News

Anglicans from Uganda, Kenya and South Africa took part in an Interfaith workshop “The International  on Faith- based Farming and Sustainable Land Management” in  Mukono , Uganda. Close to 100 religious leaders from nine African countries gathered to discuss the crisis of food security and how faith communities can respond. It was fitting that the gathering took place in Uganda, which faces severe environmental degradation leading to food insecurity. God  blessed  Uganda, known as the  ‘Pearl of Africa’  with fertile soil, regular rain twice a year   and the waters of Lake Victoria teeming with fish. And God said ‘It is good’. But sadly humans have not cared for this garden they were given and now Uganda faces severe environmental challenges. At independence in 1962 the population was 5 million , and over the last 50 years it has swollen to  35 million.  As the population grows so land is reducing – an area with 30 land titles in the 1960s may now have as many as 10,000 land titles. The forests are being chopped down at an alarming rate – each year an estimated 92000 hectares are lost.  The teeming waters of Lake Victoria are being polluted and many fishing companies do not consider the fish safe to eat. The famous tilapia fish which used to be caught the size of your forearm is now often not much larger than your hand.  The land is being denuded and subsistence farmers who make up 90% of the agriculture , are facing dropping yields. 30% of the country is now classified as ‘severely degraded”. Farmers are moving increasingly into marginal lands such as mountain slopes and wetlands. These environmental challenges are being severely worsened by climate change , as the once regular rainfalls have become insecure, leading to heavy floods and periods of drought. So how can the church respond to the challenges in Uganda and other parts of Africa? Anglicans took part in the interfaith workshop organized by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, taking place in Mukono, Uganda.  The workshop focussed on conservation strategies such as “God’s way of farming’ which promotes a low tillage natural fertilizer method. Africa needs to double its food production to meet population demands by 2050. Farmers are being tempted by GM (genetically modified) seeds which promise miraculous increases in yield, but tie you in to purchasing seeds from multi-nationals rather than using indigenous seeds.  The problem is not the seeds – the problem is the land. Overgrazing, chopping down of forests, use of pesticides, all of these methods have destroyed the life of the soil and led to reduced yields. Conservation farming is seen as one of the best ways for smallholder farmers to improve their yields significantly and to reduce dependency on expensive externals such as fertilizer and  pesticides. All the religious leaders, with two abstentions agreed to reject a proliferation of Genetically Modified Seeds in Africa on World Food Day. Rev Dr Rachel Mash is the Environmental Coordinator of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, attending the “ International Workshop  on Faith- based Farming and Sustainable Land Management” in  Mukono , Uganda The workshop was attended by religious leaders from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Cameroon,

  Uganda – the Pearl of Africa  – is home to some of the most beautiful forests in Africa. Uganda was blessed with a near perfect climate , rains twice yearly. However due to population growth, the forests are being destroyed at alarming rates. Many areas that were densely forested have become denuded. One such area is the Diocese of  Bunyoro Kitara in Uganda in near to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bishop Nathan Kyamanywa, known as the “Bishop of the Trees”  had the vision of reforesting his Diocese and set up a programme with the support of the Alliance for Religions and Conservation.  The Mothers Union have taken up the dream of  a green Diocese. MU members were trained by foresters to plant the seeds, do the potting, and care for seedlings. They also learned entrepreneur skills. Once the beds have been prepared, the women are given seeds, either hard wood such as mahogany, or fast growers such as eucalyptus or pine. Six parishes are involved in the project , which involves over 100 women. Once the seedlings have grown the trees are distributed to the community . Hard wood trees such a mahogany since they take 80 years to grow to maturity. Fast growers are distributed in the community. A small percentage of the sales cost  goes to the women involved in the project. Since the project started 18 months ago, they have managed to plant 35000 trees and another 35000 seedlings are being grown. In the Diocese, when a child is baptized or confirmed the family must plant a tree as a symbol of their spiritual growth and care for God’s creation. “This project is very nice because our area was formally a forested area, but it has become deforested. I get so encouraged when I see people planting a forest again! It makes the Mother Union proud to know that their organization is making a difference” Rev Kavuya Joram Rev Kavuya Joram is  attending the international workshop on Faith- based farming and sustainable land mananagement in  Mukono , Uganda.

  Climate change is impacting the most vulnerable people in Africa, subsistence farmers. As soil becomes more degraded and yields fail, farmers move into more land, which poses a growing  threat in terms of deforestation. The Anglican Church in Kenya has embraced “Farming God’s Way ” as a way to improve food security. This methodology of faith based agriculture started 30 years ago in Zimbabwe and has spread to 20 countries. In the face of climate change it is becoming a very important strategy. It is based on theological principles learned from God, the first farmer! Farming is seen as part of worship and should be done in a way that honours God. The value of God’s creation is emphasized in the protection of the eco-system.  The soil is disturbed as little as possible to protect worms and micro organisms (minimal tillage). Mulch is used (God’s blanket) to preserve water and release nutrients into the soil.  Trees are grown to produce natural fertilisers and soil and natural pollinators such as bees , butterflies and birds are attracted to the system once pesticides are no longer used. The Anglian Church of Kenya and Uganda has embraced Farming God’s Way in order to break the yoke of food insecurity. “I am the  regional development coordinator of  the Anglican Development  Services , Mount Kenya (five Dioceses) , in partnership with  the Alliance for Religions and Conservation. We  selected the area with the most degraded soils for this project.  We train in “farmers field schools”, firstly, trainers of trainers (TOTs) are selected who mentor nine farmers each. Exposure visits are arranged since seeing in believing. We have had a lot of success, their yields have increased. The demand has been overwhelming.  We began with 500 households and have upscaled to 3500 households! One farmer shared how before doing Farming Gods way he used to get one bag of maize from half an acre and when he used this method his yield increased to ten bags”– Kennedy Gichira – Anglican Development Services – Mount Kenya Kennedy Gichira is attending the  International workshop on Faith Based Farming and Sustainable Land Management in Mukono Uganda, hosted by the Alliance for Religions and Conservation