Bio-Organic
Agriculture Training

Bio-organic agriculture is the cultivation of the land without the use of toxic chemical fertilizers or pesticides. These poisons, promoted as production aids, actually reverse the relationship. Instead of love, harm eventually comes -- first to the land, next the produce and ultimately back via the food -- to the individual who administered the poisons.

Make no mistake. The goal of bio-organic cultivation methodology is the elimination of hunger and poverty through the implementation of a coordinated food security, health and environmental program. Innovative and effective systems of intercropping, crop rotation, organic plant-based sprays and composting continue to prove that crop yield can be increased along with the nutritional value of produce without having to resort to sterilization, hybridization or genetic modification of plants and seeds.

The sale of chemical fertilizers has always been a testimony to the powers of modern marketing techniques. Dealers often had to cause prospective customers to look past the vast greenery of African lands and cause them to believe that their plants would only grow with the addition of artificial, inorganic fertilizers. They had to be good salesmen.

To the contrary, bio-organic farming works toward maintaining soil fertility and balance in the growth of fruits, vegetables, legumes and grain crops. Organic produce also fetches premium prices in global markets where double digit growth has been consistent for the last 20 years.

Special focus is placed on tree husbandry as a highly sustainable agri-industry which can provide a reliable food source, medicine, raw materials for value added products and enhance soil conservation.

Tree crops are often overlooked in the discussion of agriculture. Their unique character has positioned trees as “famine food.” According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 30 countries around the world are experiencing a food crisis requiring help from abroad. But unlike field crops which can often be imported to an area and can require significant irrigation and land preparation, trees are more often indigenous and are less vulnerable to droughts and failure.

Food from trees provide protein, essential amino acids, milk for children and adults and all other vitamins and minerals required to maintain a healthy mind and body. They increase the oxygen content in the air, draw rain, prevent soil erosion, require little to no plowing and will yield their produce for generations with minimal care. Trees provide edible fruit, nuts, seeds, leaves, flowers, sepals and even sap.

Properly cared for bio-organically, the land of Africa is poised to bring forth food and pharmacological benefits previously unknown as researchers have now identified some 2000 species of edible plants and herbs in sub-Saharan Africa alone that can add to the range of essential nutrients needed and available in Africa.

As plants mature, bio-organic agriculture builds disease resistance in soil and crops, protects biodiversity while providing safe food free of toxic agri-chemical residues, which are documented to cause sickness, disease and injury to both man and the environment. With the highest quality of food for those who eat from its fields, organic produce becomes an engine for the improving of the health and productivity of the local populace – yielding sustainable villages. 

Millennium development goals for Africa, such as improved health, poverty reduction, environmental conservation and economic development are all positively impacted.

Today, Africa must put into action initiatives that will bring harmony between the land, and her people. This far-reaching interdependent relationship will lay the foundation for real growth and development – without harmful consequences.

The goal is to establish a working paradigm for upgrading subsistence agriculture to levels of self-sustainable growth that will strengthen the rural sector and consequently the overall agri-economic infrastructure of the country.  Only by strengthening the basic rural agricultural infrastructure can Africa secure the foundation for self-sustainable development.

The benefits of bio-organic agriculture are tangible and can be quantified in several areas. It cannot be overstated how this approach reduces poverty, provides employment and incentives for one to have a greater interest in developing their community. Various enterprises can be spurned from this sustainable model including an organic composting industry, seed production, and other value added products. All in all the dynamics of bio-organic agriculture will contribute to stemming the tide of rural exodus to overcrowded and non- productive urban centers, while assisting in the development of thriving, sustainable and productive rural communities.