Govt asked to promote organic agriculture

As the world marked World Environment Day, government has been asked to promote sustainable organic agricultural practices as a way to mitigate effects of climate change.

Rachel Musoke, a forestry expert, noted that climate change had taken a toll on food qualities and levels of production. Therefore, farming systems that support soil enrichment should be promoted.

“Poor agricultural practices are an avenue through which our environment is highly degraded. Uganda has subsistence agriculture at individual family levels. Consequently, it is an activity through which livelihoods can significantly be enhanced,” Musoke observed.

She was delivering a keynote speech at the tree planting event, held in Kakiri, in Wakiso District. It was organised by Kulika Uganda to mark World Environment Day.

Sustainable organic agriculture is one where farming is a production system that relies on ecological processes, such as waste recycling rather than the use of synthetic inputs, such as chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

“With the growing challenge of land fragmentation, we embarked on promotion of sustainable organic farming, where families can use the available land for high-yield food crops without mounting pressure on environment,” said Christine Kalungi, Public Affairs Officer at Kulika Uganda.

The organisation promotes planting tree species that are endangered and educates communities how best they can use available nature to sustain their livelihoods without hurting environment through various agricultural practices.

According to Ms Christine Sempebwa, executive director, Kulika Uganda, if communities are sensitised on how to sustainably mix conventional modern farming methods into their appropriate means of gardening, both the farm yields and environment will thrive.