Kenya to host African continental conference on organic farming

NAIROBI, June 14  — Kenya will host an inaugural African continental conference next week to discuss farming systems to mitigate climate change and other ecological challenges, organizers said on Friday.

David Amudavi, lead researcher and executive director of Bio-vision Africa Trust, one of the organizers, said the conference, dubbed International Conference on Agroecology, the first to be held in the horn of Africa, will bring together more than 200 agricultural experts.

Topics will include the dangers of genetically modified organisms and strategies for increasing the uptake of organic initiatives in Africa.

“The conference will converge participants including farmers, scientists, policymakers and organic business entrepreneurs from various countries to discuss a way forward on how to substantially and sustainably reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in the African continent,” Amudavi told journalists in Nairobi.

The June 18-21 conference will facilitate the establishment of “truly sustainable food and agriculture systems in the continent,” Amudavi said.
“The conference will further provide a platform for discussions on how to enhance ecological trade in the region and transform agricultural and food systems in Africa,” he said. – XINHUA