Fanya juu (“throw the soil up” in Kiswahili) terraces are the most popular and successful cross-slop barrier measures used in Kenya’s small scale farming sector. Contour earth bunds are constructed by throwing soil upwards from trenches immediately below them. This design leads to the gradual formation of terraces with a level or slightly forward sloping bed. This is a very versatile technology – ideally suited to smallholder farms, especially in sub-humid areas where the land is sloping and erosion a threat. Fodder grasses may be planted on the bunds and fed to livestock. In the dry areas, water harvesting from roads into the trenches allows production of bananas and fruits. This is a proven and effective adaptation technology in the highlands of East Africa and beyond.
This video is supported by IFAD and IIED. It is part of a series on sustainable land management technologies. The full series of 15 videos will be completed by November 2011.
More info: www.iied.org
Directed by: William Critchley (VU Amsterdam)
Produced by: Josephine Rodgers (Country Wise Communication)
Year: 2010
Language: English
