Page 68 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 11

GREEN HANDS

Hi, Am The Organic Guy and welcome to
my world! I envision a world where man- grandmother was one of them. to the increased awareness of
kind is living a healthy and sustainable life- Growing up in the western part organic products in the country
style, Organically. I have now made it my of Kenya, my grandmother who and subsequently improving
mission to ensure you are upto date on in- is still a farmer NEVER used their incomes. Rodale’s 30 year
formation, News and Trends in the organic any synthetic inputs, she used research proved that organ-
world, to empower you to make informed principals of crop rotation, ic systems were nearly three
decisions with matters regarding organic. minimum tillage, cover crop- times more profitable than the
Visit www.theorganicguy.com to learn more. ping among others. But it wasn’t conventional systems. Where
until my university education the average net return for the
that I discovered that we were organic systems was $558/ acre/
actually organic farmers. Well, year versus just $190/acre/year
this wasn’t just my grandmother for the conventional systems.
but several other farmers in my
village. When visiting most organic
farmers in the country, you will
Fast forward to today, we have be inclined to find more workers
seen the government put forth on their farms than their con-
more policies that incentivize ventional counterparts. This ob-
industrial agriculture and over servation was also backed up by
reliance on external inputs over Rodale’s report where it showed
the small scale farmers who are that Organic agriculture pro-
the majority (70% – 80%) and motes job creation, providing
poor soils resulting from heavy who actually feed us. These pol- for more than 30% more jobs
use of synthetic fertilizers and icies have resulted in our most per hectare than non-organic
pesticides, pests and diseases productive land in western Ken- farms. The addition of on-farm
among other challenges makes ya degrading where about 50% processing and direct marketing
the agricultural sector very un- of the soils are NOW acidic. further increases the opportuni-
stable. Given the importance of This coupled by climate change ties for job creation.
the sector in rural areas of Ken- and farmers spending more
ya where poverty is prevalent, money on inputs has seen their This is important because
the sectors importance in pover- income reduce significantly there is NO better anti-poverty
ty elevation cannot be overstat- hence the stagnation in poverty strategy than providing incomes
ed enough. Hence strengthening over the years. through employment. Improv-
and improving the performance ing incomes of the sector that
of the agriculture sector and Organic farmers on the other contributes up to 26% of our
enabling the engagement of the hand in the country seems to GDP and another 27% of the
poorest and most vulnerable be coping better with climate GDP indirectly will ultimately
in this process is arguably a change and drought, as their aid in the achieving of Sustain-
necessity in alleviating poverty crops are more resilient. This able Development goal 2, ‘NO
especially in these areas. was well document in the POVERTY’, a vision that organic
Organic agriculture accounts Rodale institute’s 30 year study agriculture has a very important
for less than 1% of the total where when comparing organic role to play.
area cultivated in Kenya but its and conventional corn, Organic
principals are widely practiced corn yields were 31% higher
throughout the country with than conventional in years of
MOST farmers NOT knowing drought. Organic farmers are
that they are actually practic- also receiving premiums for
ing organic agriculture. My their organic products due

68 | Heal . Restore . Rebirth . Afrika