Celebrating World Food Day 2014

By Teresa Ndirangu

The world food day is celebrated every year in the month of October. This year the celebration was done on October 16, 2014.The Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN), Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), Earth Oil Limited and other grantees of United Nations Development Program Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF SGP) from Laikipia County joined other stakeholders for the World Food Day celebration.

The function which was attended by more than 400 community members was held at Mr. Kimotho’s farm, Mirera ward, Laikipia County. More than 10 different institutions from government and non-governmental organizations exhibited their products and services. 

Farmers at KOAN/Earth-oil Stand

 The theme of this year’s World Food Day was Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth through Family Farming.   The expectation is that, in the 21st century family farming should promote practices that will reduce or eradicate hunger and poverty.  The result hence should be food security and nutrition, improved livelihoods, proper management of natural resources, protecting the environment, and therefore sustainable development.

Among the exhibitors was the Ministry of Agriculture, livestock and fisheries   (MOALF) which was also the main organizer of the event. They demonstrated different activities like soil harvesting, good animals husbandry and value addition.

 KOAN and Earth Oil jointly attended the world food day and exhibited on the same stand. The massage that they had was in line with the day’s theme.  They were promoting organic production which is safe, economical, sustainable and environmentally friendly. Earth Oil exhibited samples of tea tree production and the products made by Tea Tree oil. They emphasized on the benefits of organic tea tree production especially in semi arid areas like Laikipia. KOAN gave general information about organic farming and literature. 

ALIN exhibited various services and also trained farmers on the following: Keeping farm records, ALIN/UNDP GEF SGP project, climate change mitigation and adaptation mechanisms and about SOKO+.

Another exhibitor was Soil Kit. They demonstrated to farmers the important of soil testing. Other exhibitors included; solar company promoting solar lamps and chargers and women groups doing value addition. 

The event proved to be informative to most farmers. The KOAN/Earth Oil stand was a buzz of activities as many farmers visited their stand to inquire about organic farming both for Tea Tree and other food crop production. More than 75 percent of those who visited the stand requested for more information on how to register with Earth Oil with some promising to do a follow up by visiting Earth Oil offices in Nanyuki.

Earthoil Staff capacity built on Internal Control System (ICS)

Earthoil Company Limited works with smallholder farmers in Nanyuki. They promote production of organic Tea Tree by contracting farmers. The organization staff members are required by Organic Standard to be trained annually on issues concerning organic certification.

Mr. Jack Juma and Mrs. Teresa Ndirangu from KOAN took the Earthoil staff members through different areas that need critical attention for organic certification. Some of the areas covered included; documentation needed in each farmers file and how it should be organized, planning for inspections especially when starting a new round of inspections, documents to bring for inspections and informing farmers of inspection.

Other issues covered included; inspecting mostly non compliant farmers, sanctions to give, tips for an effective internal inspection and documents to fill or update during and after inspection.

They were also trained on how they can plan for extension visits, purpose of extension visits, what to do during such visits and the duration that it should take to come up with inspection documents. They were also taken through buffer-zone around organic plots, what other projects do and the easy way to fulfill such requirements.

Earthoil staff members noted after the training on the need to improve on farm diaries to farmers’ record keeping.

Some of the issues agreed upon after the capacity building training included; starting random inspections by the manager, consolidation of internal inspection days so as to increase number of extension days, Integrating gender issues in the day to day work of the organization, properly planning for last internal inspections after knowing when the external inspection will take place, to standardize about the buffer zones and to be inviting KOAN during audit times as observers.

By Teresa Ndirangu

The Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) through support from the United Nations Development Program Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF SGP) organized a one (1) day training on Internal Control System (ICS) on October 17, 2014 at Old House Nanyuki, Laikipia County for seven (five male and two female) staff members of Earthoil Company Ltd.

Participants after training