Previously we addressed and expounded on the ills of agribusiness. In this article we will make a case for sustainable farming as the answer to progress and prosperity. Many of the ideas discussed in this article are not novel. What we aim to do is to make them prominent in our campaign to retake Kenya by focusing on supporting a sustainable middle class in the rural areas. We aim to provide a financial, educational and social framework that will afford economic opportunity and support to family farmers who will form the bedrock of vibrant, sustainable rural economies. This is in contrast to the policy propagated by the elite entrenched land barons (with huge tracts held for speculation) who endlessly recycle themselves to protect their ill gotten gains.
What is sustainability?
Sustainability in general rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This definition is equally applicable in all areas of the vibrant rural societies we are trying to agitate for through our policies. We previously identified these areas and we will address them separately as we go along.
Why promote small farms?
Small family farms are the backbone of a community, a nation, and of society as a whole. A nation of family farms is settled, balanced and stable, and generally sustainable.
Sustainable farms are small. They're mixed, mixed crops, mixed trees and mixed livestock, with all three mixed together in an integrated pattern that mimics natural biodiversity and reaps the benefits of collaborating with nature. The main benefit is health: healthy soil, healthy crops and livestock, and healthy yields, along with low input costs.
Mixed family farms provide sustenance, food security and a healthy surplus for sale or barter, they far out-produce the bigger, mechanized farms.
What is sustainable agriculture?
Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities.
Principles of this type of agriculture include:
Conservation and preservation
In a sustainable system, soil is kept in balance. Crops are rotated through the fields to replace nutrients in the soil. Where there is livestock, animals graze the land, then manure from those animals is used to fertilize the soil.
Biodiversity
Farms raise different types of plants, which are rotated around the fields to enrich the soil and help prevent disease and pest outbreaks. Chemical pesticides are used minimally and only when necessary; many sustainable farms do not use any form of chemicals.
Animal welfare
Animals are treated humanely and with respect, and are well cared for. They are permitted to carry out their natural behaviors, such as grazing, rooting or pecking, and are fed a natural diet appropriate for their species.
Economically viable
Farm workers are paid a fair wage and farmers receive a fair price for their produce in the open market.
Sustainable farms support local economies by providing jobs for members of the community and purchasing supplies from local businesses. Farmers will also have money to spend on other businesses in the community that provide services or products.
Why buy sustainably produced food?
1. Health.
Grass fed beef is healthier than factory farmed grain fed meat. That frozen patty or that hamburger from that popular joint could contain meat from many different sources. It is surprising what they allow to go into the making of a ‘beef’ patty.
The concept of sustainability also involves eating local, which means buying food from a farm as close to you as possible. This cuts down on the length of time between when the food is harvested or processed and when you eat it. After being harvested, food begins to lose nutrients, so the less time between the farm and your dinner plate; the more nutritious the food is for you.
2. Tastes Better.
Most people claim that sustainably-raised food simply tastes better. We all know the difference in taste in eggs produced by free range chickens compared to those produced by factory farms.
3. Environment.
Sustainable farms do not raise more animals than the land is capable of sustaining. Family farms will take all the animal manure and use it replenish the earth. This eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.
Factory farms cram too many animals in one place. The manure they make is then dumped it into our ecosystem resulting in rivers and the air becoming polluted.
Conclusion
This is by no means an exhaustive article; it only serves as an introduction to get a discussion going on how we can move our country forward.
The next article will be a case study of Cuba which when faced with a U.S. embargo together with the collapse of the Soviet Union managed to develop one of the most efficient organic agriculture systems in the world.
We welcome reader suggestions
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