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By: Wilmot Konah /0555666441/0775793638 /[email protected]
The European Institute for Cooperation and Development (IECD), in partnership with local agriculture stakeholders, is making strides to empower smallholder farmers in Liberia with sustainable agro-ecological practices. These practices aim to improve food security, enhance soil fertility, and ultimately create a pathway to sustainable food production across the country.
The French-based agriculture development organization recently hosted a two-day interactive learning session at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) in Suakoko, Bong County, engaging smallholder farmers in sustainable agroecological practices to foster resilience to climate change.
The event focused on hands-on demonstrations and collaborative learning, where farmers explored essential topics like soil health improvement, organic pest management, water conservation, and crop rotation. IECD’s experts guided farmers through practical exercises, allowing them to experiment with techniques and share insights from their own experiences.
Participants learned innovative techniques to convert animal waste into organic fertilizers, a sustainable approach to enrich soil and enhance crop productivity. This also helps to reduce the overutilization of chemical fertilizers amid a hike in prices.
Remarking at the end of the two-day interactive session, IECD Technical Assistant Youssouf Toure admonished the participants to utilize the hands-on knowledge and at the same time re-echoed the institution’s commitment to building the capacity of local farmers in Liberia and assisting the government’s food security agenda.
He disclosed that IECD will have similar training in November and December of this year. “We will appreciate it if farmers that are here today share the knowledge with other farmers who were not allowed to be here. Organic fertilizers are very good for farming. It improves your crop quality and promotes healthy consumption’’. Youssouf Toure emphasized. George Cooper, a local farmer residing in Gbarngai Town expressed that this knowledge represents a “sustainable alternative” to conventional fertilizers, highlighting that the process not only lowers input costs but also promotes environmentally friendly practices.
As a previous beneficiary of the IECD training, George outlined success stories since venturing into applying organic fertilizers. “Since IECD taught me how to use organic fertilizers, everything has been smooth for my farming. I’m not using chemical fertilizers like before. I’m now transforming my pigs’ manure into organic fertilizers. It is really good.” George Cooper recounted.
The training brought together over thirty participants and technical specialists from the Central Agriculture Research Institute and IECD.
IECD’s initiatives are particularly timely, as Liberia faces challenges in achieving food security due to limited access to modern farming resources and fluctuating environmental conditions. The organization’s commitment to helping smallholder farmers develop sustainable agricultural practices is expected to increase crop yields and boost household incomes across rural Liberia.
