were familiarized with the POPs properties and their longstanding impacts on humans and ecology because of their non-degradable nature for years. A field office was established equipped with a biological lab, project personnel and field staff. They were responsible for weekly monitoring of the pests, releases of natural enemies to manage the pests and application of bio-pesticides such as neem extracts and oil based non-toxic products such as DC-Tron, etc. As a result, the number of sprays were reduced up to 2 in the third year of the project. The farmers who were fully convinced with the project approach and results also diverted to organic management of their cotton crop. Moreover by reduction in number of sprays, overall cost of production was also reduced with the ratio of 3 : 1.
Key Activities and Innovations
Farmers including women, young girls, children and cotton boll pickers and personnel from Department of Agriculture Research and Extension were the main beneficiaries
Following were the key innovations:
They were engaged through community dialogue with the family elders followed by social mobilization, house to house contacts by the field personnel and organizing FFS.
This was basically Community IPM approach based on biological control of the pests. This was carried out by establishing the insect laboratory with culture rooms equipped with locally designed wooden racks, cages and glass jars for mass rearing of the natural enemies. In addition to this, a simple set up was also established to extract the neem seeds and leaves for application on the insects to kill them by indigestion and as repellents. Figures are attached at the end.
Challenges
Initially farming community was not ready to stop or reduce the number of chemical sprays on cotton crop. However with constant dialogues, social mobilization and on-farm demonstration of the results, they were convinced to follow the project guidelines.
As stated above
Initial stage of the project
The approach adopted by the project was the best.
Establishment of mass rearing laboratory is recommended. The testing of chemicals requires the system with uninterrupted supply of electricity. In the project area, excessive load shedding of electricity has been the big problem. In future, heavy duty diesel generators may also be included in the project budgets.
Environmental Impact
These are measured by assessing the health of local plants, crops and human health by testing the samples from a certified laboratory by government.
The project dealt with only industrial chemicals that are mentioned in the table below:
Categories |
Specification (Please list their names if applicable) |
Amount (tons) |
|||
Reduction in use |
Reduction in production |
Restriction from exposure |
Recycled or appropriately treated |
||
Pesticides and formulations |
Aldrin, Dieldrin, Heptachlor, Methamidophos, Monocrotophos, Parathion |
90% |
N.A |
100% |
N.A |
Industrial chemicals |
|
|
|
|
|
Unintentionally produced chemicals |
|
|
|
|
|
Waste |
|
|
|
|
|
This has already been mentioned.
Following have been the secondary benefits:
Socio-economic impacts
There has been greater awareness about IPM approach and reducing cost of pesticides with provision of alternatives.
Not applicable.
Yes of course, the bio-products as well as non-toxic chemicals and bio-pesticides were locally produced and used. They have great economic importance for the farmers. They were enabled to identify and produce the same by themselves.
Obviously the organized use of biological control based IPM leads to organic farming and organic pest management. With regular application of such measures, the farmers automatically get used to organic farming of production.
Policy Impacts
There was not much time available to address the policy level issues.
Definitely, the project played a greater role to influence the policies at local institution level such as agriculture department and union councils.
The major barriers were the pesticide companies who have been resisting the project approach. They were mainly concerned with use of beneficial insects as they affected their sale in local market. This is a sort of competition that is still going on. Efforts were made to hold meetings with them and try to convince that they must focus on production of non-POPs products that are safe for environment.
N.A
Gender
Women participation was equally ensured from the stage of planning up to field implementation and monitoring of the project. They have been very much interested in field demonstration and FFS activities.
About 500 women benefited out of the project in the target area.
It has been SGPs priority to involve women at all stages of project development, management and field implementation that was consequently ensured.
SGP has developed effective communication strategy for its project partners. This was mutually agreed that project team will involve women staff to approach the women farmers at household level for dialogue and their social mobilization. This approach helped to cover all the barriers in an effective way.
Human Development Foundation (HDF) being the field implementation partner has a large number of female staffs in their team who were duly involved for dissemination of project messages to the women and convince them for active involvement in project activities. This strategic approach tremendously benefited the implementation process by equal participation of women.
Indigenous Peoples
In the project area, there are no indigenous people as per UN definition. However, a number of farmers from the nearby Cholistan desert bordered with India have been part of the stakeholders who developed their skills.
N.A
Whether or not there are indigenous people involved, demonstration of the best practices through audio-visuals has been one of the components of project methodology.
Sustainability
Following aspects make the project sustainable:
HDF and ECI are still in the loop. HDF is still looking after the project activities at the field level on self-help basis. As and when needed, ECI provides technical support. Preparation of this case study is also part of this coordination mechanism that exists between the partners. Moreover, we have always strong support and encouragement from GEF-SGP who have facilitated us to upscale the project with UNDP’s mid-term grant which is in process.
Followings are needed:
Following points may be advised:
Partners
Following are the partners with their roles:
Replication and Up-scaling
The project base has already been established where HDF is voluntarily contributing. The results of the pilot level activities may be up-scaled by including other nearby areas and the farmers. However, funding has been a constraint. To meet this aspect, ECI has submitted a national level project to UNDP for larger grant for reduction and then gradual elimination of POPs in agriculture and industry in Pakistan by giving alternatives. This has been approved by the GEF Focal Area. However even after 2 years it is still in the approval process. This project will not only involve the pilot area but also all provinces of the Pakistan. ECI has the main expertise in biological control based Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that will be utilized for up-scaling of the project at national level.
ECI took the lead and the project for reduction and elimination of POPs at national level is in the final process of approval with UNDP HQs.
ECI is already working on this model in different areas of Pakistan. For example, in District Hyderabad they are applying the same approach on 20,000 hectares of sugarcane crop. No chemical pesticides are used on this area since last several years as the bio-products are produced locally in the jointly operated laboratories by Sugar Mills and ECI.
This needs to be surveyed for updated figures. But we believe that many farmers who were convinced have started to avoid use of highly hazardous chemical insecticides on cotton.
Already described.
This is of tremendous importance as this also includes learning by doing approach.
Excessive electricity load shedding has become the common barrier. In addition to this, project communication strategy also needs to be further improved.
Lessons learned
One example of the good practice is that farmers started to monitor their crops regularly on weekly basis. As taught and trained, they became used to identify, collect and destroy insect pest eggs mechanically in the field. Moreover, they also started to destroy the specific weed plant species around the crop field that were providing them as hibernating spaces. As a result, the infestation of pests was automatically decreased during the next season.
Regarding implementation: It requires well planned strategy with a sound communication strategy
Communities: They can learn more effectively learning by doing approach or through effective demonstration. Moreover, they take greater interest in video presentations than class room lecture approach.
Technical lessons: Conducive environment is required for establishment of biological lab systems with provision of uninterrupted supply of utilities and trained human resources.
SGP team leader/National Coordinator has been highly supportive. Their role has been highly encouraging. Not only they have been visiting the field level activities but also facilitated in projection of project activities to wider group of stakeholders, media, academia and CSOs across Pakistan.
Community dialogue and social mobilization was very well done. The main reason was that HDF had already established a base for education, credit facilities, health and economic empowerment initiatives in the project area.
Awards/Recognitions
This has yet to be presented for expected awards.
Name of the Award
Year the award was received
Nam e of the Organization that gives the award
Description on the reasons why the project won the award: