Songhai Farms located in the Republic of Benin is perhaps the number one model of sustainable agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. The farm operates on the principle of "zero waste' where every output is utilized in a way that there is no waste, and that sustainability is assured. Basically, it is a system that mimics the way our natural ecosystems work. Father Godfrey Nzamujo, an expatriate African priest and former instructor at UC, Irvine runs the agricultural estate which he founded in 1985 with the aim of tackling hunger and creating jobs, while protecting the environment. So far, it cannot be said that he has hasn't made good success in the actualization of this vision. Nzamujo has degrees in science and engineering including a PhD in Microbiology. He lives in the farm and regularly updates his methods.
In sustainable agriculture, the farming system operates in such a way that external inputs like synthetic fertilizers, fossil fuels and other chemicals which can degrade the environment are not needed but that the farming process goes on, organically. Waste from one sector is useful in another, so that the idea of waste itself is mute. For instance in Songhai, plant wastes are used as feed for the farm animals, and animals' wastes used as manure for crops or to feed the biofuel generators which provide electric energy for the farm. Waste water from the fish pond is reused in irrigation. Every output has a use in another sector of the farm - zero waste. You're probably thinking by now that this system is by no means a novel one. True. It is actually the way farms are run traditionally through the years. However to meet increased food demand, especially in the last century, agriculture has been mainly industrial which implies single crop production with heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. It also means like everything industrial, that there is a lot of waste in crop and livestock production, and that it does no good for the environment. Going back to that harmless traditional method with improved utilization of science and technology which Father Godfrey's system is about is exactly what Africa needs in the face of factors such as climate change induced drought, floodings and starvation.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Songhai is not all the food resources it is rolling out or the three hundred people it employs but how it has become a training ground for agriculture entrepreneurs and a model for other farms that have sprung up in places like Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia. Nzamujo says he has trained almost thirty thousand persons on his method of sustainable agriculture. I think this is what Africa needs so direly right now, with the global food crisis (there is a food crisis, in case you are not aware) and the threat of climate change. The truth is that climate change is already upon us and perhaps we cannot really beat it back. We can however slow down its progress and impact. Scientists have shown that this is in fact very possible. Only, we have to act now and save the future for ourselves and generations coming after us. I believe, moving away from conventional agricultural practices and adopting more sustainable approaches to food production like Nzamujo's Songhai model should take center stage. Your thoughts?
Credits:
Www.cnn.com
Instagram @bbc
Comments
Post a Comment