REPORT: Country cautioned on foreign farming methods

Tendency to embrace foreign farming methods like the use of genetically modified agricultural methods and those that promote use of chemicals that do not readily decompose coupled with the lack of necessary technology and know how to inspect their safety poses great risk to the health of Tanzanians as well as that of their environment.

The warning has issued by the Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) at a symposium to mark the Global Green Action Week in Tanzania held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

TOAM Chief Executive Officer, Jordan Gama said in this period of fast spreading ‘alien food production technologies’, there is a need for authorities to raise public awareness and commit to ensuring farmers comply with proven sustainable food production and consumption methods.

In this regard organic farming was encouraged over all other artificial chemical or genetic modification based approaches if the country is to maintain a balanced ecosystem and biodiversity that can sustain it and its future generations.

CEO Gama lamented technologies that have been associated with ongoing climate change that has threatened the wellbeing of the entire planet with African countries suffering the most from decreased aid and adverse climate changes that hurt food production.

“It is true that we need to increase food production, but it does not help if the agriculture being emphasized is not sustainable,” he said.

He urged Tanzanians to change their mindset and make sure that they do not abandon traditional green economy even if they take on new approaches to apply these old methods.

“Doing so would help mitigate the effects of climate change,” he advised.
The Director for Environment in the Vice President’s Office, Dr Julius Ningu, said the government is ready to support efforts to promote sustainable production and consumption approaches.

He said as small scale farmers produce almost 98 percent of all food, there is a need to raise their awareness and educate them on appropriate farming systems which do not destroy the environment.

“We must increase our farmers’ knowledge of the potential life threatening effects of these chemical and also train them on use of traditional organic methods in a modern sustainable manner,” he said.

TOAM is the national umbrella organization for organic agriculture. It is among many such umbrella bodies around the world that are linked through the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Its role is to coordinate and promote the development of organic farming in Tanzania.
 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN