Feed the Future Tools to Combat Fall Armyworm in Africa
Agrilinks Team
Aug 14, 2018
Fall Armyworm (FAW) is an invasive and damaging pest endemic to the Americas that is spreading across Africa, particularly targeting maize, a vital staple crop. FAW will have long-term effects on crop yields, food supplies, livelihoods, trade, and threaten the resilience of chronically vulnerable populations. The impact of FAW highlights a fundamental challenge smallholder farmers face—limited access to information, tools, technologies and management practices—and the need for systems that effectively respond to emerging transboundary threats.
Feed the Future strengthens the capacity of African communities, institutions and governments to manage FAW through a range of sustainable and effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that protect people and the environment. Feed the Future, in conjunction with a USAID Bureau for Food Security-led Task Force, is working to disseminate the latest research and evidence-based technologies and management practices through resources and tools such as:
- A standardized FAW Pest Management Field Guide of evidence-based management options for low resource African farmers in collaboration with United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and research partners (see sidebar to right for guides in all available languages - Portuguese coming soon!)
- Country-specific Pest Management Decision Guides (PMDG) for maize (see sidebar to the right for downloadable guides):
- Map of Areas affected by Fall Armyworm according to the FAO, December 2017
Contact fallarmyworm@usaid.gov for more information.
SAWBO FAW Animation shared using mobile phones in Kenya. Learn how Farm Input Promotions Africa (FIPS-Africa) used the SAWBO animation “How to Identify and Scout for Fall Army Worm” to share the animation with 2,513 farmers to date across Eastern and Western Kenya (with 10,000 farmers more planned). “We found it (the animation) changed the game on how we could get farmers to understand the pest that was devasting their maize crops,” says Pius Domokong, a trainer from FIPS-Africa. Read more in the SAWBO “Your Impact” newsletter here.