Makoni Organic Farmers association (MOFA) is a community based organizations established to complement efforts done Organic Network Forum and other institutions for provision of support services to the development of local capacity to implement organic farming practice. The project will built on the initiatives done by Organic Network Forum and will focus on elimination of POPs through up-scaling organic farming. The project will also offer a platform for market access for organic products through certification and accreditation of projects in organic agricultural development that works in harmony with nature.
Project proposed objectives in the document include the following objectives:

1.To upscale organic farming for selected communities in Makoni for the elimination of Persistent Organic Pollutants.
2.To built capacity for farmers to access market through developed farmer resource centre, accreditation and certification on organic standards.
3.To increase livelihoods options and effective environment management through the up scaling of apiculture, ethno veterinary, organic aquaculture and organic mushroom production.

Brief description:
Makoni Organic Farmers Association (MOFA) is a community based organization that is active in promoting sustainable livelihoods, community development and environmental management. The association was founded in 2007 through working with organizations such as Organic Network Form (ONF). MOFA has a total membership of 391. Farmers are from ward 12 and 17 of Makoni area. In ward 12 members are from Tandi East, West and Central while in ward 17 members are drawn from Chirimutsitu area. MOFA have been working with ONF since 2007 as a community of farmers. However through interactions at community levels and regular meetings coupled with a number of workshops facilitated by ONF the ?community of farmers? organized itself to become a stand alone community based organization. Famers have been trained in Internal Control Systems (ICS) of organic farming by ONF and are operating in groups of twelve members and each group has a group leader known as the inspector as required in the ICS of Organic Farming. A number of horticultural products such as garlic, onions, leaf vegetables, beans, sweet potato, grafted mango and oranges are being produced. Lately, farmers are now producing oyster mushroom, honey and indigenous chickens for sale although at very small scale. Through assistance by ONF five hundred famers have managed to reduce the use of dangerous chemicals such as tamaron, rogor, dimethoate 40EC, Methyl Dibromide and DDT and substitutes these with local organic pesticidal plants remedies such as preparations from chillies, marigolds, tephrosia among others. Farmers have also reduced the use of inorganic fertilisers and substitute with organic fertilizers. Farmers within the association are now aware of sustainable environmental conservation and nutrition security and optimum dietary diversity and the importance of eliminating POPs and benefits such as improved soil fertility, reduced soil erosion, improved nutrition through eating chemical free products are being realized.

In the light of the above context, the gaps that needs to be addressed emanated from major problems faced by farmers in Makoni that include difficulties to access markets for organic produce in order to gain a better source of income because the level of production is still low. Up scaling is the solution. There is also lack of diversity in their production levels. Hence there need to integrate organic dry land farming, organic horticulture with aquaculture, apiculture, mushroom production and organic poultry production. There is also no place to coordinate products from different farmers for them to bulk before marketing. Most markets need bulk and diverse products and in this case the products would be coming from many different farmers living kilometres away from each other. During the course of the project we realized that the marketing and selling of organic produce in the rural areas affect positive economic growth among the organic farmers as the local community would buy organically produced products because of them being healthy as compared to conventional products. However the problem was that the market in the rural areas themselves was sporadic and irregular so much that it was difficult for the farmers to make very significant incomes. Hence there need for marketing resource centre. Another problem was that organic produce was being sold at the same price as conventional because farmers are not yet certified. Hence organic produce did not receive the premium price it deserves and the farmers did not realize adequate economic benefit from organic farming because they are not yet certified organically for them to access organic markets nationally and internationally. The issue of product quality and quantity also needs to be strengthened for total elimination of POPs.

The intention of this proposal is therefore to facilitate members to up-scale organic farming and built up on the initiative done by ONF in preparation for certification and accreditation for organic farming. The project will offer a platform for eliminating POPs in the two wards. Certification will make farmers access international, regional and local markets of the much-preferred premium organic products. Farmers now need to be capacitated in Results Based Quality Managements systems, Participatory Guarantee systems and certification procedures to ensure quality products which meet international standards. In addition a farmer marketing resource centre is going to be established and improved production and management through consolidated organic gardens. Other farming enterprises such as organic dry land farming, organic horticulture, aquaculture, apiculture, mushroom production and organic poultry production are going to be up scaled.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Farmers in Makoni are generally exposed to POPs and are at risk since these chemicals can enter the human body through many mechanisms such as ingestion, the skin and nose. POPs have been found at global scale in soils, sediments, fat of fish, terrestrial animals and in vegetables. The exposure to farmers in Makoni is a result of intensive cultivation of tobacco in the areas around the community. Chemicals such as DDT, Methyl dibromide and tamaron are commonly used in the surrounding areas. Some vegetable farmers are also using chemicals such as rogor, cabaryl and DDT for controlling vegetable pests. Other chemical identified in the area is chloradane used for termite control. These POPs are linked by a growing body of evidence to reproductive failure, deformities, cancer and immune system disruption. Human beings appear to be extraordinarily sensitive to these chemicals. These chemicals can persist in nature and linked to malfunctions in fish and wild life. Hence this project seeks to provide sustainable solution through implementing organic agriculture and call for total elimination of these chemicals. Through the holistic nature of organics as proposed in this project , organic farming integrates wild biodiversity, agro-biodiversity and soil conservation, and takes low-intensity farming one step further by eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers, POPs and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which is not only an improvement for human health (food quality) and agro biodiversity, but also for the associated off farm biotic communities.
Organic agriculture dramatically reduces external inputs by controlling pests and diseases naturally, with both traditional and modern methods, increasing both agricultural yields and disease resistance. Organic agriculture adheres to globally accepted principles (Principles of Organic Agriculture), for local socio-economic, climatic and cultural settings.

Alternatively, agricultural contaminants such as inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides used in conventional agriculture are a major concern all over the world. Eutrophication, the suffocation of aquatic plants and animals due to rapid growth of algae, referred to as "algae blooms", are literally killing lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Persistent herbicides and insecticides can extend beyond target weeds and insects when introduced into aquatic environments. These chemicals have accumulated up the food chain where top predators (e.g. humans) consume toxic dosages. Organic agriculture restores the environmental balance and has none of these or other such deleterious effects on the environment.

The experiences working with Organic Network Forum has ensured that most of farmers are aware of possible health hazards associated with the use of POPs. Fifty farmers are now ready to go under the certification process while two hundred are still under organic conversion. This gives the assurance that the group is going to be certified and working with organizations which are advocating for organic farming such Organic Network Forum and Zimbabwe Organic Partners and Promoters Association (ZOPPA).

The Project aims to improve the quality of life of the people in communities, conserving the environment and generating income. Through offering inexpensive, locally available alternatives to agro-chemicals - apiculture, aquaculture and organic mushrooms production communities would have many livelihood options. Growing crops using low cost local inputs with minimum external inputs while attaining high yield of high nutrition produce is essential for food and nutrition security. The food residue is going to be used in mushroom production and aquaculture hence incorporating the concept of circulation. Most the techniques involved do not require any special materials or equipment; therefore they are relatively easy to apply.

The project is line with the Millennium Development Goal number 7 to ensure environmental sustainability by the year 2015 and the global objective of food security which is to improve the living standards of communities and vulnerable groups. It also addresses thematic areas of GEF such as land degradation, international waters (Save Catchment), climate change and biodiversity.

The project is an effort to eliminate POPs through up scaling organic farming in number enterprises that are organic dry land farming and horticulture, aquaculture, apiculture, mushroom production and organic poultry production. Some of the enterprises are optional while others mandatory for all the members. Organic gardening and poultry are mandatory while others are optional.

Area: Tandi Central
Enterprise:Organic dry land farming and horticulture, 108 farmers
Organic Apiculture, 21 farmers
Organic Aquaculture, 17 farmers
Organic Mushroom Production, 8 farmers
Agro forestry and nursery
Indigenous poultry production, 108 farmers

Infrastructure and other Requirements:
2 gardens, 2 Water pumps, 2 Water tanks,210 beehives Fish seed, 16 Kgs spawn 500 planting pockets, 16 chickens for breeding

Area: Tandi West
Enterprise
organic dry land farming and horticulture, 153 farmers
Organic Apiculture, 11 farmers
Organic Aquaculture 28 farmers
Organic Mushroom Production 12 farmers
Agro forestry and nursery 1 farmer
Indigenous poultry production 153 farmers

Infrastructure and other Requirements:
2 gardens, 2 Water pumps, 4 Water tanks, 110 beehives, Fish seed, 16 Kgs spawn,100 planting pockets, 16 chickens for breeding

Area: Tandi East

Enterprise
Organic dry land farming and horticulture 72 farmers
Organic Apiculture 18 farmers
Organic Aquaculture
Organic Mushroom Production 15 farmers
Agro forestry and nursery 5 farmers
Indigenous poultry production 72 farmers

Infrastructure and other requirements:
1 gardens, 1 Water pumps, 2 Water tanks, 180 beehives, 30 Kgs spawn, 1000 planting pockets, 12 chickens for breeding


Area: Chirimutsitu
Enterprise
Organic dry land farming and horticulture 58 farmers
Organic Apiculture 9 farmers
Organic Aquaculture
Organic Mushroom Production 8 farmers
Agro forestry and nursery 5 farmers
Indigenous poultry production 58 farmers

Infrastructure and other Requirements:1 gardens, 1 Water pumps, 4 Water tanks, 90 beehives, 16 Kgs spawn, 1000 planting pockets, 12 chickens for breeding.

ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES
Objective 1 To upscale organic farming for selected communities in Makoni for the elimination of Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Activities relating to objective 1
1.1 Conducting farmer refresher course in organic farming and scaling up organic farming and to ensure compliance to organic standards.
1.1 Capacity develops farmer to farmer extension group leaders (Inspectors) for organic farming up scaling. This training will also involve traditional leaders since it encompasses general environmental management, leadership and conflict resolution.
1.2 Establishing 6 community gardens (Organic gardens) with liquid manure tanks and pest remedies gene bank and water for irrigation. The gardens would be measuring 50m X 50m.
1.3 Distribution of seed starter packs to farmers implementing organic farming and instituting and a market cropping program.
1.4 Field visits to ensure compliance to organic farming practice for certification.

Outputs of Objective 1 (O-6months of completed activity)
1.1 Ensured compliance to Organic farming practice for reducing POPs and residual chemicals
Indicator: 391 farmers complying with organic farming standards.
1.2 Increased knowledge on organic farming to other farmers in the communities
Indicator 1: 40 farmer inspectors trained in inspection and extension methods
1.3 Higher returns per dollar for farmers using organic farming in the 6 organic gardens.
Indicator: 6 Organic community gardens established.
1.4 Ensured higher production and income from organic production
Indicator: 100 Kgs of different seeds distributed
1.4 Farmers adhering to organic farming practices
Indicator: 391 farmers complying to organic internal control systems

Outcome (1 year after completed activity)
1.1 Increased Organic Production and reduced level of agrochemicals in farmers produce and processes of production.

Objective 2 To built capacity for farmers to access market through developed farmer resource centre, accreditation and certification on organic standards.
Activities relating to objective 2
2.1 Construction of farmer marketing resource centre
2.2 Capacity develop farmers in product market and market linkages
2.2 Conducting Participatory Guarantee systems and Results Based Quality management systems. (The workshop integrate the farmer (Producer) and the buyer (Market), the farmer will give guarantee that they are going to produce enough according to agreed standards while the market will give guarantee that they are going to buy according to agreed terms and conditions while RBQMs will appraise farmers on management of the crop from growing to marketing using organic standards and is crucial for certification.)
2.4 Conducting preliminary certification program with local inspectors
2.5 Conducting final organic certification with a recognized certification board

Outputs
2.1 Functioning famer resource centre
Indicator 1: Resource centre in place
2.2 Improved marketing skills and strategies by the community
Indicator 1 Marketing strategies, equipment and committees in place
2.3.Guaranteed participation in organic farming by farmers and markets
Indicator: Contracts signed between farmers and markets.
2.4 Farmers ready for organic certification
Indicator: 391 Farmers ready for organic certification and complying with organic standards.
2.5 Certified farmers
Indicator: 391 farmers certified farmers

Outcome
2.1 Farmers accessing local and international organic markets Market access by farmers

Objective 3 To increase livelihoods options and effective environment management through the up scaling of apiculture, ethno veterinary, organic aquaculture and organic mushroom production.
Activities relating to objective 3
3.1 Conducting training in organic bee keeping and establish 59 beekeeping sites.
( 590 kenyan top bar beehives are going to established with capacity of producing 1 ton of honey annually)
3.2 Training workshop in organic mushroom production and establishing 43 mushroom sites.
3.3 Training farmers in organic aquaculture and introduction of fish breeds with ready market. (Available are 49 farmers with fish ponds are going to be trained)
3.4 Training farmers in Ethno veterinary knowledge systems (EVK) and indigenous chicken production
3.5 Up scaling community nurseries

Outputs (O-6months of completed activity)
3.1 Improved capacity of local community to practice bee keeping and organic honey production.
Indicator: 590 bee apiaries and 2 tons of honey produced annually.
3.2 Improved capacity of local community produce organic mushroom and make own spawn.
Indicator: 43 farmers producing 1 ton of oyster mushroom annually.
3.3 Improved capacity of local community practice organic fish production and proper wetlands management
Indicator: 49 farmers in organic fish production with capacity of 3 tons annual production.
3.4 Improved knowledge in Ethno veterinary by community and application to poultry production.
Indicator: 391 farmers applying (EVK) on poultry production
11 nurseries established

Outcome (1 year after completed activity)
3.1 Increased capacity for livelihood options by farmers.