INTEGRATING FOOD
PRODUCTION AND
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
ON ECOLOGICAL FARMS
Wildlife Ambassadors Helping Rural Women
Dr. Marthe Kiley-Worthington
B.Sc. D.Phil. M.Phil. Member Institute of Agricultural Consultants,
Honorary Fellow of Universities of Sussex, Edinburgh, Exeter &
Cambridge, Laureate for Creativity in Rural Life from Women’s
World Summit Foundation, United Nations 1998
Occasional Paper 22. 2003
Copyright: Eco-Research Centre
ISSN: 1367 2045
Talk given at the CHEC commonwealth meeting
at Abuja, Nigeria 2003
1
An African elephant and his handler learning to plough
I was bought up in Kenya, many years ago and still consider Africa my
home. For the last 35 years, I have been working out ways, how in practise
on farms (as a practical rural peasant woman) and in theory, (by
researching in academic institutions) to help, rural women in Africa have a
life of quality but increase or retain their political independence , and
how, at the same time , to integrate, wildlife conservation, with food
production.
The result has been the development of Ecological Agriculture which is
agriculture based on an understanding of how natural ecosystems work
applied to farms. This term is widely used nowadays, but I think I was the
first to define it clearly. It’s definition is:“A self sustaining, diversified, high net yielding economically viable
agriculture which has no irreversible environmental effects, where the
whole farm is a wildlife conservation area, and where there are no
unacceptable social, ethical and political consequences.”
Kiley-Worthington. Ecological Agriculture. Food First Farming. 1993
We have developed and run 3 successful farms in UK, and helped many
start in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Our next experimental and
teaching farm is to be in Africa.
2
PROPOSED ECO FARM DEMONSTRATION, EDUCATIONAL &
RESEARCH CENTRE IN AFRICA
Even though Africa is a very large continent, land is increasingly becoming
a limited resource and conflicts of interest for land use are growing. One of
the most important is that between those who wish to preserve large areas
of land for wildlife conservation, and those who wish to have more land for
growing of food and other agricultural products. The majority of the local
rurally based voting populations in the different countries usually favour
more land for food production since wildlife is often a nuisance from which
they receive no benefits.
Various ideas to help towards resolving this conflict have been tried out. In
general however, they have been geared towards trying to bringing the
local rural people more into the consumer economy by sharing money
earned from the wildlife (by tourism or hunting) with the local
communities. At the same time, there is a strong trans-African cultural
interest among women in growing food for their families and money does
not for not being able to grow enough food. As a result, women in many
areas of the developing world, where paid work is often scarce and erratic,
available land in short supply, and there are no welfare payments, have a
growing sense of insecurity.
There is unlikely to be one solution to this conflict throughout Africa, but
there is a very important need for new ideas which may be relevant in
different environments. Failing this, there will be extinction of much of the
indigenous fauna and flora, (particularly the large animals) and wildlife
areas will become very restricted.
The Eco Research & Educational Centre has been working on local practical
solutions to this conflict by developing and running self-sustaining small
farms which because they require little capital and are economically
viable, can help increase the rural women’s options. For the last 30 years
we have been learning appropriate necessary techniques, integrating
modern scientific knowledge with local community knowledge and skills
(further information in Ecological Agriculture, Food First Farming 1993,
Souvenir Press, London), and teaching others from all over the world to do
this (150 to date). Such farms can even on a small scale produce more for
less than modern conventional agricultural production, and re-empower
women since they are able to provide food for their families. A diploma
course has been run at the Eco Research Centre for the last 15 years, to
which scholarships have been given to people from all over the world
including Kenya, Uganda & Zimbabwe and follow up assistance to help
them set up and run demonstration small farms in their countries.
One of the major emphases has been to integrate domestic animals into
farms without causing them to suffer. We have conducted experiments
with different management systems and developed highly profitable non-
3
intensive, self-sustaining small scale animal husbandry systems for
domestic animals where they have lives of quality (Kiley-Worthington &
Randle 1999).
One of the major problems areas at present are areas of small farms that
abut national parks or nature reserves. The large mammals often escape
and cause havoc to the local farmers and their crops, reinforcing the local
populations desire to be rid of them and have the land. These animals can
be contained, and, also, some of them can be handled and taught to do
useful work efficiently and safely for the local community on their farms or
transport heavy materials. In this way they contribute to the local poor
rural communities with energy (e.g. elephant, zebra, buffalo) and also by
providing other products which do not threaten their lives, such as milk
(e.g. eland and cape buffalo) and fibres. The local people then have
experiences with these animals which are of great help to them ( an
elephant can pull a two furrow plough and plough around 1h a day,
compared to a bullock 0.25h/day). The people then begin to value them
for their work, and finally, for themselves (that is their intrinsic value).
They appreciate them as living emotional beings and part of their
traditional invaluable cultural heritage. So, these traditionally wild
animals become ambassadors for wild life, and not just something to
attract tourists from whom the small farmer rarely benefits.
AIMS OF THE ECO RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTRE IN
AFRICA
Semi-domesticating and training African elephants, eland and buffalo has
been done before, but the centres commitment for the last 10 years has
been to research this and develop the science of animal educational
psychology which ensures both the animals and humans working with them,
are safe and have a live of quality. The co-operative training method
involves using non violent methods. Large African mammals have been
taught to help on farms (ploughing, harvesting etc) with road and dam
building, forestry, for transport and leisure. These include African
elephants, Cape buffalo, zebra & eland, (Kiley-Worthington 1997). It has
been extremely successful (video available). Now it is necessary to set up a
demonstration integrated ecological farm and nature reserve to:1)
2)
3)
Help the rural people towards self-sustainable food security,
Demonstrate how this can be integrated with wildlife
conservation,
Interest the local community in their natural heritage living with
large wild animals by teaching some of them to do useful things
for the people.
The ecological farm will provide food and fodder for the resident
humans and animals, also building materials (for accommodation for
4
people and animals, lecture rooms and laboratories). Local traditional
building styles will be the basis for the design. The farm will provide its
own energy from renewable resources using simple available cheap
technology (wood, wind, sun, water if available, and animal and human
power). Its own water ( rain water collection and storage, irrigation,
recycling water systems) and waste disposal ( recycling organic and other
wastes, e.g. compost, and making simple objects from recycling plastic).
It will grow stable food crops such as wheat and maize, and vegetables,
dairy, eggs and some meat. It will develop small cottage industries reliant
on the raw materials only from the farm. These will include wood workers
(e.g. wood carving, turning, making furniture from the farms self-sustaining
woodland), spinning and weaving from the wool and fibre from the farms
animals, basket making from appropriate bush and the farms sisal (if
appropriate), diary products from the farms milk (e.g. cheeses, yogurts,
cream, butter), and possibly a pottery if clay is available. One important
aspect is the possible medicinal use of indigenous plants will be studied,
collected and processed. The first objective is to supply the residences on
the farm, but if there is excess, then the products will be sold locally.
The ecological farm and wildlife area will also be an educational centre.
The courses that are offered will be intended mainly for local people, but
those from the developed world that are attracted because of the quality
an uniqueness of the courses, will be charged to in order to finance local
participants. We will continue teaching the 6 month certificated or 1 year
diploma course in the theory and practise of ecological agriculture
which is already internationally renowned, and have been running for 15
years. Courses will also be run on the behaviour, ecology and husbandry
of wild animals. We have recently developed certificated qualifications
for local large animal handlers which concentrate on ensuring human
safety, cooperative teaching and a high quality of life for the animals in
Zimbabwe which is a world first. These will be further developed, and will
attract wildlife managers and zoo keepers from the developed countries
who will then help finance local attendees.
Finally, we will continue with the research on agricultural, ecological and
animal educational psychological relevant to the centre. International
researchers will be encouraged to come, and the centres research staff will
continue to produce publications. It is sometimes difficult for students to
obtain facilities to conduct research or help with conservation, animal
behaviour and ecological agriculture in Africa. Another aspect of the centre
will be to provide local and foreign students (and other researchers) with
accommodation, supervision and research facilities. In exchange, they will
be asked to contribute to the centre in various ways (e.g. help with
teaching, or researching ecological problems that arise at the centre or in
the locality).
5
Once set up, the Eco Research and Education Centre will be self-financing
from eco- tourism and the courses. A particularly attractive unique aspect
will be the experience of living with the animals, and learning more about
them instead of just seeing them at a distance. All the people will live
together at the centre, in order to foster international understanding and
cooperation. Over a period of time, local people will be trained to
administer and run the centre.
SITUATION
The area for the establishment of this centre is under discussion. It is
essential that the project fits with government aims and has government
cooperation and it must be enthusiastically welcomed by the local people.
We are therefore sending this proposal out to individuals and governments
whom we consider might be interested.
A 4 year old wild zebra stallion being handled, learning to lead quietly and
with good nature, three days after capture.
PERSONNEL & EXPERIENCE
The personnel centrally involved have individual expertise which together
ensures that there is both theoretical and practical experience of setting
up, running and teaching:-
6
1)
2)
3)
Self-sustaining ecological farms - Building using local materials,
developing renewable energy sources
Animal educational psychology - Improved handling & training of
wild and domestic animals
Wildlife conservation & research - In many countries in Europe,
USA, Australia, New Zealand and Africa (e.g. Kenya, Malawi, South
Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
They have life long experiences in field research methods, teaching and
supervision (CV's & list publications available). They include: Dr. M.KileyWorthington B. Sc. D. Phil. M. Phil. BHSAI, M. Inst. Ag. Con. Honorary
Fellow Univ Exeter, Visiting Fellow Girton College, Cambridge. C. C. Rendle
B.Sc. Engineer, eco-farmer, farrier, & animal educator. Dr. H. Randle.
B.Sc. Ph.D. Senior Lecturer, University Plymouth. There will also be
undergraduate and post-graduate students involved.
FINANCE & BUDGETS
Finance, energy and expertise is available for developing the centre from
scratch once the land is available, although more finance will increase the
speed of development. The project is in memory of my father (one of the
founders of IUCN and of Human Ecology, Dr. E. B. Worthington) & my
farmer mother, Stella Johnson. The project must, however, be backed by
both central and local government approval and the donation of land, or
some leasing arrangement, before it can go ahead.
It will be necessary to find further finance as the project progresses, in
particular to reintroduced some of the traditionally wild animals and
establish small breeding herds. There is considerable interest in this
proposal from organisations and individuals internationally, including the
media, consequently there should be good media coverage. The idea is to
match the existing finance by funds raised.
It must be born in mind that this project is, in part, a model for how poorer
rural people who have some land could farm and integrate wildlife
conservation consequently, if it is to be applicable, it must not require
much capital expenditure. It will develop at the appropriate rate for the
local community using local resources, although, initially, there will be a
need for some financial inputs for the development of the educational and
research programme for example. It will apply for charitable status once
the site has been selected.
Eco Research & Education Centre Copyright ISBN 1367-2045
In 1994 the Eco Research Centre was founded. Research is carried out on
experimental farms and worldwide. The Research Centre specialises in
animal behaviour and welfare research. It has close links with Edinburgh,
Cambridge, Exeter & Plymouth Universities.
7
RELEVANT MAJOR PUBLICATIONS (** key)
1991 M. Kiley-Worthington. Ecological Agriculture in a Marginal Area. Biol Agric & Hort. 7.
221-245.
1993 C. C. Rendle. The designing, making and using appropriate equine harness and
implements for the small farm. The SecondIinternational colloquium on Working
Equines, Rabat, Morocco
**M. Kiley-Worthington. Ecological Agriculture. Food First Farming. Souvenir press.
London pp 250
1995 **M. Kiley-Worthington. Agricultures problems and possible alternatives. Ecological
Agriculture, Food First Farming. in Decision Making and Agriculture. The Role of Ethics.
ed. K.B. Besley, S. Burns, M. Campbell & P. Sanger. p 117-147.
1996 **M. Kiley-Worthington & C.C. Rendle. Animal handling and animal educational
psychology. Eco Research Center 9. 1-25.
**H. Randle & M. Kiley-Worthington. Implications of semi-intensive management on the
breeding of Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) Int Soc. Applied Ethol. Eco Research Cent.10
**M. Kiley-Worthington & H. Randle. First steps in comparative animal educational
psychology. Int..Soc.Compar.Psychol. Canada. Eco Research Cent. 13. 1-25.
1997 **M. Kiley-Worthington. Integrating conservation and agricultural production: the way
forward? Eco Summit. Copenhagen. J.Environm. Health 10. 235-248.
**M. Kiley-Worthington. Wildlife conservation, food production and "development": can
they have symbiotic relationships? If so how? Jacobsen Philosophy of Environment
Conference. Harare. Zimbabwe. J.Environmental Values 6. 455-70
1998 **M. Kiley-Worthington. Ecological Agriculture and Improved Animal Welfare for
Development in Womens Agriculture. address for Womens World Summit Foundation
prize for Creativy in Rural Life
1999 M. Kiley-Worthington & H. Randle. Social relationships in a small herd of African
Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) Int Soc Applied Ethol. Prague. Eco Research Centre 24
1999 M. Kiley-Worthington & H. Randle. The criteria for Ethologically and Ecologically
raised beef. Biol Husbandry.16.369-380 & The practicalities and economics of
ethologically and ethologically raised double suckled beef. Biol Husbandry 16. 381-393
Further details, curriculum vitae, and complete list of publications
available on request.
A young orphan elephant learning to clamber into a truck to be with his
minder.
8