World Food Day: Women Farmers In Kisii Promote Organic Farming, Champion For Sustainable Food Production

KISII, Kenya, Oct, 16 – Kenya joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Food day, an annual celebration to commemorate the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945.

This year’s theme, ‘Leave No One Behind’ is a clarion call to the nations of the world to ensure the right to food is enhanced amid the global food crisis brought about by the effects of climate change and even war in certain parts of the world such as in Ukraine where food production and supply has been greatly affected.

The evident effects are mostly felt in parts of Africa with several countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Even Kenya battling the worst drought in the last 4o years. Enhanced Humanitarian efforts are required in order two aid affected communities across the Horn of Africa region.

Health concerns such as hunger and malnutrition are said to have affected thousands of children in those affected areas. 

In Kenya, at least 2.6 million people are facing food insecurity while 35 per cent of the total population is suffering from malnutrition and food insecurity according to the Director of the Center for Resilient Agriculture for Africa Dr. Stephen Mugo.

Amid the disheartening news, 70-year-old Ascah Nyambeki Obaigwa from Matoke village in Kisii, seems to be thriving, adopting sustainable farming practices to support her family.

Noticeably, the 70-year-old is spending more time on her farm amid the short rains in recent weeks to ensure she has adequate farm produce for her household and commercial ventures.

The retired teacher says she ventured into organic farming to ensure her family consumes healthy and nutritious food direct from their farm for years now.

“Our Seventh Day Adventist church has teachings of health living and consuming food with no chemicals for a better living, this is a teaching I have always embraced to keep myself and those close to me healthy,” says Mrs. Obaigwa.

The move is part of a communal initiative prompted by area women to champion for a healthy lifestyle.

By growing and consuming farm produce straight from their farms, the women say their destiny is in their hands.

The group christened, ‘women for a healthy living’ consists of at least 20 members who meet regularly, at least once a week where they hold discussions on the type of crops they should plant and consume which are also free of chemicals.

“We are practicing purely organic farming, we only use animal wastes as manure in our farms such as wastes from cows, rabbits, kitchen wastes, and poultry,” she said.

Obaigwa, who also leads the group sensitizes them on the best farming practices while also urging them to seek value from their produce in order to avoid wastage.

With some of their products, they have decided to seek alternative ways of preservation and packing such as grinding them into powder form and selling them to consumers within the area.

While growing their crops, the farm have adopted the use of locally made fertilizers sought from rabbit urine, molasses, plant nutrients, and water which are available locally. This ensures the produce is 100 per cent organic.

Mrs. Obaigwa has developed an interest in traditional herbs through this organic farming and she is getting a lot of clients seeking traditional treatment.

Support from Biovision Africa Trust

The women’s group has managed to partner with Biovision Africa Trust, a non-governmental organization that creates awareness by educating farmers on the importance of organic agriculture.

Their frequent collaboration has enabled them to thrive in the agriculture sector.

“We thank the field officer from biovision Africa Trust who is close to us to ensure we use the right procedures in our farming activities,” says Mrs Obaigwa.

Across the county borderline in Tombe area, Nyamira, another women’s group has ventured into beekeeping for domestic and commercial purposes.

“We have several beehives in one of the farms and have planted a lot of flowers around the farm to ensure the bees drive and produce honey,” said the group.

However, the group is facing challenges in using traditional and modern beehives whereby bees get into modern beehives and colonize it thus leaving the traditional ones unoccupied.

Besides beekeeping, they are producing other crops such as Maize, Beans, and Bananas for trade through organic agriculture.

Biovision Africa Trust field Officer Anthony Namukhongo says leading to the World For Day, they have managed to visit farmers who are into organic agriculture, 

training them on the ever-changing skills they will require to boost their fortunes and encourage food sustainability.

“In this year’s world food day whose theme is to leave no one behind, we are reaching out to every farmer to educate them on ways of producing more food, especially this time when the country is facing a food insecurity crisis,” said Namukhongo.

He further said that reclaiming soil content will result in high yield thus promoting an assurance of food security.

“Organic farming is a sufficient and sustainable food production method which also helps to lower greenhouse emissions for crop production and enhanced carbon sequestration and improve biodiversity,”

“This method of food production results in better soil quality and reduces pollution from fertilizers and pesticides. This makes soils more resilient to floods, droughts, and land degradation processes,” said a farmer.

Organic agriculture provides management practices that can help farmers adapt to climate change by strengthening agroecosystems, diversifying crop and livestock production, and building farmers’ knowledge base to best prevent and confront changes in climate. 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) promotes organic agriculture as an alternative approach that maximizes the performance of renewable resources and optimizes nutrient and energy flow in agroecosystems.

Studies show that the elimination of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers alone, as is required in organic systems, could lower direct global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by about 20%.

Studies conducted by the Rodale Institute also showed that organic farms use 45 per cent less energy compared to conventional farms while maintaining or even exceeding yields after a 5-year transition period.