“As a farmer I can’t
give up. I have to treat this farm, the way a businessman does his business: he
never gives up,” says a determined John Wambua, an organic farmer from Yatta,
in Machakos County, Kenya.
John Wambua is one of ten small-scale
farmers, whose stories of hope and determination through resilient farming
methods have been documented in video and photography by Greenpeace Africa and
the Institute for Culture and Ecology (ICE) and showcased in a once-off
multimedia exhibition at the historical Nairobi National Museum from 31st July to 02nd
August 2015.
The exhibition
entitled, “The Era of Resilience- the
Journey of a Kenyan Farmer” captures ecological
farming practices by some
of Kenya’s finest small-scale farmers responding to climate change. The
exhibition also features first -hand accounts and experiences by local farmers
who will present their ‘wish list’ and solicit support to enable them to grow
the farming sector and improve their livelihoods.
As part of the two day open exhibition,
Greenpeace Africa will release a report, “Building environmental resilience: A snapshot of farmers adapting to
climate change in Kenya”. The report documents some of the ecological
farming practices which farmers in Western and Eastern Kenya are using to
nurture crops e.g. drip irrigation, indigenous knowledge, intercropping and
using compost and manure for enhancing soil fertility.
Resilience in the face of climate change and
the growing global food crisis requires urgency and honesty according to ICE’s
programme officer, Martin Muriuki “ICE continues to work closely with farmers.
This is the only way to create an ecological farming system with farmers at its
center.” he added.
“This
exhibition is a positive move towards advancing the ecological farming movement
not only in Kenya but also for the entire African continent. Local
organisations and small scale farmers are joining forces to present thoughtful,
modern farming methods based on age-old resilience techniques. This exhibition
aims to present a future where the Kenyan Food system can be secured and become
a development model for others on the continent.” said Greenpeace Africa
Executive Director, Michael O’Brien Onyeka.
ICE and Greenpeace
Africa urge governments, donors, philanthropies and their partners to put small
holder farmers at the center of their agriculture vision. This can be achieved
by shifting public funds from a failing industrial agriculture model to
ecological agriculture that is healthy and economically viable for everyone.
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