GAYO supports Korle Bu vegetable farmers

A youth-led, gender-balanced climate change and environmental advocacy group, the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), has donated 30 bags of organic compost it produced to the Korle Bu Vegetable Farmers Association.

The donation, made last Friday, was aimed at promoting sustainable organic farming practices among vegetable farmers in Korle Bu through the use of compost. It also sought to build the capacity of the farmers on compost application, organic farming techniques, and soil health management.

The advocacy for compost use is intended to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers and promote environmentally friendly farming methods that improve soil fertility and farm productivity through organic inputs.

Background

Agricultural practices in many peri-urban communities in Accra, including Korle Bu, continue to rely heavily on synthetic fertilisers and agrochemicals to boost yields. While effective in the short term, such methods contribute to long-term soil degradation, reduced fertility, and environmental pollution.

In response, there has been a growing push to transition to more sustainable and eco-friendly farming methods such as organic farming, which prioritises soil health and the use of natural inputs.

Through its Material Recovery Facility (MRF), GAYO produces high-quality organic compost from segregated organic waste. This compost provides a viable alternative to chemical fertilisers and offers vegetable farmers in Korle Bu the opportunity to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices.

Shift

Speaking at the donation, the Project Coordinator for Zero Waste, Fathia Selasie Charway-Glover, said the initiative was meant to encourage farmers to test the compost and appreciate its benefits as an alternative to synthetic fertilisers.

She explained that the Korle Bu vegetable farmers were part of their project to “change the narrative and effect positive change in vegetable farming into a more organic one, which is healthier and environmentally friendly.”

“The Zero Waste Cities Project is currently working and collecting organic waste at homes and communities in general. The composts have come to stay, we want to prove to people how we can use waste for organic farming,” she said.

Appreciation

For his part, the President of the Korle Bu Vegetable Farmers Association, Bakami Mumuni, expressed gratitude to GAYO for the donation.

“We want to thank GAYO for their donation. Now fertilisers are very expensive and having this is a good sign for us as farmers. We will use it and if it proves to be better than what we use, we have no choice but to stick to it. We are very delighted with this donation,” he said.

Mr Mumuni also appealed to the government to subsidise farm inputs to support farmers and help reduce the prices of commodities on the market.