Page 44 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 21

Food Health
Food Health

Mvumilivu Hula Mbivu

The Patient One Eats Ripe Fruit

his Kiswahili proverb has boring farmer. Like warriors of old, best or to seek counsel for what to
been on my mind, not these farmers descend upon dearth grow or not in order to ensure that
for the beautiful pearls of of nutrients, vermin and pestilence they make money.
Twisdom that it offers one alike using tools like fertilizers, weed
for life and living, but for a more lit- killers, pesticides, ably wielding time- I have to say, it has been great vali-
eral agriculturally-connected reason. lines for their use in order for the dation observing these interactions
Being passionate and curious about produce to be within EU guidelines which have confirmed everything
the way our food is produced and with regard to residue by the time we have shared with you about the
grown, there are various groups and of shipping. They nimbly navigate over-commercialization of agricul-
individuals I follow online in the timelines for when to harvest in or- ture and its effects on the choices
area of farming. One group I joined der to be able to ship on to markets that farmers in Afrika are making.
recently has a majority of members outside of Kenya/Afrika etc. They It has been validating and disheart-
who fully embrace the use of ‘mod- harness the power of cooperation ening at the same time because I
ern methods’ and technology to and collaboration from fellow mem- realize that there is a large grouping
provide maximum yields in terms of bers for what to spray if their plants of people from my own country
produce and profit for the hard-la- appear to be doing less than their – and in Afrika – that has buckled

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