Things we are proud of
Currently +- 3000 smallholder farmers practice the Machobane Farming System (MFS) in the ten districts of Lesotho.
How these institutions helped
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Southern Africa Trust (2010-2011): Experimentation on an alternative method of producing compost using EM resulting in yet another MADF product machoco to be introduced to the smallholder MFS practitioners.
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Kellog Foundation (2007 – 2009): Facilitated MADF to address food security and nutrition issues in households living with HIV/AIDS. The project also stimulated interest in MFS in primary and secondary schools in the northern districts of Botha-Bothe and Leribe including a center housing vulnerable children.
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UNESCO Lesotho (2005-2006): Supported the training of the smallholder farmers in leadership techniques in the southern districts of Mohale’s Hoek and facilitated the compilation and publication (in Sesotho and English) of the Manual on Home Garden Vegetable Production using the MFS Techniques.
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Unitarian Service of Canada –USC (1996-1997): following the Lesotho-USC hosting of the Seeds of Survival international conference that saw participants come from Ethiopia, Mali, Nepal, United States of America and India; was the first donor to support the implementation of MFS by building the capacity of MADF. When USC concluded its activities in the country, MADF became the primary beneficiary of its assets. The use and conservation of land races (seeds) is a fundamental approach in MFS, reinforced by the “Seeds of Survival” principles.
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Helvetas Lesotho (1998 – 2005): support to MADF was integrated into the donor’s intervention objectives following the review and feasibility study to extend its program in Lesotho. The framework focused on facilitation, capacity building and technical services in strengthening MADF to promote the MFS philosophy and concepts among resource poor households in the four lowland districts of Botha-Bothe, Leribe, Mafeteng and Mohale’s Hoek.
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Government of Lesotho/ IFAD projects (1991-1996; 2000-2003): The GoL through its IFAD sponsored projects mainly was instrumental in re-introducing the MFS. The 75-year old JJ Machobane was supported to recall his old followers to test his innovation against the regular agricultural production in the spring of 1991. The success demonstrated by the system in such a dry year encouraged all those involved to agree to the institutionalisation of the technology as MADF. Between 2000 and 2003, the GoL further implemented training of farmers in MFS for farmers in the mountain areas of Lesotho (SADPMA) as well as applied the system in the “Livelihoods Recovery through Agriculture Programme (LRAP) with emphasis on home gardening for nutrition for households affected by HIV/AIDS.
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Julian Price of Ashville, North Carolina supported the publication of the book “Take Out Hunger (Farm to Eat)” in 1996 and its translated equivalent, “MantsÌŒa Tlala”. The book is a guide for agriculture extension workers. It examines the culture of the Basotho and how it affects their practice of agriculture while emphasizing environmental interactions on farming. The book points out various possible ways of improving ones life through agriculture in particular through the practice of MFS.