In Zambia, sorghum-a drought resistant cereal that thrives in the country- was considered a "poor man's crop" in the past, often shunned by small-scale farmers for the more commercially viable maize. But an article in the June issue of Farming Matters explains how a Zambian brewery with a new brand of beer is changing the way small-scale farmers think about sorghum.
While most clear beers such as lagers and pilsners are made with expensive, imported malts, the Zambian Breweries' Eagle Lager is made from sorghum. A subsidiary of the South African-based SABMiller, Zambian Breweries purchases sorghum from local farmers, increasing farmers' income and providing local grocery stores with an affordable lager.
To help farmers partner with the brewery, the Cooperative League of the United States of America (CLUSA), with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), provides loans for farmers' start-up expenses, as well as agricultural training to make sure their crops meet the brewery's quality standards. With CLUSA's support, the brewery gets a consistent supply of sorghum to produce its beer and farmers gain access to a secure market, a fixed price for their crop, and a consistent income.
To produce larger crop yields of higher quality sorghum, CLUSA and the brewery, encourage farmers to implement conservation agriculture-a combination of simple techniques such as minimal or zero-tillage, ground cover, crop rotation and inter-planting. Conservation agriculture can reduce the need for inputs, including artificial fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. And it benefits the other crops farmers are growing by helping improve soil fertility, controlling pests and weeds, and improving water management. In Zambia, maize yields have been increased by 75 percent and cotton yields by 60 percent thanks to conservation agriculture. (See also: Using the Market to Create Resilient Agriculture Practices, To Improve Competitiveness of Rural Businesses, Linking Farmers to the Private Sector, and a Sustainable Calling Plan.)
While Zambia Breweries' collaboration with local farmers is working, not all partnerships between companies and farmers go so well. Without appropriate regulation, companies may take advantage of a monopoly; farmers can become indebted to the company and lose control of their farms and crops; and A BIG financial incentive to grow a specific crop can threaten overall crop diversity.
But in Zambia, more than 4,500 small-scale farmers in 14 districts are currently seeing an increase in their incomes due to their contract with Zambia Breweries. Recognizing the significance of this benefit, the Zambian government recently lowered taxes on Eagle Lager in order to encourage Zambian Breweries to continue working with local small-scale farmers. And SABMiller is trying to form similar partnerships with sorghum farmers in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
Thank you for reading! As you may already know, Danielle Nierenberg is traveling across sub-Saharan Africa visiting organizations and projects that provide environmentally sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty. She has already traveled to over 18 countries and visited 130 projects highlighting stories of hope and success in the region. She will be in Burkina Faso next, so stay tuned for more writing, photos and video from her travels.
If you enjoy reading this diary, we blog daily on Nourishing the Planet, where you can also sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly blog and travel updates. Also, please don't hesitate to comment on our posts, we check them daily and look forward to an ongoing discussion with you.
10:52 AM
Gates bites Crowley on the neck.
"Anything I do with my jaws is protected speech," he says. Obama cheers.
10:53 AM
Crowley shoots Obama, but the bullets bounce off, and Obama is exposed as a stainless steel robot.
10:54 AM
Republicans demand immediate impeachment, because the robot Obama cannot fulfill the Constitutional requirement of being "born in the United States," but Democrats claim that "assembled in the United States" is even better.
10:55 AM
Healthcare reform is defeated in the United States Senate.
Sorry for repeating this, but I'm still looking...
I'm looking for a roommate for NN. You'd have your own bedroom in a 2BR or 3BR condo, very, very close to the convention center, right on 6th St. in the entertainment district. It's about two blocks according to Google Maps.
If you want to be in the center of it all, get a cheaper room than the nearby hotels, all while maintaining some privacy, get in touch.
Assuming a 2BR condo, your cost would be about $312, which covers a Wednesday check-in with Monday morning check-out (5 nights). The nightly cost for the whole thing is cheaper than two nights at the Hilton (it works out to $125 per night, including tax, for the whole condo -- or about $63 per bedroom per night). The cost goes down a bit if a 3 bedroom condo is split 3 ways. You would also save by not needing a car, parking, and you can self cater if you want, since the condos have kitchens.
A 3BR shared 3 ways is also an option.
I'm very keen to find a roommate because my backup housing is several miles away and would require a car rental. This looks like a seriously cool alternative to the expensive hotels.
More about your potential roommate after the flip...
I'm looking for a roommate for NN. You'd have your own bedroom in a 2BR situation, very, very close to the convention center, right on 6th St. It's about two block according to Google Maps.
If you want to be in the center of it all, get a cheaper room than the nearby hotels, all while maintaining some privacy, get in touch.
Your cost would be about $312, which covers a Wednesday check-in with Monday morning check-out (5 nights). The nightly cost for the whole thing is cheaper than a room at the Hilton et al. There is also a $200 refundable deposit that I will have to pay. I'd ask for a check for $100 that I'd mail back to you when I got mine back.
The only downsides I am aware of: you must pay cash upon arrival (or money order / cashiers check) and it's so close to the party district as to be noisy. The noise is not a problem for me -- I sleep fine with earplugs and recommend them if this is the only reason you'd pass this up.
There is, I understand, also a pullout sofa in a loft over the living area. A third roommate could take that and reduce costs further, but I don't really see the need.
More about your potential roommate after the flip...
In the 1800s immigrants from Germany and other mid-European countries flocked to cities like Cincinnatti, Detroit, Milwaukee and St. Louis. They built many things including great breweries, like Strohs, Blatz, Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, Falstaff and a thousand lesser ones. The greatest brewery of them all was Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. I went to high school just 10 blocks from the 100 square block Busch brewery complex in St. Louis. If the breeze was just right, the smell of hops would blow in and engulf our classroom. It was a reassuring smell. It meant union jobs at solid middle class wages with great benefits that had been won thanks to strong unions and a paternalistic management. Anheuser-Busch, then & now, was the cornerstone of St. Louis.
Evidently, John McCain is not courting the Drinking Liberally vote:
Who knew that beer would be another entry in the list of things that John McCain wants to bomb? When our friends in Denver said that they wanted to hold an event to "save the ales", we thought they were just joking - who knew that they were on top of this urgent issue before anyone else saw it coming.
If you're in Denver, pay them a visit. If you're anywhere else, start hoarding your beer now.
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In Zambia, sorghum-a drought resistant cereal that thrives in the country- was considered a "poor man's crop" in the past, often shunned by small-scale farmers for the more commercially viable maize. But an article in the June issue of 
