Page 34 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

Food Health

essential fact: this type of intensive
farming is one of the biggest causes
of global warming.

Syngenta itself has admitted that
it is logical that they, as a com-
pany, have little concern for the
less successful farmers. ‘We are a
commercial company and therefore
we invest in Africa. We believe that
Africa is done with development aid
and that it is now all about trade,”
concludes Kinyua M’Mbijjewe. ‘The
small-scale farmers are not our tar-
get. We focus on small-scale farm-
ers trying to grow businesses and
we are happy to work with NGOs
that have a commercial approach.
Farmers who merely try to survive
or operate in an unfavorable climate
are left out.’
the trade barriers and incorpo- that food production must increase
rate intellectual property rights on by half. A figurative war is fought Agro-ecological alternative
seeds in their legislation, in order to regarding the approach to increase
achieve a harmonized regional sys- production, but there will likely be Many farmer organizations and
tem. Among others, the Community many victims among the small-scale FAO have more faith in ecological
Plant Variety Office, an EU agency farmers. methods. Particularly the small-
for the protection of plant varieties er-scale farmers would benefit
as intellectual property, invariably According to the business world, from it, because they usually cannot
takes part in all meetings related to Africa needs more agricultural afford the expensive inputs for con-
the Protocol. inputs: fertilizers, hybrid seeds, ventional agriculture.
pesticides… But is the commercial
Syngenta believes that these mea- approach best suited to help the Janet Maro, on the other hand,
sures will help advance Africa: ‘We poorest segment of the population? works in challenging rural areas.
are pleased that it is finally going in Together with SAT, she trains
the right direction after years of ne- All the development initiatives small-scale farmers in agro-ecolog-
gotiations,’ says Kinyua M’Mbijjewe. of the NAFSN in Tanzania fo- ical farming methods. SAT teaches
‘The EU has a harmonized policy cus exclusively on the most fertile farmers to do farming with what is
regarding the seeds that are allowed part of the country. The Southern available in their surroundings.
to be brought into another country. Agricultural Growth Corridor of
In Africa this doesn’t exist. You Tanzania (SAGCOT) covers much ‘Our training center is located in the
could not bring seeds from Kenya of the southern half of the country. dry areas of Vianze, which most
over the border to Tanzania, an area Fertile soil easily attracts investors. people would claim to be impossible
with the same climate zone. Africa’s But what about the farmers who are to farm,’ says Janet Maro. ‘If we can
trade barriers have not pushed for- located in less-than-ideal regions? do it there, we can do it anywhere.
ward the farmers and the economy.’ Or what about the statement by the We plant additional trees that hold
World Bank (2008 report) that input back the water when it rains, so that
More intensive farming? subsidies for fertilizer in Zambia it is incorporated into the soil, and
were beneficial mainly for relative- we have an irrigation system with
In order to feed the world popula- ly rich farmers rather than for the water bottles, so we consume less
tion by 2050, the World Bank and small-scale farmers whom the subsi- water.’
FAO (the UN food agency) state dies were meant to benefit? Another
‘We teach small-scale farmers how

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