Africa Loses 30% Of Yields To Poor Weed Management
15 December 2009 WASHINGTON, DC, US — The handweeding method commonly used on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa is largely detrimental to both women and agricultural production, according to a new study released by the Crop Protection Research Institute (CPRI), part of the CropLife Foundation (CLF). Women represent 90% of all handweeders and dedicate nearly half of their time to the demanding work. Yet crop yields still suffer due to wrongly timed and insufficient weeding, with yield losses averaging 30%. The new report from CPRI, “Solving Africa’s Weed Problem,” highlights the importance of solving the weed control issues in Africa and current industry efforts to provide African farms with modern weed control technology.
The new report from CPRI summarizes 40 years of research that tested the application of herbicides in controlling weeds on smallholder farms. Scientific literature has consistently documented that herbicides would more effectively control weeds, leading to a 90% reduction in handweeding and opportunities for women farmers to pursue additional educational, business and family opportunities. CPRI issued a conservative estimate that the use of herbicides would reduce handweeding labor by 24 billion hours and result in a 40 million ton increase in crop yield.
“The impact of the weed problem in Africa has been overlooked because weeding is oftentimes seen as work of little importance,” said Leonard Gianessi, director of CPRI and author of the report. “Huge investments are being made in improving seeds and promoting fertilizer use by smallholder farmers; yet, the potential of these technologies will not be achieved without solving the yield-robbing effects of weeds.”
The report also highlights current industry efforts to demonstrate the value of herbicides and introduce herbicide technology to smallholder farms. As part of the project, CLF has partnered with CNFA and a number of the developers and manufacturers of crop protection products. These organizations planted research plots in Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania which drew over 3,000 farmers to witness the results of herbicide use firsthand. Maize plots treated with herbicides produced a 26% increase in crop yield, with a reduction of 150 hours per hectare in handweeding. In addition, the cost of herbicides was 50% lower than the cost of handweeding labor.
“Herbicides are registered for use in Africa and are widely used by large-scale commercial farmers, yet the smallholder farms have been denied the choice of herbicide technology due to insufficient training and education,” said Jay Vroom, chairman of CLF. “CPRI’s latest report helps to educate and raise awareness of this overlooked issue, and helps introduce labor-saving technology at a time when the demand for food continues to rise.”
DuPont Crop Protection, who participated in the test plots, was excited to help introduce herbicide use to the farmers. “DuPont has a long history of bringing herbicides to farmers around the world to help improve their productivity and profitability,” said Jim Collins, president of DuPont Crop Protection. “DuPont is very pleased to have a role in CLF’s efforts in Africa to demonstrate to smallholder farmers the value of this technology.”
The CPRI report received financial support through CropLife International (CLI), a global federation representing the plant science industry. CLI President and CEO Howard Minigh praised the report, saying that, “CPRI’s study is a timely reminder of the daily realities of farming in Africa. By improving the education of smallholder farmers we can offer more choices to boost yields and improve the lives of the women who perform the backbreaking labor.”
In other CropLife America news, Dr. Barb Glenn will join CLA as vice president of science and regulatory affairs in January. Dr. Glenn brings nearly 30 years of professional experience and leadership in animal and agricultural science, and has regularly served as the scientific voice for policymakers and federal agencies. She will succeed Dr. Isi Siddiqui, who is awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate as Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Dr. Glenn previously served at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) as managing director of animal biotechnology in the food and agriculture section. In this role, she launched a new program to serve industry members in animal biotechnology which addressed all science and regulatory policy development, and interaction with the federal government, Executive Branch, Capitol Hill and stakeholders. Before joining BIO in 2003, Dr. Glenn was executive vice president and scientific liaison for the Federation of Animal Science Societies, where she acted as the scientific resource for the decision makers of policy and regulatory affairs. Dr. Glenn also spent nearly 17 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a research dairy scientist and research leader.
Dr. Glenn holds a bachelor’s degree and doctorate from the University of Kentucky. She also has held leadership positions with a number of professional organizations, having served as president of the American Society of Animal Science; board member of the Federation of Animal Science Societies; and member of the National Academy of Sciences Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition, she is a fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee.
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