Page 23 - Barefoot guide

Photo © John Wilson

Grow Biointensive Agriculture Centre Kenya (GBIACK)

FOOD GARDEN DIVERSITY
Having a diversity of plants is how Nature works. Diverse plants above ground means diverse
microbes underground because each plant has a different set of microbes that it feeds through
its roots. This diversity of microbes underground means healthier soil and so healthier plants.
Also, a diversity of plants above ground will mean less chance of pest attacks on those plants.
Using chemicals in growing food kills many of these microbes and we end up with dead soil.
The above photo shows the diverse garden where GBIACK trains hundreds of farmers and
students every year at their centre on the edge of Thika in Kenya.

AFRICAN FOOD MARKETS
Most African food markets sell a large variety of foods. A diverse network of suppliers and
transporters keeps them going. In African food markets, buyers and sellers can know each
other. Agroecology supports the strengthening of these African food markets, as part of a food
system that is nutritious, fair and sustainable. Agroecological farming and local markets can
also withstand pandemics like COVID-19 much better than national or international food
chains. This is because farmers do not depend on imported external inputs, and can sell their
produce to local consumers in their area.

CHAPTER 2: NATURE’S FOOD GARDEN 15