Mr. Jean-Marie Irakabaho, a Master Trainer under the Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement (ROAM) network for the KCOA-KHEA Project, has been a dedicated advocate of organic agriculture since 2007. His journey began with a series of advanced trainings in countries such as Sweden, Uganda, and South Africa, which deepened his expertise and passion for sustainable farming.
Inspired by these experiences, he founded his own consulting company; POSADA (Promoting Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Development in Africa) in September 2009. Through POSADA, he has since been actively engaged in organic agriculture development, capacity building, certification, and market linkages across the region.
His Journey as a Master Trainer under the KCOA Project
In 2020, Jean-Marie was selected as one of the Six Master Trainers to participate in a Training of Teams of Facilitators (ToToF) organized by IFOAM-Organics International and supported by BMZ through GIZ under the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Africa (KCOA) Project.
In his role, he has supported ROAM the CIP Under the KHEA Hub in:
- Training multipliers and farmers
- Developing knowledge products and documenting success stories
- Supporting the establishment of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS)
His work continues to play a key role in strengthening agroecology capacity in Rwanda.
Inspiration: Bringing Organic Farming Home
In 2025, while attending the 2nd East African Agroecology Conference in Nairobi, Kenya organised by Biovision Africa Trust in Kenya and other partners, Jean-Marie visited the innovative Farming Wonder farm. There, he encountered a transformative idea; multi-storey urban gardening, a technique that allows farmers to grow diverse crops in limited space.
Inspired by what he saw, he realized that even small urban spaces could be turned into productive gardens capable of supplying both household nutrition and surplus for the market.
To better understand the multi-storey urban gardening model, kindly refer to a practical learning resource, including the demonstration from Farming Wonder-a farm that he visited:
Motivated to put theory into practice, Jean Marie purchased materials and, upon returning to Rwanda, used these learnings to establish his own urban garden at home.
Today, his garden produces a variety of organic vegetables, including:
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Amaranth
- Onions
- Beetroot
- Tomatoes
- Strawberries
This initiative has significantly improved his household diet while reducing expenses on purchasing vegetables.
Challenges Encountered
Despite the success, the journey was not without challenges.
One major limitation was the availability of materials. The specific materials used to construct the multi-storey garden were sourced from Kenya and are not readily available in Rwanda, making it difficult for others in his community to replicate the model.
Additionally, pest and disease management posed a challenge. However, Jean-Marie applied agroecological solutions by:
1. Using push-and-pull practices
See links to access the different Knowledge products on the push pull approach;
- https://kcoa-africa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Push-Pull-Technology-for-Vegetables-Poster-by-Sylvia-Kuria.pdf.pd
- kcoa-africa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Climate-push-pull-system-for-Stemborer-management-in-maize1.mp4
- Push-Pull-Technology.pdf
2. Preparing plant-based extracts for pest control
See links to access the different Knowledge products on the pest control approaches;
- Use-of-banana-trunk-to-control-pests.pdf
- Organic-liquid-pesticide-based-on-pesticidal-plants-marigolds-papaya-leaves-and-vernonia-leaves-for-cabbage-pests-control.pptx
- https://kcoa-africa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Use-of-Garlicpepper-and-Eucalyptus-mixture-in-pest-control-as-repellent-spray.pdf
These approaches proved effective in maintaining a healthy and productive garden.
Key Lessons and Recommendations
Jean-Marie’s experience offers valuable lessons for urban households and aspiring agroecology practitioners:
- Even small spaces can be transformed into productive food systems
- Urban gardening enhances diet diversity and nutrition
- Growing your own food ensures access to safe, chemical-free produce
- It helps reduce household food expenses
- Organic practices are practical and scalable even in urban settings
He encourages more people to rethink how they use their home spaces—not just for decoration, but for sustainable food production.
Disclaimer:
– To learn about the KCOA Project: https://kcoa-africa.org/
– To learn about the KHEA Project: https://khea-africa.org/
– For more details on this article, please reach out to pmagino@biovisionafrica.org
– See the license statement of all KCOA content: https://kcoa-africa.org/license-statement/ , which applies to all content from hubs implementing the KCOA project.
Blog story Prepared by; Serge Libaho (KHEA Project Officer-Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement(ROAM)
Edited, reviewed, and uploaded by Magino Pamella-KHEA Communications Officer-PELUM Uganda and Biovision Africa Trust Kenya.
Author: Serge LIBAHO
Agriculturist
