STRATEGIES OF ECOFARMING PROMOTION IN AFRICA:

CONSERVATION AND UTILISATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN FARMING

 

 

 

by Nganda Siver (Uganda)

 

One of the strategies for promotion of ecofarming is by CONSERVATION AND UTILISATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN FARMING

 

ENVIRONMENT is composed of the following living and non-living things.  Namely:

 

There should be interdependence amongst all of them so that they live symbiotically.

Of all the components, which make up the environment the human being, has been found to depend so much on the rest and by so doing has caused destruction.  So it is important however to note that most, if not all the agricultural developments are influenced by the environment, and at the same time, the development process can either affect or enhance a good environment.

 

In order for the two to exist, they have therefore to be in equilibrium.

 

 

Environment and Agricultural Development

ENVIRONMENT DEGRADATION

 

This is a situation where by the environment is destroyed.  Some of the causes of environmental degradation includes:

 

  1. Deforestation
  2. Bush burning
  3. Overgrazing
  4. Over and misuse of commercial fertilisers
  5. Poor disposal of un-biodegradable wastes and
  6. Population growth

 

 

The measures to prevent or control environment degradation would highly depend on a given geographical location and the socio-economic and cultural status of the inhabitants.  So it requires the implementation of ecologically sound and the productive use of resources in agriculture.  The resource use is also highly influenced by the agricultural farming systems practised.

 

In Uganda the farming systems range from large scale commercial farming to farmers living on communally owned land, till small subsistence.

All of those systems have been detrimental to the environment.  The solution is to resort to sustainable agriculture.

 

 

1. Ecology classification

 

Earths Natural Communities and how they function at A UNIT

 

 

2. Environment component

 

Animals, plants, water, mountains, forests, air.

 

 

3. Relationship

 

All agricultural development are influenced by the environment equilibrium

 

 

4. Environment Ű Agricultural Development

 

 

5. Environment Degradation

 

Causes:

 

6. Solutions:

 

Sustainable agriculture:

 

 

7. Conservation methods

 

 

8. Herbalist encouragement. 

 

These healers have realised the importance of herbs and so are utilising and conserving them.

 

 

9. Soil definition to a farmer

 

It is a source of nutrients for plants, therefore it should be conserved.

 

 

10. Soil Enrichment

 

 

 

11. Soil Conservation

 

 

 

12. Proper utilisation of WETLANDS

 

 

13. Insects

 

 

 

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

 

This is an approach to agricultural production that stresses the improvement and conservation of the natural resources e.g. land, forests, animals.  While increasing productivity and decreasing depending on external inputs.

It is related to the way ecological systems operate naturally.  It is a method of farming that ensures continuity of all living organisms (man, livestock, crops and other micro-organisms) without destroying the natural resource base.  With this system, all organisms are both producers and consumers.

 

Sustainable agriculture therefore is a method of farming based on human needs for food, income, shelter, fuel wood etc.

 

Ecosystem is a contraction of ecological system.

Eco-farming is a contraction of ecological farming.

Ecology is a term used in classifying earth’s natural communities according to how living and non-living things and their environment function as a unit.

 

In an ecosystem, the primary function is the, flow of energy and cycling of nutrients.  These take place in food chains and usually require three kinds of organisms  (i) producers  (ii) consumers  (iii) Decomposers.

 

Plants are producers because they store the suns energy and convert it into food through the process of photosynthesis.  The animals feed on plants and other animals.  So they are consumers.

The bacteria and other small organisms that break down dead animals and plants are decomposers.  The nutrients released from the decomposition are absorbed by the plants.

The continuos flow of energy and food in ecosystem allows it to sustain itself.

 

For that matter the environment should be utilised conservatively for its sustainability.

 

 


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