practicalaction.org/europafrica
DCI-NSAED/2010/240-529
So far you’ve learnt about...
• Different types of small scale farming in Africa.
• How African farmers share their knowledge and skills.
• Technology Justice – the right of farmers to have the
technology they need to lead a life they value
without harming others now or in the future.
• The increasing threats, including land and water
grabs, for small scale farmers in Africa.
Learning Aims..
In this lesson you’ll find out more about more the
changes that are threatening small scale farming in
Africa, and what farmers are doing about it.
Learning aims:
 To learn that small scale farms are under threat from
environmental, social and economic change.
 To learn about methods farmers are developing to
deal with these threats.
 To develop a plot for an Africa farming TV series
called ‘Shamba Shape Up’.
Changes for farmers in Africa
Starter activity: Look carefully at the photos below and think of
the most likely issues to be affecting farmers in Africa.
African farmers are facing many
changes…
You’ve learnt about land and water access in earlier
lessons, where companies and governments are buying
land used for generations and introducing large scale
industrial farming methods.
What other changes did you spot in any of the photos
on your sheet?
Big issues for farmers…
Climate change: Increasing drought, rainfall and
temperature change are causing major problems for
small scale farmers throughout Africa.
Research and investment: Lots of money is being
invested in agricultural research for large scale
production methods, rather than investment in
techniques than benefit small scale farmers.
Urban migration: Young people are leaving their
family farms to look for work in urban areas.
Farmers are working hard to
prepare and deal with changes...
A Kenyan TV production company is working with small
scale farmers to spread the word of how farmers are
dealing with the challenges they face.
Watch the video from the Kenyan TV programme
Shamba Shape Up to see how farmers are dealing with
a range of challenges on their shambas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qQs92zMDIk&fe
ature=relmfu
Develop your own Shamba Shape Up
Your teacher will give you a selection of changes that
African farmers are dealing with.
• Your task is to research the ways in which farmers
are adapting to change by developing a range of
solutions.
• Then develop a presentation pitch to the Shamba
Shape Up TV company with your ideas for the next
series.
You might want to develop your ideas into a short
video clip!
Questions to review learning



Give four issues that cause a serious threat to small
scale farmers in Africa.
Which of the following do you think is the most
serious issue facing small scale farmers in Africa?
- Climate change
- Land and water access
- Lack of investment in small scale farming
- Rural to urban migration
Give an example of how African farmers are dealing
with the threat of the four issues above.
For further information
We’d love to see any video clips or scripts
you’ve developed for your Shamba Shape-up.
We’ll add them to our website.
So please email us at
schools@practicalaction.org.uk
DCI-NSAED/2010/240-529