1 min
Farming is the practice of knowledge - understanding the soil to establish its suitability, cultivating the land using the appropriate equipment, using the appropriate seeds and upholding good agricultural practices to achieve maximum yield and impact.
Food is just one of the products of farming; skills and experience are other products. Skills are the product of knowledge garnered over time and it is one of the most valuable assets in the sector. As time matures, knowledge is intentionally documented, improved upon and disseminated to improve farming practices, productivity, yield and income. However, in most developing countries, it is the opposite; knowledge is hardly documented, or improved upon and it is very difficult to transfer them, our indigenous knowledge.
In Africa, agriculture is an age long profession, where local knowledge has been generated over a long period of practice and used to solve various challenges. Sadly, some indigenous knowledge has been lost due to poor documentation, lack of continuous improvement and negative perceptions about this knowledge amongst other reasons. For instance, farmers had indigenous ways to do a quick test for soil fertility (not developed), forecast rainfall or drought, control and manage weeds, promote biodiversity, encourage regenerative agriculture, improve soil structure and fertility amongst others. There was much indigenous knowledge that has been left to phase out; some taken to the grave, some kept as a secret amongst farm families, while others do not really care about them . The practices of this knowledge could help to promote sustainable practices, improve farmers health and provide pointers for solutions to some of the current challenges faced by farmers.
Therefore, we need to intentionally develop our indigenous knowledge system in order to help proffer solutions that are affordable, easily related practises and also alternative solutions to help the farmers. Also, we need to invest in research and development (R&D) to identify some of these practices that can be improved upon and used to either solve our current challenges or to help towards achieving our food security. Indigenous knowledge is not necessarily an inferior knowledge, but has been made inferior and obsolete by our inaction.
In conclusion, we cannot develop beyond our knowledge system especially in the farming industry where 90% of what farmers do on the farm is science-based and 10% is art. To achieve food security and sustainability, we need to develop our indigenous knowledge system by providing sufficient resources to revive it. We should not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us own our own development. Let's build our knowledge system to achieve food sovereignty.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
In Africa, agriculture is an age long profession, where local knowledge has been generated over a long period of practice and used to solve various challenges. Sadly, some indigenous knowledge has been lost due to poor documentation, lack of continuous improvement and negative perceptions about this knowledge amongst other reasons. For instance, farmers had indigenous ways to do a quick test for soil fertility (not developed), forecast rainfall or drought, control and manage weeds, promote biodiversity, encourage regenerative agriculture, improve soil structure and fertility amongst others. There was much indigenous knowledge that has been left to phase out; some taken to the grave, some kept as a secret amongst farm families, while others do not really care about them . The practices of this knowledge could help to promote sustainable practices, improve farmers health and provide pointers for solutions to some of the current challenges faced by farmers.
Therefore, we need to intentionally develop our indigenous knowledge system in order to help proffer solutions that are affordable, easily related practises and also alternative solutions to help the farmers. Also, we need to invest in research and development (R&D) to identify some of these practices that can be improved upon and used to either solve our current challenges or to help towards achieving our food security. Indigenous knowledge is not necessarily an inferior knowledge, but has been made inferior and obsolete by our inaction.
In conclusion, we cannot develop beyond our knowledge system especially in the farming industry where 90% of what farmers do on the farm is science-based and 10% is art. To achieve food security and sustainability, we need to develop our indigenous knowledge system by providing sufficient resources to revive it. We should not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us own our own development. Let's build our knowledge system to achieve food sovereignty.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
Related
I think mister Babatunda is right especially when we see what the so called Green Revolution and/ or so called development aid has caused. I also think that Ernst Friedrich Schumacher would agree with him.