Crops

An agricultural extension worker (left) in discussion with rice farmers in northern Tanzania. Photo: Farm Africa / Jon Spaull

Agriculture is Africa’s biggest employer. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 60% of the population are smallholder farmers, yet yields are a third to a half of their potential¹, trapping many rural communities in poverty.

Farm Africa brings in simple but effective technologies, such as:

small-scale irrigation schemes
seeds for drought-tolerant crops
disease-resistant native crops.

Farming the future

We prove that good farming, backed by strong marketing of produce and sustainable management of ecosystems, is a lasting way out of poverty.

In programmes around eastern Africa, we help smallholder farmers:

adapt to the changing climate
practice sustainable agriculture
manage natural resources effectively.

With training from our staff in eastern Africa, farmers are doubling and tripling their harvests as they adopt better seeds, methods and soil improvers.

We focus on climate-smart agriculture and regenerative agriculture approaches. Practices such as mulching, organic composting and diverse cover crops build soil fertility and organic carbon stocks.

Boosting productivity and conserving soil health reduce pressure on forests, rangelands and drylands by reducing the need for agricultural expansion, and make farming viable for people who only have access to small plots of land.

Moses Mbogo, a farmer and village-based advisor taking part in the Regenerative Agriculture Project in Embu County at his maize and climbing beans farm.

After I was enrolled by Farm Africa as a village-based advisor, we underwent training on regenerative agriculture practices that would improve the fertility of our soils and increase our yields. We were then required to train other farmers in our village on the same.

Moses, Embu County, Kenya