The Danish national organic association collaborating with locals to improve farming in developing countries

In Uganda The National Organic Association Denmark works together with local and regional organisations to develop the agribusiness with the model “Family Farmer Learning Groups” as jumping-off point.

Organic farming methods have had a very positive effect in developing countries helping the farmer’s profit and the soil’s ability to hold on to the water and resist drought.
In Uganda, The National Organic Association Denmark is working together with various local and regional organisations to develop with the model “Family farmer Learning Groups” as launchpad. It is an approach which has, in the past four years, improved the lives of more than 17,999 small farmers.

From time to time assertions are made that if we get more organic farm land we cannot feed the world’s population as organic farm land produces less. That is a logic that however does not apply top places in the world where food is scarce.

“The organic farming methods contribute to an increase in profits. We can see this from our experience with developing work over many years in East Africa. This includes, among other things, a cover of vegetation and cultivation systems that protects the soils from drought and erosion and about sustainable handling and use of the local resources”, says Per Rasmussen, international consultant in The National Organic Association Denmark.

Farmers lean from their colleagues – not experts

When working with the development of farming in Uganda, The National Organic Association Denmark has collaborated with local farmers through a model called Family Farmer Learning Groups (FFLG). A concept, build on the participating farmer’s learning from each others experiences and good advice and an ongoing picking up on initiatives and achievements made by the various members. A model very much resembling the Danish version of “Staldskolerne” (The Stable Schools) which is a model for legal health advice in the Danish dairy cattle herds.

“In the province Kagadi we’ve experienced that while the target for the two year running of the project was to establish 40 FFLG groups, we had 64 groups when we were only half way”

“In the province Kagadi we’ve experienced that while the target for the two year running of the project was to establish 40 FFLG groups, we had 64 groups when we were only half way. That is the ultimate indicator that it is a success. The fact that the organisations are using the FLLG model shows that it is a valuable contribution which can be carried on and spread when the project is finished”, says Per Rasmussen.

Facts

• In the Kagadi province The National Organic Association Denmark works with the organization Uganda Rural Development & Training Program (URDT) working for better living conditions for the rural population.
• The National Organic Association Denmark has worked with Family Farmer Leaning Groups in Uganda and Tanzania through the past nine years.
• Through the different projects and approximate of 125,000 people spread over 18,000 family farms has made contacts through the FFLG model.

You can read more about the Projects here (in Danish)
Source: Maskinbladet