Farming plays a key role in providing livelihoods in most African countries – both through formal and informal employment.

Conventional agriculture, also known as industrial agriculture, has been widely promoted to increase crop yield through the use of synthetic fertilisers and use of other synthetic inputs. These have negative consequences for human and environmental health. In livestock production, practices such as confined animal feeding operations, generate significant detrimental environmental impacts. And in crop production, the use of intensive tillage disturbs soil structure, damaging its ability to retain water and making terrains vulnerable to erosion.

Over the years, there have been concerns raised about the links between conventional agriculture and increased greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change, as well as its contribution to soil erosion, water pollution and threats to human health caused by overuse of chemical inputs.

In contrast, organic farming has a smaller carbon footprint, conserves and builds soil health, replenishes natural ecosystems for cleaner water and air, and generates nutritious and clean food, without toxic synthetic pesticide residues.

Organic agriculture is an agricultural system that uses ecologically based pest control and biological fertilisers derived largely from animal and plant wastes and nitrogen-fixing cover crops. It aims to enhance biodiversity and contribute to good health outcomes.

With climate change impacts such as floods and droughts experienced in many countries, the need to convert to organic agriculture and agroecology as sustainable farming systems is inevitable.

Steps to Convert to Organic Agriculture

Manage your soils

• Eliminate Synthetic Chemicals: Stop using synthetic fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. Organic agriculture uses natural inputs including compost, green manure and organic fertilisers to enhance soil fertility.
• Build up Soil Structure: Use cover crops, crop rotations, composting, and other organic matter to improve soil fertility and structure.
• Analyse your soil:  Understand the nutrient levels of the soil, analyse it for pH, and organic matter content. This will inform on the levels of fertilisation needed as well as soil improvement strategies.

 Pest and Weed Management

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Use natural methods such as biological control, crop rotation and mechanical methods (like tillage and hand weeding) to control pests and weeds.
• Biodiversity: Growing diverse crops and creating habitats for beneficial insects can help naturally manage pest populations.

 Crop Rotation and Diversity

• Implement Crop Rotation: Rotate crops to improve soil health and reduce the buildup of pests and diseases. Diverse planting helps maintain soil fertility and reduces the need for synthetic inputs.
• Intercropping: Planting different crops together can improve biodiversity, reduce pest outbreaks, and optimize space and nutrient use.

 Water Management

• Efficient Irrigation: Implement water-conserving irrigation systems like drip irrigation or rainwater harvesting to minimize water waste.
• Avoid Water Contamination: Prevent contamination of water sources with synthetic chemicals or untreated animal waste.

Anticipated Challenges

• Yield Reduction: As the soil transitions from synthetic chemicals to organic fertilisers, you may experience reduced yields at the beginning, but as the system balances gains are made both with productivity and through cost savings on expensive external inputs.
• Labor-Intensive: Organic farming typically requires more manual labour for tasks such as weeding and soil management until the system is in balance.

Read more on how to convert to organic farming from the Namibian Organic Association by clicking the link below:

Author: Rabecca Mwila

Rabecca Mwila is a passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. With a background in climate change and communications, she has spent years telling the untold stories of the realities of climate change, environmental and climate injustices and how they affect vulnerable communities in Africa and beyond.