Namibia, distinguished by its arid climate, faces recurrent droughts that challenge local farmers heavily reliant on extensive livestock farming and rangelands. Bush encroachment, characterized by invasive woody species, exacerbates this issue, reducing grass availability, impacting biodiversity, and posing a threat to livestock production. This project addresses these challenges through value chains derived from encroacher bushes, focusing on sustainable production, gender equality, and poverty alleviation. Initiated by the University of Namibia, the CARP+ project investigates economic and environmental value chains to empower smallholder farmers.
The project aims to explore sustainable utilization techniques and develop product prototypes from encroacher bushes. It evaluates the effect of feeding livestock with encroacher bush silage on animal productivity, growth performance, and the quality of animal-based products. Additionally, a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis is conducted to evaluate the viability of different applications of the encroacher bush value chain. Capacity building within TVET institutions and communities is implemented through a 'train the trainers' approach to disseminate knowledge and skills relevant to the value chains. Furthermore, the CARP+ project holds the potential to boost research in bush value chains, alleviate poverty, reduce hunger, and enhance food security. It transforms bush encroachment from a problem into an opportunity in Southern Africa.
The project also focuses on developing value chains for oyster mushroom cultivation using post-harvest materials from encroacher bushes, with an emphasis on women farmers. Multi-stakeholder engagement within the value chains and the establishment of bush feed and mushroom incubation hubs to support and enhance community involvement are key components of the project. The expected outputs of this three-year project include the validation of methods, the development of business models, and the establishment of pilot products within various value chains, including feed, mushroom, fencing poles, charcoal, and biochar. The project addresses the limited commercial experience with encroacher bushes, offering income opportunities and enhancing food security.
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