practicalaction.org/europafrica
DCI-NSAED/2010/240-529
Farming Systems
Learning aims:
 To learn that small scale farming is the main
farming system in Africa.
 To understand that small scale farming is a
sustainable model for food production.
So far you’ve…
 Learnt about the increase of imported foods from
Africa to the UK.
 Thought about the impact on farmers; beans sold to
supermarkets are grown in both the UK and Kenya.
 Thought about some of the reasons European
companies are buying land in Africa.
Starter activity
1. What % of the UK’s population earn their living by
producing food?
2. What % of the world’s population earn their living by
producing food?
3. What % of food consumed in Africa is grown on small
scale family farms?
Answers
1. 2% of the UK population
2. 70% of the world population
3. Family farms in Africa produce up to 80% of the
food consumed in African countries.
Small-scale family farmers…
You’re going to find out how
small scale farming systems
provide 80% of the food to
feed families, and supply
local markets in Africa.
The farming systems include:
 Land farmers
 Pastoralists
 Fishermen
Most of these farmers are
women.
A family farm ‘shamba’ in Kenya
Lydia Ngahu runs her family shamba in the Nyeri
district in central Kenya. Her very productive farm has
0.5 hectares of land, where she grows a range of fruit
and vegetable for her family and local markets.
Case study of Shukri Mohamed
Ahmed, a pastoralist in Somaliland
Shukri Mohamed Ahmed is a pastoralist farmer in the
highlands of Somaliland. With her two daughters she
looks after her flock of goats and sells the milk and
goats at local markets.
A fishy tale from Mali
Mama Diabata lives near the river Niger in Mali. Many
families and communities earn their living from small
scale fish farming in Mali.
Activities linked to African
farming stories
Your teacher will give you some activities linked to the
stories of the African farming systems you’ve learnt
about.
Features of small scale and
large scale farming
Activity: Working in pairs discuss and organise the
statements on your activity sheet under the headings
of small scale farm or large scale farm.
Under which heading would you put this statement?
Farming systems
So far you’ve looked at the increase of land used in
Africa to produce food for the UK, and the success of
small scale family farming to feed African families and
provide for local markets.
Reflect questions
 If European countries continue to buy land in Africa
to grow food for export to Europe, what do you
think the effect on family farmers might be?
 What do you think are the best ways to provide food
for Africa and Europe in the future?
Africa can feed itself!
People have different opinions on the best way to provide
food for people now and in the future.
Many African family farmers and their representatives in an
international ‘food sovereignty’ movement believe that small
scale family farming offers the most healthy, reliable and
sustainable food system to feed us all in the future.
They have concerns that industrial models of farming pose a
threat to sustainable local production.
During the next lessons you’ll be learning more about threats
posed to family farming in Africa.
Plenary
• What % of the food consumed in Africa is produced
on small scale family farms?
• Name two common features of the family farming
systems you’ve learnt about.
• What is becoming an increasing threat to small-scale
farming systems in Africa?
Plenary answers
 80% of the food consumed in Africa is produced on
small scale family farms.
 There are many features of small scale farms. For
example; growing crops for family and local
markets; being run by family and community.
 Increase of land use by European companies.
Take Action
There are lots of small scale family farms
in the UK and all over Europe.
Many farmers in the UK and Europe are
dealing with change too.
Find out about the main changes to
farming in the area where you live and
report back to your class or write a blog.
DCI-NSAED/2010/240-529