Week 2A: What is meant by collaboration? What kind of collaboration are you involved in?

Archived English Discussions Collaboration
#13

Collaboration is about the people, organization(s) or institution(s) that we partner or work with to bring our content out to our audience.
For our Agric shows and for the area in which I find myself, we partner the farmer groups (mostly cocoa farmers who also grow normal food crops), extension officers, plant genetics, cocoa research, ministry of food and agriculture, university for agriculture and environmental science. We also engage input dealers to bring to our farmers what inputs are available and is good for them.
Question

  • how well can we get the farmers to understand climate change and climate smart agriculture?
  • how do we get the farmers to understand farming with the environment in mind?
  • how to educate farmers to understand that it is more sustainable to maintain their farms than to sell off their farm lands to miners?
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#14

Hi @sachiangutsav

Thanks for contributing in the right platform. Your initial contribution was in a group email, you responded to someone on email via this site. We are looking forward to more insights as promised:

#15

Thank you @Owura, our resource people @Yakubu and @bfiafor will respond to your questions:

#16

Hello everyone ,my name is Blessing Uwechia,Project Officer Farm Radio International in Plateau State Nigeria.I work with the radio team at Peace 90.5 FM to produce an interactive farmer programme for potato farmers.Before now,i have worked with AIT/Raypower for 14 years as reporter,presenter,producer,and acting head of station.
I have also consulted for GIZ as a trainer and coach for SME business training and coaching loop for 3years.

To me,Cllaboration means working with other stakeholders to achieve goals both yours and theirs.Working together for the purpose of achieving a win win for all.Everyone working to help one another acheive success.

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#17

@Owura: how well can we get the farmers to understand climate change and climate-smart agriculture?
We have to come down to the level and understanding of our farmers when it comes to climate change issues by engaging them through explanations, practical examples, and participatory questioning.
We ask the farmers if the rainfall pattern(time rain starts, length/duration in terms of rainy days, weeks and months, when it will start to rain next year or season and how long it will rain), has changed in the last 5, 10, 15 and 20 years ago depending on the age of the farmer/farmers we are engaging.
Most often, they will reply in the negative and we say it is because the climate has changed. The climate has changed because human activities have disturbed the eco-system or environment through cutting down trees, bush burning and not planting trees. Here we explain how trees help to protect water bodies, evapotranspiration, and formation of rainwater. We tell them because of the way we are treating the earth, it has disturbed its balance and thing has changed from how we use to know them. Hence the term Climate change. We also talk about how the temperatures have also changed ( high temperatures in rainy seasons and vice versal) unpredicted heavy rainfall, start, and end of the rainy season leaving crops unmatured, the emergency of certain weeds, pest and diseases they use not to know or see during some time of the year.
The occurrence of floods and violent winds with slightest of rainfall and because of no protection from trees are as a result of climate change. Ask farmers if they have witnessed or heard all that you are saying, get them to also mention and give examples to reenforce what climate change is all about. Let them understand it is our activities and not that the gods are annoyed or because of our sins.
Give examples of why and reasons some trees or park of trees are not cut or disturbed in the environment or on their framers.
Tell the farmers our ancestors knew the important roles of trees for human survival and crafted taboos to protect them and some other things. Though they have no scientific proof or basis and explanation.

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#18

A post was merged into an existing topic: Week 1 - Introduction to discussion on collaboration

#19

Collaboration is the act of mutually coming together of individuals, groups, communities, with the sole with the purpose of pulling their efforts or resources togetherto achieve the desired goal.
I am involved in the following types of collaboration:

  1. Co-production of Farmers Programme on radio with experts
  2. Sponsored
  3. Inviting Resource Persons to offer their expertise in various ways
  4. Joint research etc.
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#20

@Owura; how well can we get the farmers to understand climate-smart agriculture?
As stated for climate change above we break down the issue to the farmers’ understanding by giving examples asking questions.
We can start by explaining how farming or agriculture has changed over time, how we no longer just use the hoe and cutlass, but animal-drawn implements and machines, how we no longer solely use the hoe for weed control but weedicides and herbicides, how they have stopped using some seeds or even select the cobs or plant seeds of some plants but not others.
All of which are making their activities less cumbersome and yield more produce, enough food and more money when they sell.
Bring in how the climate has also changed with the examples mentioned above. State the need for farmers to have bumper harvest each year whether rain comes on time, fall little or too much.
Explain with the challenges from climate change, scientists have worked and are still working to come out with seed varieties that will perform or still give us some good yield when the weather is adverse in a particular year.
They have produced early maturity seed varieties, late maturity varieties, drought-tolerant seed, drought escape seed, low and upland seeds for crops like rice, disease and pest-resistant seeds all of which to ensure that human beings are food secure.
So therefore when they farmers are are using those varieties based on what the season is likely to be to have a good harvest during adverse weather conditions as a result of the effects of climate change, they are being Climate Smart and Practicing Climate-Smart Agriculture.
For example, the rains delayed incoming at the right time this year, it is left with two months for the season to end. Being climate-smart a farmer would go for two months variety crop e.g. cowpea( beans) which takes 60 days to produce and mature).
Famers also practice climate-smart agriculture if because of low rainfall in the season, then they bound the rice fields to prevent water from running off thereby conserving the little water on the field.
Immediately the rains start a farmer plants an early maturing variety, harvest before the main season crops when others were still waiting for the rains, such farmer is practicing climate-smart agriculture.
Getting farmers to use an empty water bottle filled with water and tied to a stick to water vegetables on the farm through drips is also practicing climate-smart agriculture.
Also planting of drought escape and drought-resistant seed variety to escape or withstand two weeks of drought and still produce enough yield is been climate-smart
In the livestock sector modulating the feed of ruminant livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, buffaloes) to reduce methane emission is been climate-smart.
Creating more windows for aerations so as to manage excessive temperatures in a livestock house is been climate-smart and practicing climate-smart agriculture.
Using the manure/dung from cattle to produce biogas for cooking and other stuff on a livestock farm and using the digest from the biogas production to fertilize the farmlands for higher yield, no chemical fertilizer use is been climate-smart and practicing climate-smart sustainable agriculture.
The planting of trees on farms to make them carbon neutral or so we engage in carbon trade is been climate-smart agriculture.

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#21

Dear Owura
Thank you for your wonderful questions, to get Farmers to understand the concept of climate Change and Climate Smart Agriculture CSA, As part of the production of program, we need to elicit what our listeners already know about climate change of which they are already experiencing one way or the other to enable us share from the known to the unknown. This will also help the program to tackle myths and misconception about this topic. You can then resort to the Farm Radio Resource Packs 4 that has lots and lots of scripts, farmer stories, interviews and backgrounder on this subject. Using this resources will help solve the main challenge with terminologies, causes and provide listeners with relevant information. http://scripts.farmradio.fm/radio-resource-packs/theme-packs-2019-2/climate-change/

#22

These are the real ingredients needed in every effective collaboration. Thank you Iyanu

#23

Collaboration is working together with an individual or group of people to achieve a purpose.

As a radio presenter or producer, you will need people with expert knowledge of a topic to work with to better inform your listeners. So in this case there has to be collaboration.

For most programs for farming communities, I collaborate with Agricultural Extension Officers, Agro-input manufacturers, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Farmers.

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#24

@Owura: how do we get the farmers to understand farming with the environment in mind?
Getting farmers to understand farming with the environment in mind comes down to sustainable agriculture. In sustainable agriculture, the emphasis is placed on practices and activities that have less or no negative impact on the ecosystem. That is less destruction of flora (plants) and fauna (animals and insects) and the use of natural products than chemicals.
Farming with the environment in mind could be achieved through minimum or zero tillage of field, strategic felling of trees during new farm establishment or reafforestation of already destroyed farms.
The use of animal-drawn implements will have less impact on the soil compared to the use of heavy drawn implements like tractors and disc ploughs and harrows. The continuous use of heavy equipment on farmland promote the development of hardpan(the soil loses its structure, texture and other properties. The topmost portion of the soil becomes so soft or porous while beneath is hard, The soil can not effectively hold water again and easily dries even after heavy rains or becomes saturated with water).
It means also using fewer chemicals be it fertilizer, weedicides, pesticides, and insecticides. Fertilizers could result in the acidity of soils and when there is runoff could pollute water bodies thereby destroying aquatic life also.
Using insecticides also kill useful and beneficial insects such as bees responsible for the pollination of crops, vegetables and fruit plants.
Getting farmers to have the environment in mind while farming will also in short mean going Organic Agriculture.
Organic agriculture and its products with the right certification could make farmers and farms more profitable and eco-friendly or environmentally friendly.
Premium prices could be gotten for organically produced farm products as many more people are becoming health and environmentally conscious and mindful of what they consume as food.
Health-conscious and environmental alert people are willing to pay more for food produced in a safe and environmental sound manner.
The benefits and advantages of farming with the environment in mind could be elaborated on to farmers and the possible organic premium prices, they could get for their products by becoming environmentally conscious.

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#25

@obolo good point as in collaboration parties have a common goal they want to achieve either individually or collectively.

#26

Collaboration is a mutual agreement among parties on a common goal, the pathway of achieving that goal and each partner’s role to achieve that common goal.
Collaboration can be formal or informal. The formal ones involve memorandum of understanding of signing of contracts. While as the informal one is where an institution is allowed to use other institutions’ resources e.g. personnel to provide input in their radio programs without a written formal agreement between them.

At Farm Radio Trust we are involved in strategic alliances or partnerships like one with Farm Radio International. FRT has been involved in Public Private Partnerships where FRT has engaged the Private Sector and Public Sector to support farm radio programming. FRT has been part of critical networks in the agricultural programming, including being a member of Civil Society Agriculture Network, and National Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi Chapter. Farm Radio Trust has also been involved with research and institutions of higher learning on agricultural programming issues. FRT has also been working with farmer groups on specific value chains among others.

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#27

Hello everyone,

Here I go to answer the questions in 2A,

1. What is your understanding of collaboration?

As alluded to here in question 2B, collaboration is having relationships with stakeholders that include extension staff, farmers and Non-governmental organizations. By so doing, each side benefits in one way or the other.

Say for instance; if a certain district wants to carry out civic education or mass awareness about some service, and they approached a radio station to broadcast the information regarding the service but may not pay money for the broadcasts but instead offers the radio station a two year training for two staff on agriculture and rural communication; in that way both the radio station and the district will be collaborating by facilitating each other. It may even be a swap whereby the organization will give free nutriboost foods to malnourished children while using the radio station to announce and distribute them, and while the organization is giving free phones to the station for easy communication.

2. Please share who you collaborate with on radio programs for farming communities

  • The farmers. We always go to field, meet them, record them and broadcast their concerns in our farmer programs. We do not give them money in turn for information and time they take talking to us. But in the end, their concerns and issues on radio are received and responded to by the service provider.
  • A Non-governmental organization called One Acre Fund. When I approached them with the request to facilitate me and my two other workmates to be going to the rural communities to meet the farmers, extension people and others, they accepted to collaborate with us, and they facilitate us in terms of transport, meals and accommodation when we go far distances. They give us some money to support us in the field and we ensure that we promote their work and call upon farmers to join them for the services they render to farmers.
  • Lastly, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has decided to collaborate with my media organization (Uganda Broadcasting Corporation) to sensitize farmers about Ticks Resistance in cattle. They send material and other relevant information in about 25 local languages. This has promoted us and we stand chances of getting more opportunities.
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#28

Good day house, how was your day?Olusina motiasan is my name from Ejulenen93.7fm igbodigo,okitipupa,ondo state, Nigeria.Collaboration can simply means coming together of different people to practice the same thing as to arrive at a certain point of achieving tangible goals.For example forming a farmers association is to achieve something tangible in farming business.

#29

Olusina motiasan is my name from Ejulenen93.7fm igbodigo,okitipupa,Nigeria. Programmer,producer,presenter,reporter and a news caster.I collaborated with palm oil farmers,we discussed with them that they can have program which will serve as an avenue for them to sensitizes their fellow palm oil farmers about their farm and other benefits they can stand to gain if forming a farmers groups which currently give birth to a program titled " palm is a cash tree"

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#30

Rashid Muzungyo is my name from Kapchorwa Trinity Radio in Eastern Uganda.
To me, Collaboration means the practice of working together guided by specific principles to achieve a common goal to benefit all participants in a group.
In this discussion, collaboration means working together with stakeholders especially individual farmers, farmers groups, government extension workers, policy makers at all levels,and experts in the production of sound farmer programmes.
At Kapchorwa Trinity Radio (KTR) we collaborated with IUCN, Farm Radio International, Kween/Kapchorwa District Local Governments, and Farmers in the two districts on a programme titled Forest Land Restoration-FLR. This programme was part of efforts of promoting tree planting among communities surrounding the Mt. Elgon Forest Park.
As part of the team I traveled to the field several times to collect farmers voices that were aired during our programmes. At the station, in collaboration with my Manager, we worked round the clock to ensure that radio programmes were recorded and uploaded on a Memory card that was played to farmers using our Boda Boda radio.The Boda Boda radio was pilot programme that was meant to serve farmers located in areas where our station signal was not accessible.The questions raised by farmers were recorded using the radio (that had a recording system) and brought to the Station, where they were listened to and played in the next programme during which technicians were invited to respond to issues raised by farmers.
At the Station, we also collaborated with Extension workers from the District Local Governments and NGOs who provided the technical advisory services during the talkshows. A timetable drawn by stakeholders was followed and whenever it was not possible to get the extension worker, an alternative person was always ready for contact.
All this work was possible with political support from District Leaders who included Sam Cheptoris who was later appointed Uganda’s cabinet Minister of Water and Environment.
At the moment KTR is collaborating with Kween District on Financial Literacy programme through the office of the Resident District Commissioner. The Station is also running a Its also collaborating with IFDC on farm radio work.
Thanks.
Rashid Muzungyo KTR 94.1FM Uganda.

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#31

Hi everyone, l want to respond to the questions
What is meant by collaboration? - In general, collaboration has many meaning; in our case l can say that collaboration is a process where 2 or more people or organizations work together to accomplish or to achieve or complete a task or a goal. It is a practice where individuals work together to achieve a common purpose. It is a cooperation or an interactive strategy that seeks solutions to the participants’ goals. In our case it requires us to collaborate with stakeholders through use of assertive and cooperative means to achieve the compatible and meaningful to improving our farmers’ income as well as produce.
The collaborations l am involved in include those with extension workers whom l engage to talk to farmers advising them on many crucial matters about what to plant and when; the best fertilizers to use, what is in great demand. The Ministry o Agriculture for the same advise and also the cooperative societies leaders who advice on the market and quality of the produce. I have some buyers/produce business operators who come in with the nuit wits of what they actually require from the farmers. The farmers we collaborate with to lay and implement the strategies of what we need do in order to achieve our goals.

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#32

Thank you for this Topic it very important since we work with other people to
Collaboration would say is the cooperation from one another to make sure you reach the target or goal you intended to reach. You need collaborate with farmers,extension officers,researchers and other key players on Agricultural issues like Agrodealers etc.

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