The ‘African Highland Farmer’ game challenges you is to survive as a farmer on a 1 ha piece of land, making yearly decisions on what to grow on your land, how to spend your money, and how to invest the valuable time of your family. Furthermore, sudden catastrophes like droughts, pests and diseases can have serious effects on your crops and your family. The impact of these events can be reduced by investing wisely into making your farm more resilient. Specific attention is given to soil and water conservation, which is a crucial aspect of sustainable land management in the African highlands. If you manage to survive for 15 years you have won the game!
The game was developed by Wageningen University in collaboration with WeirdBeard, and financed by NWO – WOTRO Science for Global Development. Data collection during fieldwork in Tanzania provided all the required input to make the game as real as possible. The aim of the game is to raise awareness among policy-makers about the difficult choices and challenges that African farmers face, and to emphasize the importance of investing in sustainable land management practices. Furthermore, it shows the complexity of farming in Africa, where taking-up off-farm jobs is often indispensable for income generation and survival. Give it a try, and feel what it is to be an African farmer!
For more information please visit www.wageningenur.nl.