Sylvia’s Diary
My first interaction with the terminology Agroecology was in 2018 when I read about it in a WhatsApp group. Members discussed how organic farming needs to transition to broader farming practices that are not just about growing crops without synthetic inputs but have a comprehensive approach that Agroecology would address.
I headed to google and YouTube but by then, there were very few definitions of Agroecology and I never understood any of them! They were all complicated and used scientific terms that I was unfamiliar with. I felt quite lost, to be honest.
I believe one of the clearest indicators that we have learned a concept is to be able to explain it to a child or explain it fluently in our mother tongue. Allow me to help us understand this term. Let us first dissect the word AGRO-ECOLOGY. So, what is AGRO? These are practices that are connected with farming. ECOLOGY- Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact with the environment around them. Simply put, my definitions of AGROECOLOGY are; farming with nature that enhances and protects biodiversity; farming in a way that puts nature into consideration; Agroecology is sustainable farming that considers people, animals, soil, and local systems and ensures we are well fed not just for today but for many generations to come.
I have interacted with lots of farmers all over Kenya and even on the African continent and all of them are committed to growing safe food and farming sustainably but feel the options are extremely limited. Farmers are struggling with production and when they have problems, especially with pest management, they have the agrovets as their “advisors.” Agrovets sell the “magical formula” that will sort out all their problems. The main problem with this approach is that neither the agrovet nor the farmer read the ingredients on the packet to know the impact of the substances on their health as well as the health of plants and biodiversity.
This trend of ignorance has landed us where we are today. Our soils are acidic, we have superbugs that do not respond to synthetic pesticides, bio-diversity is threatened, our health is severely compromised and our harvests are much lower.
The final straw for me that made me choose organic was when I planted tomatoes in my kitchen garden. The tomatoes were doing pretty well until they started fruiting. I then noticed small white flies all over the tomatoes, the leaves were discolored and some plants would just wither and die. Other leaves were filled with aphids and spider mites as I came to learn later on. I then proceeded with a sample of a leaf and fruit to my “advisors” at the agrovet. As usual, they gave me the “solution” which I was to spray every 3 days. I followed instructions to the letter but noticed little improvement. The white flies increased and the poor state of the plants persisted. My agrovet advisors in the coming days advised me to try different concoctions which never worked and eventually I was left with poisonous tomatoes to feed my family.
I went online to search for a better way to grow food and I rem remember I googled “farming without chemicals” Organic farming appeared on my screen and that is how my journey as an organic farmer began. My story is not unique, many farmers are going through a myriad of challenges with their farms and are wondering how to move to organic and more sustainable farming systems. The truth is, when you farm organically using agroecological principles, you create a natural balance and the soil thrives, pests tremendously reduce, and, produce increases.
In 2016 I took a step of faith and started selling my vegetables from my farm to family and friends in Nairobi. Sylvia’s Basket was born as a home delivery organic basket business. I then opened our first outlet in November 2019 selling produce from my farms as well as enabling smallholder farmers to access markets for their products at our outlet. Our vision as Sylvia’s basket is to break the barriers and make organic food accessible by ensuring it is affordable. We also strive to work with smallholder farmers, even those with a 1/8 of an acre to access a reliable market for their farm produce all year round.
When you think about principles like co-creation and sharing of knowledge where indigenous knowledge meets with scientific knowledge providing solutions to local farmers. Soil is the foundation of agriculture, how are we building our soils to grow food for generations? Did you know that composting, eliminating synthetic inputs, and feeding your chicken kitchen scraps are synergy, recycling, and efficiency? If you are passionate about growing and promoting indigenous foods you are practicing Agroecology. And finally, if you ensure your food is not traveling for thousands of kilometers from the farm to your plate you are promoting the principle that promotes circular and solidarity economies.
This year I will be sharing with you my journey on how I practice Agroecology. I will share my diary on how I practice different Agroecological principles. On my journey, you will realize that is not difficult to farm sustainably, pests can be controlled using safe methods and farmers can make a decent income growing safe organic produce. I hope to encourage farmers in Africa that it can be done. I know many of us are already farming sustainable and I hope my diary will resonate with you too! See you in the next edition!