Alternative crops to mitigate elephant crop raiding
In rural areas where formal employment is scarce, the majority of households in the Mambwe District rely on subsistence farming and natural resources for their household income. With farming, fishing and hunting comes the inevitable risk of wildlife conflict through crop damage and attacks on livestock or even on farmers themselves.
Since 2009, CSL has worked with farmers to plant and harvest alternative crops that not only bring additional household income but also support human-wildlife coexistence approaches by deterring elephants from damaging crops, such as maize, thereby reducing conflict with farmers. The Human-Wildlife Coexistence team promotes alternative cash crops such as chilli, lemongrass and turmeric which are less attractive to elephants.
Chilli
Chilli farming is a long-running CSL project. Tabasco chillies are easy to grow, can be sold locally, and elephants dislike the smell, taste and feel of chilli on their skin. CSL buys the dried chillies direct from the farmer in cash, and then sell on their behalf to chilli sauce manufacturers. The Human-Wildlife Coexistence team also uses some of the chilli harvest each year for chilli bomber and ‘smelly’ fence mitigations. Throughout the year, chilli growing workshops are held with farmers to help them to grow and harvest chilli successfully.
Lemongrass and turmeric
Since 2021, CSL has continued to develop alternative sustainable farming models that reduce conflict with elephants by growing and harvesting lemongrass and turmeric. Lemongrass is an aromatic and tall sedge and when elephants come into direct contact with it, oil is extracted from the leaves and the scent drives them away. Throughout the year, workshops are held with farmers to help them to grow and harvest both crops successfully.
Packaged products
In 2023, local community cooperatives packaged their elephant-friendly alternative crop products (dried chilli, lemongrass and turmeric) to be sold from the Tribal Textiles shop in Mfuwe.
Image credits: Mjose Jozie