For Wilson Mosbei, a dairy farmer in Nandi Country, western Kenya, climate-smart agriculture is paying off, in terms of milk production, food security and additional income.

A story in The F@armletter (page 15-16), an e-magazine dedicated to sustainable development goals, tells how Mosbei began practicing agroforestry 3 years ago through the MICCA-EADD pilot project.

Previously Mosbei’s cow produced a maximum of 7kg of milk per day, now it can produce up to 15kg of milk each day, and his farm provides sufficient food for the household. He is also able to sell surplus farm produce for additional income. Mosbei hopes to further increase milk production once his 2 heifers have calved.

Climate change is bringing with it prolonged dry spells, unreliable rainfall patterns, and the emergence of new crop diseases which are directly and indirectly impacting on agriculture in western Kenya. The MICCA-EADD project aims to tackle these challenges by introducing climate-smart agriculture practices to increase dairy productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

On his farm, Mosbei has planted 400 fodder trees, 0.6 acres of Napier grass, and 0.3 acres of Rhodes grass, and this has “saved him the high feed costs that used to eat away any profit he made from milk sales,” says the article. He is also able to store fodder to feed his animals during dry periods.

Mosbei’s farm is a demonstration farm where he provides advice on sustainable livestock management, including agroforestry, to the Mosombor farmer group that has 24 members.

The benefits of agroforestry are not just limited to increasing milk production. Trees are helping to provide alternative source of food and wood fuel as well as assisting in soil conservation and sequestering carbon.

Download The F@armletter to read the full story: Smallholder dairy farmers meet sustainable development goals by using climate-smart agriculture practices