October 19, 2017

Growing futures: Farm Africa

tags:	#Farm Africa, #Sustainable Agriculture, #Eastern Africa, #Climate resiliance, #local fisheries, #forestry
located:	Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya
by:	Deniz Zehra Tavli

Eighty per cent of rural African people depend on small family plots for their livelihood. Most farmers have less than one hectare of land and struggle to grow enough food to survive. This is why Farm Africa, an international charity organisation based in the UK, helps farmers to increase their harvests, build their incomes and sustain natural resources, partnering with governments and the private sector to find effective ways to fight poverty.

Farm Africa works closely with local communities, who actively participate in all the decisions about their work. Typically, their staff is from the local area, can speak the local languages and have a deep understanding of the local context. The organisation has 170 staff operating across the eastern African countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. They work with different types of farmers in a range of regions, from dry rangelands to lush, diverse forests. Their situations may vary, but these small-scale farmers face increasing economic and environmental challenges.

Farm Africa promotes ‘climate-smart’ approaches so farmers can manage their natural resources sustainably, become more resilient to climate change and build long-term food security. Their mix of agricultural innovation and training in effective marketing skills equips farmers to grow and earn more. Through business training and setting up farmers' groups, they can get a higher price for their crops, and by learning how to process and store their produce they reduce waste and have more crop to sell.

Farm Africa's vision is of a prosperous rural Africa. Support them by donation, volunteering or help them in their fundraising campaigns!