By Deborah Goldberg | Project Leader
In order to promote agro-ecology, Biowatch focuses on farmer exchange programs where farmers from distant areas visit the organization's model sites to spend time with community facilitators and members involved in agro-ecology.
The visiting farmers are given hands-on exposure to the agro-ecology practices that are used and given the tools to farm using agro-ecological practices on their return to their home areas. This model of working has been extremely successful and promotes replication of agro-ecology to more people creating a multiplier effect.
Because of your support, Biowatch was able to host various farmer exchanges throughout the year. At one such exchange 26 farmers from KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape were exposed to agro-ecological farming for 4 days in KwaHhohho, near Mtubatuba, and Pongola, both located in KwaZulu-Natal province.
The farmers in these areas have created both a community market garden and household food gardens and the visitors were able to take part in fieldwork with local farmers guiding their exposure to successful agro-ecological practices.
Discussions focused on seed banking, marketing, and lobbying local municipality and government departments for support for small scale farming. All of this gave the visiting farmers a well-rounded experience and comprehensive information they can use practically when they return home.
Thank you for your generosity- your donations are an integral part in making these educational farmer exchanges
happen.
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