Organic agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa
Background
There is growing concern about agricultural activities leading to environmental degradation and health risks associated with intensively produced foodstuffs. As a result interest in organic agriculture is increasing. This growing interest in sustainable and organic natural resource management and healthy eating, coupled with the increasing number of resource-poor farmers who cannot afford agrochemicals, has led to the potential for organic farming in addressing the issue of sustainable food production and livelihoods of resource-poor people in sub-Saharan Africa.
The objective of the study was to ascertain the status of and potential for organic farming in sub-Saharan Africa. The aims were to investigate the use of organic methods among farmers, to assess the perceptions of, desire for and acceptability of organic agricultural development, to identify constraints to the use of organic farming as a means of raising agricultural productivity and to identify the potential for organic techniques in different agroecosystems.
Research activities
Information was obtained through a postal survey of 132 community development groups in 24 sub-Saharan countries and 5-months of field work in both Ghana and Kenya.
Findings
The use of agro-chemicals was widespread among farmers in SSA, with only a minority of farmers practising unimproved traditional subsistence agriculture. There was little evidence of knowledge and adoption of improved soil fertility management and crop protection practices of a non-chemical nature. Although isolated techniques are sometimes practised, there was a general lack of an integrated approach to soil fertility and crop protection management, and under-exploitation of the full range of techniques that would maximise the benefits of locally available natural resources.
Wholly organic agriculture was unlikely to be adopted without one or more of the following: active government policy supporting organic agriculture; producer demand to farm organically for philosophical, religious, scientific, intuitive, environmental or health reasons; or economic incentive in the form of subsidy or premium price for organic produce.
The report summarising this project is out of print but photocopies are available free of charge to ACP countries and at £4 to all others.
Output
Harris P.J.C., H.D. Lloyd, A.H. Hofny-Collins, A.R. Barrett and A.W. Browne. 1998. Organic Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa: Farmer demand and potential for development. Garden Organic (formerly HDRA), Coventry, UK. 14p. ISBN 0 905343 220.
Staff
Phil Harris
Heidi Lloyd, no longer at Garden Organic
Anna Hofny-Collins, no longer at Garden Organic
Collaborators
African Studies Centre, Coventry University
Contact
Julia Wright, International Research Coordinator, jwright@gardenorganic.org.uk
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