Different agricultural management systems may have an impact on the sustainability of food systems, as they may affect human health as well as animal wellbeing, food security and environmental sustainability. The Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture in Eastern Africa (KHEA) is part of the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture in Africa (KCOA), a collaborative country-led partnership funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and non-governmental organisations across Africa. The KCOA aims to scale up adoption of organic/agroecological farming practices through a network of five Knowledge Hubs in Africa. The project is running from 2019 to 2025.
The Knowledge Hub in Eastern Africa’s overall goal is to ensure that Ecological Organic Agriculture is integrated into the various countries’ agricultural systems. The KHEA is being hosted and coordinated by the Nairobi-based Biovision Africa Trust and co-hosted by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Uganda. Apart from Uganda and Kenya, activities are carried out in Rwanda and Tanzania in collaboration with Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement (ROAM) and Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM). The KHEA is expected to scale up to include Ethiopia, and Madagascar.
During the 5-day KCOA-KHEA farmer training that was conducted in Gayaza – Magigye, Wakiso District which commenced on Monday 22nd November 2021 and ended Friday 26th November 2021, KHEA trained multipliers Matovu Nicholas and Kayemba Mathias emphasized the need to continuously use organic farming practices to not only maintain food security, increase incomes from produce but also maintain the ecosystem.
These KHEA farmer trainings are focused on furthering the KHEA project strategic focus of Ensuring that Ecological Organic Agriculture is integrated into the Eastern Africa agricultural systems including policies, plans and investments. According to Ezra Kalule – KHEA Field Officer, “This training was aimed at disseminating knowledge, strategies and good practices in the field of organic agriculture among the local communities of Magigye in Gayaza and the neighboring villages.” Furthermore; he said, “such trainings increase community awareness on organic agriculture among farmers countrywide starting at household level/ backyard farming level.”
Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi an Associate partner of The Knowledge Hub in Eastern Africa, particularly handling a research component has evaluated the impact of a farmer training program on Ugandan farmers’ knowledge and use of improved organic farming practices. Overall, the farmer training program has greatly improved farmers’ knowledge, productivity and revenues. During the training, different activities were done including; theory training, practical sessions on producing organic pesticides, farm planning and demo gardens. The training also included a farm tour to an organic farm affiliated to Caritas Kampala, a member organisation of PELUM Uganda where farmers witnessed best organic farming practices.
The KHEA trained multiplier and a farmer Matovu Nicholas during the tour said, “that the raw materials required to make pesticides are affordable and readily available in the surrounding environments.” He further said that, “with the right quantities to produce pesticides, an organic farmer is able to control aphids in agriculture especially vegetables.”
Different trainees/farmers (15 Females, 10 Males) appreciated the efforts that the KCOA-KHEA project has put in to effectively create awareness for the existing organic agricultural farming practices and knowledge given through the KHEA trained multipliers for the 5 days to help them implement in their backyard/ house hold level gardens.
TESTIMONIALS FROM FARMERS
Emmanuel Bukenya is a farmer in Magigye-Gayaza Wakiso district. He specializes in piggery, crop farming for example; tomatoes, yams and sugarcane. Currently, he uses organic farming practices including; spraying with organic pesticides for example human urine to spray lice from the pigs, ash mixed with water and spray tomatoes. The training impacted him through mindset change. Emmanuel Bukenya said, “ I have learnt that artificial farming practices are harmful to health and expensive to maintain. The organic farming practices are however cheap and sustainable.” We are kindly requesting the KCOA-KHEA project management team and governments to continue creating awareness across the region.
Choosen Justine Migadde is a farmer from Gayaza – Magigye, Wakiso District. She specialises in Banana farming, crops like tomatoes, egg plants, okra. Currently she is using organic farming practices like; spraying plantations with organic pesticides for example human urine, and also improve soil fertilisation. Choosen Justine Migadde said, “For soil fertilisers, I dug a pit in which I deposited; ash, peelings, charcoal dust, goat waste, with water and cover for 30 days. After 30 days, I mix it and cover again for another 30 days. After 30 days, I then use this mixture as a fertiliser in my plantations.”
The training impacted him through mindset change. “I have learnt to give utmost attention to my plantations looking out for non-organic items in the garden but rather implement using organic farming practices. I now understand that the current foods existent in my homestead can serve as organic products to boost fertilisation and production and also pesticides like planting coat meal, garlic and onions which are some of the agent in disinfecting plantations,” said Choosen.
We are kindly requesting the KCOA-KHEA project management team and governments to continue creating awareness across the region.
We call upon the government, CSOs, policy makers, spiritual leaders, researchers, academia, private sector, media, farmers, consumer movements and the general public to join us in the efforts to promote ecological organic agriculture for sustainable ago-ecosystems, productivity, nutrition and health.
Farmer trainings helps farmers to incorporate the latest scientific advances and technology tools into their daily operations. The results of enhancing their operations with these tools increases efficiency and can also lead to less harm to the environment and reduced food contamination.
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