“Meet Africa’s Organic Farmers campaign” kicks off to recognize smallholder ecological organic famers in East Africa.
The KHEA project is expected to scale up to Madagascar as a CIP in the 2nd Phrase of implementation up to 2024.
Drake Nyamugabwa
Ecological Farmers trained under The Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture in Eastern Africa (KHEA) Project, one of the 5 Hubs of the Knowledge Centre for Organics Agriculture in Africa (KCOA) project during the campaign dubbed “Meet Africa’s Organic Farmers” will be recognized in East African countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
The overall objective of the KHEA project is to ensure the integration of Ecological Organic Agriculture into the various countries’ agricultural systems in East Africa.
According to the the KHEA Project Manager, Francis Nsanga, the campaign in picture below, that is scheduled to start from 3rd -1st December 2022, according to information from the KCOA-KHEA project the campaign aims is to capture stories of change of the African organic/agroecological smallholder farmers telling what and where they farm, and what support they need from their governments with objectives including; Raise awareness of the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture in Africa (KCOA) Project across the continent, provide farmers with a platform to say what policy support they need to farm sustainably, enable us to capture statistical data on farmer needs, which can be used to support calls for policy change in each country and on the continent.
KHEA Communication Officer Magino Pamella, said that “The KHEA envisages carrying out a strong communication and dissemination campaign in order to recognize and raise the profiles of smallholder farmers that practice ecological organic agriculture trained on the KCOA-KHEA Project in the East African region (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda). The length of this Consumer Awareness-raising campaign will be implemented in period of 3rd October– 1st December 2022. All the media content will be developed and broadcast within this period in consultation with the KHEA team and the County Implementing Partners (CIPs) inclusive of PELUM Uganda, PELUM Kenya, ROAM, TOAM.”
The statement also highlighted that the key outcome of the campaign envisages achieving among others; generating public debate around the type of agricultural systems we have in East Africa to be able to influence policymakers to adopt and/or implement legislation and programs that support sustainable agriculture, creating awareness of the focus areas and interventions done in the different countries that are implementing the KHEA Project, influence the existing agricultural systems to utilize and depend on practices to have a sustainable healthy livelihood.
One of the organic farmers, Carol Zawede in picture below, from Mlinza Farm in Luwero Uganda appealed to organizations to support them in terms of training, and market linkages, to raise awareness.
“I appeal to different organizations such as PELUM and government bodies to always look for the organic farmers & help link them to the organic markets & also continue training us to add to what we know” she said
Carol Zawedde in above picture at her 15 acre farm during the KCOA-KHEA
The Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture in Eastern Africa (KHEA) project ended its first phase of implementation for a period of 2 years (Aug 2019- June 2022). The KHEA Hub is one of the five Hubs of the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture in Africa (KCOA) project. It is part of the initiative by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through its executing agency GIZ to support a network of regional knowledge hubs for organic farming in Africa. The KHEA project is expected to scale up to Madagascar as a CIP in the 2nd Phase of implementation up to 2024.
"Meet Africa's Organic Farmers campaign" is being implemented across 5 KCOA hubs i.e KHEA, KHNA, KHCA, KHWA and KHSA across the African continent. it is expected to roll out through use of different traditional and social media platforms under the Hash tag #FarmersOfAfrica #KHEA.
