July 13, 2012

Coffee and Bananas: Better Together?

Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) drew attention to the exciting new discovery that researchers from the International Institution for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) made regarding intercropping.  The recently posted article, In Uganda, Coffee and Banana Go Better Together, focuses on Uganda’s two most important agricultural commodities: coffee and bananas.  Recent findings show that the value of a single plot of land may be nearly doubled, in addition to creating greater food security and economic potential for farmers, through intercropping bananas and coffee.

With land becoming increasingly limited and the need for both crops to flourish more than ever, many farmers began growing the two together in one plot, or intercropping. Aside from being the most efficient use of space, intercropping methods are proving to be the most beneficial in studies conducted by the IITA in collaboration with various CGIAR centers (CIAT, ICRAF and CIFOR).

Research indicates that intercropping creates a greater total yield value of a single plot of land.  While the coffee crop yield remains roughly the same, the bananas offer greater food security and additional revenue for farmers and their families. Overall risk is reduced as disease or failure of one crop does not necessarily affect the other.

Unfortunately, the benefits of intercropping coffee and bananas in Uganda are not without their trade-offs. More research must be conducted to address the high amount of soil nutrients required to effectively grow both crops on the same plot. Additionally, this method of production requires large initial inputs of labor and capital, which many smallholders farmers cannot afford. True success in intercropping systems will require further research to determine best farming practices given current constraints in Uganda.

Read more from the original article, here.

More In in Staying Current

Comments are closed.