European Tribune - Comments - Family gardens, school gardens and urban gardening against the actual food crisis

Family gardens, school gardens and urban gardening against the actual food crisis | 21 comments (21 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: gardening against the actual food crisis (4.00 / 5)

Thanks Helen. You are completely right : the recent "Green Revolution"in the drylands of Malawi is at least partly due to small-scale horticulture by the rural population. NGOs play a very important role in this (r)evolution. Their successes should inspire donors, and not only the largest ones,to provide substantial financial aid for duplication of these "best practices" at the largest national and even international scale.

Food aid can only be a temporary relief, because it is never eliminating the causes of the drought catastrophe. Think at my variant of the Chinese proverb : "Don't bring these people food, teach them how to grow it".

Prof. Dr. Willem Van Cotthem Beeweg 36 - B 9080 Zaffelare (Belgium)

by willem vancotthem (willem.vancotthem@gmail.com) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 03:34:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: gardening against the actual food crisis (none / 0)

One of the stories that hangs in the back of my mind from years ago is that of an ecologist who discovered a bush bean in Central America that not only produces a nutritious bean crop, but provides a microclimate for the growth of other crops such as maize and, when they have been cropped, provide food for goats which then fertilize the area for next years cycle.

Was this a figment of my imagination ?

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue May 6th, 2008 at 01:55:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: gardening against the actual food crisis (none / 0)

Hello Helen. Sorry for the delay of this reply, caused by a busy schedule. A number of crops (beans, peas, etc.) belong to the leguminous plants, known for their ability to stock nitrogen from the air and to transform it into proteins, which are then broken down to nitrates, fertilizing the soil. Such nitrogen fixating crops are very useful indeed. They should be grown at a larger scale to fertilize the soil, particularly in the drylands. So, it is not your imagination !

Prof. Dr. Willem Van Cotthem Beeweg 36 - B 9080 Zaffelare (Belgium)

by willem vancotthem (willem.vancotthem@gmail.com) on Sun May 11th, 2008 at 05:59:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Family gardens, school gardens and urban gardening against the actual food crisis | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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