Promoting environmentally-friendly farming: Korle Bu vegetable farmers support organic compost

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

The donated compost aimed to promote sustainable organic farming practices among vegetable farmers in Korle Bu by encouraging the use of compost while also building the farmers' capacity for compost application, organic farming methods and soil health management.

The advocacy for the use of compost aims to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers and promote environmentally sustainable farming methods, which improve soil fertility and farm productivity through organic inputs.

Background

Agricultural practices in many peri-urban communities in Accra, including Korle Bu, rely heavily on synthetic fertilisers and agrochemicals to increase crop yields.

Although these methods are effective in the short term, they cause long-term soil degradation, decrease fertility and contribute to environmental pollution.

In response, there is an urgent need to shift to more sustainable and eco-friendly farming methods, such as organic farming, which prioritises soil health and natural inputs.

Through its Material Recovery Facility (MRF), the GAYO produced high-quality organic compost from segregated organic waste.

The compost provides a practical alternative to chemical fertilisers and offers a chance for vegetable farmers in Korle Bu to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices.

Shift

Speaking on behalf of GAYO, Fatia Selasie Tsawe-Glover said the donation was to help farmers use the fertiliser, evaluate it, and adopt it as a shift from synthetic fertilisers.

She indicated that the Korle Bu vegetable farmers were part of their project to change the narrative and promote positive change in vegetable farming towards a more organic method, 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 their support.

“We want to thank GAYO for their donation. Now, fertilisers are very expensive, and having this is a positive sign for us as farmers.

We will use it, and if it proves to be better than what we currently use, we have no choice but to adopt it. We are very pleased with this donation,” he said. 

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