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Agro-ecology: The future of farming
Michael J Ssali
What you need to know:
- Agro-ecology is described as a farming system that combines agriculture and ecological processes.
We all face the threat of climate change effects such as rising temperatures, severe and increased frequency of extreme weather events, and changed rainfall patterns. It is widely believed, following several studies, that unless we become more sensitive to climate change in the way we carry out our farming activities, agricultural production will dramatically decrease by 2050.
This will certainly mean reduced food for a much bigger population, severe undernourishment, and lower incomes for millions of farmers.
Agro-ecology is described as a farming system that combines agriculture and ecological processes. It is sensitive to nature, the health of soil, the plants and organisms that support plant growth, and climate change mitigation.
Farmers must reconsider growing trees or allowing trees to thrive on the same pieces of land where crops are grown. They must constantly think about replenishing the soil after harvesting the crops. Soil nutrients are always taken away from the soil by the crops as they grow and every effort must be made to replace the nutrients. Some people refer to this effort as carrying out regenerative agriculture. It promotes growing of crops in harmony with livestock, using the manure to help the land recover from degradation and doing everything possible to conserve biodiversity.
Eddie Mukiibi, President of Slow Food, a global anti-hunger organisation, has said, “Slow Food has been promoting agro-ecological practices for many years. Through this project we aim to improve the livelihoods of local farming communities in Kenya and Uganda by promoting a transition towards an agro-ecological food system, building alliances and strengthening the contribution of Slow Food initiatives to making agro-ecology the agriculture of the future.”
For coffee farmers it is good to reflect on the fact that the coffee plant was domesticated after removal from the forests of the Congo basin, the shores of Lake Victoria.
The crop is not averse to trees and actually benefits from tree shades. If well spaced in the coffee garden the trees provide shade and their rotting leaves support soil replenishment and finally increase coffee yields. They act as windbreaks and can mitigate crop destruction in case of heavy rainstorms.
Agro-ecology also promotes soil conservation by covering the soil with dry leaves and grass to minimize chances of soil erosion. The sheets of material used to cover the soil also protect it from moisture loss and preserve soil organisms that support healthy plant growth.
