Organic growers share tips on farming without chemical fertilisers and pesticides
Margaret Karanja, an organic farmer from Limuru, together with her husband display produce they farm organically. Farmers are urged to scale up organic farming to meet the high demand in the market. PHOTO | LEOPOLD OBI | NMG
Excessive use of pesticides kills pollinators such as bees, impacting negatively on food security.
Farmers at the conference, however, showed organic farming is not only doable, but also cost-effective.
At the same time, she uses integrated pests management practices to control pests on her farm. This is by using herbal concoctions made from African marigold and tithonia.
Ferdinand Wafula, an organic farming extension officer at Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM), says farmers can restore soil fertility using organic manure and compost.
This week, global scientists, researchers, policymakers and farmers convened in Nairobi for the agroecology and organic farming conference.
Over the years, a section of researchers and health enthusiasts advocating for organically produced crops have protested against the excessive use of chemical based pesticides and fertilisers on the grounds that they pose a danger to people and environmental health.
