The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

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Two boys play hide and seek in the tea fields of Kamburu. Kamburu is a region in central Kenya. For years its main crop has been tea, a cash crop which was introduced to the area at a time when demand for tea was high and growers could receive a good price for their yield.

Transcript of The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

Page 1: The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

Two boys play hide and seek in the tea fields of Kamburu. Kamburu is a region in central Kenya. For years its main crop has been tea, a cash crop which was introduced to the area at a time when demand for tea was high and growers could receive a good price for their yield.

Page 2: The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

The present reality paints a very different picture. The global market for tea has become saturated because it is now grown so extensively across Asia and Africa. Prices have fallen and earning a living is increasingly difficult. Like most families in Kamburu, Kago and Rosemary have, up until now, relied on the money they make from tea to pay for their bills and their food.

Page 3: The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

In 2007 Gathuru Mburu decided to change the fortunes of his community by starting his own organisation, The Institute of Culture & Ecology (ICE). ICE began a series of dialogues with the community to help them regain their confidence in farming and revive traditional organic methods of small-scale food production. This enabled the community to produce enough food to feed themselves and save money because they would no longer have to purchase food.

Page 4: The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

The elders of the community collected their traditional indigenous seeds. Indigenous seeds are naturally well adapted to the soils and climate of the areas. They are hardier and more varied, and therefore more resilient to a changing climate.

Page 5: The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

The community were taught how to collect, clean and use their livestocks manure to create ideal natural fertilser for their crops rather than using pesticides and artificial fertilisers.

Page 6: The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

Having returned to organic farming practices, within just 18 months the Kamburu community had produced a food surplus and were food secure for 9 months of the year rather than just 3.

The process has greatly empowered farmers as they have seen their yields increase and been in control of their own food system once again.

Page 7: The Kamburu Story in pictures - Ecological farming practices in Africa

As part of the inter-generational sharing of these practices, the community has been brought together so that children can learn from their elders about planting and the value of their own local seed and indigenous knowledge.