Acacia: Answer to Climate Change, Economic Empowerment & Food Security in ASALs by Desertlands Foundation-Kenya
Please find below the
Finalist Evaluation
Judges'' comments
This proposal is to set up a new organization in Kenya to promote and support the planting of licorice and acacia Senegal trees, with associated honey and vegetable production. The plan to combine market and subsistance crops is appealing. The mixing of permaculture and annual crops is also good. The plan is quite ambitious and would benefit from involving additioanl people with complementary expertise. Although the proposer lives in one of the implementation regions I don't see evidence that he has reached out to local stakeholders to build support for this idea. In particular, pastoralists are mentioned; have any members of that community been consulted? I would be interested to know the ongoing outcomes of the Kubuqi area; what are the similarities and differences between that region and the proposed locations in Kenya? How much water is required and how will it be obtained? What will be the net impact on land use in the area? Will trees replace grasslands? Croplands? Desert? Overall, I encourage further development of this idea, perhaps with a larger team.
Impressive coalition of proposals. There are creative and interesting elements to this proposal that indeed have the potential to yield returns, and if executed properly, would go a long way in providing localized education outreach and may even help shift attitude about climate change and the need to change behavior/practices. But my concern is whether we the envisaged activities can achieve that at the appropriate scale and still be economically viable/ sustainable. More crucially, I think the proposal may have limited reach in addressing multiple SDGs.
Semi-Finalist Evaluation
Judges'' ratings
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Judges'' comments
Thank you for this proposal,
This is a well-considered and thoughtful proposal. We would like to know more about how it reaches to other SDGs and what further impacts it might have beyond the obvious. It would also be useful to have more details about the involvement of various partners. Are these partners already signed on to participate?
Some key points- there is a reference to gender equality and working with women, but no reference to SDG 5 is made- perhaps this could be strengthened. I'm concerned with the set up of a company that requires donor funding- perhaps a different model would be more effective, more example a non-profit organization where profits can either be steered back to the project or social enterprise. The use of the Acacia Senegal is a great starting point, but it would also be great to expand on the type of food production that could be encouraged in this agro-forestry system: what will be grown, by whom and for what markets. The following points are all very interesting, but need to be discussed more specifically otherwise this feels like just another top-down development project. What other interventions need to be made in terms of markets, processing capacity etc to achieve these points: "Creation of green economy in ASAL areas. The affected population will earn a living from harvesting and sell high-quality gum Arabic, high-quality honey and vegetables. Creation of employment opportunities for the benefit of the population living in ASAL areas. Transformation of ASAL areas from non-productive to productive farming fields. Food security for the populations in ASAL areas." Please also do take on board Pia's suggestions around improving biodiversity and focusing on how some other food crops could be cultivated in conjunction with the trees. Some agro-ecological management practices would also be helpful to include in the proposal. Finally, this proposal could benefit a lot from joining forces with the proposal entitled "Role of farmers call center for increasing access to agricultural information."
 Tom Gard Jan 26, 2018 12:20  | Proposal creator The proposal has been revised and the revisions made include all the advice by the judges and suggestions made by Pia Jensen in the comments section. Summary of Revisions 1. Change in the name of the implementing organization from Acacia Forest Finance to Desertlands Foundation-Kenya. This is to reflect the nature of work involved and the operation (business) model adopted. 2. Improvement of the summary section to include licorice plant alongside acacia Senegal tree species. This is to enhance biodiversity and eliminate problems associated with monoculture agroforestry systems as suggested by Pia Jensen. 3. Addition of a third Colab Proposal as advised by the judges to strengthen the proposal. 4. Improvement of the "What actions do you propose" section to by expounding on the attainable SDGs and project impacts as advised by the judges. 5. Discussion of intended vegetables and food crops to be cultivated in the "What actions do you propose" section as advised by the judges. 6. Explanation of available markets for agroforestry products in the "What actions do you propose" section as advised by the judges. 7. Description of activities to be undertaken by the different partners to be involved in the project. 8. The addition of agro-ecological management practices in the "What actions do you propose" section as advised by the judges. 9. A change in project presentation style to make it easy to read and comprehend. |
