|
|
Rural
inhabitants involved in commercial agriculture are usually dependent upon their crops as their sole income and thus are in
an unsuitable position to negotiate prices. With an undependable income, these farmers are unable to invest in their farms.
Kenyan farmers are often not able to buy fertilizer, pesticides or lay irrigation lines. A lack of basic
tools has ensured years of poor quality or quantity harvests, leading to further financial instability of the small farmer
and his rural community. Due to income instability, many Kenyan farmers’ children do not attend school,
yet work in the fields furthering the poverty cycle.
 |
|
|
|
- To improve the quality and quantity of of crops cultivated
by providing small share farmers the access to tools to produce a better crop yield annually;
- To
further push farmers up the Kenyan agri-business value chain by providing capacity building in better business practices;
and
- To contribute to ensuring children's complete education in rural farming communities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
- Be a small crop farmer (less than five acres);
- Be interested and willing to change their system of cultivation to meet organic
and fair trade standards;
- Commit to keeping their children
enrolled in school through completion of secondary school; and
- Commit
not to employing any children (under seventeen years) on their farms.
|
Agriculture: Several
cash crops need an estimated annual rainfall of 1,500 to 3,000 mm. The pattern of rainy
and dry periods is important for growth, budding and flowering. Rainfall requirements depend on the retention
properties of the soil, atmospheric humidity and cloud cover, as well as cultivation. The Kenya highlands
--our pilot program site-- receives only an estimated 1,200 mm of rain a year. While irrigation levels
vary, all farmers interviewed did not irrigate their farms, which is a significant contributing factor as to why their harvests
are not abundant.
Many farmers do not fertilize
regularly due to the high cost of manufactured fertilizers. To ensure that crops grow properly and produce high yields, plants
need to be fertilized regularly; ideally every three months. To produce higher quality coffee, farmers need to consistently
provide their crops with essential vitamins and nutrients via the use of fertilizers. The key elements
that need to be present in the soil to produce strong coffee are Nitrates, Phosphorus and Potassium. We will provide
organic fertilizer as well as training on how to develop it, and why and when to use which fertilizer. The three main organic
fertilizers will be made available: cattle manure, organic compost and potash.
Coffee Connections: In addition to harsh growing conditions, the farmers are left producing a commodity that is essentially
no different from any other coffee product, and are forced to accept low prices for sales. Because coffee prices float on
the international market, small farmers are at the world market's mercy. With an undependable income, these farmers are unable
to invest in their production process. African coffee farmers are often not able to buy fertilizer, pesticides or lay irrigation
lines. A lack of basic tools has ensured years of poor quality or quantity harvests, leading to further financial instability
of the small farmer and his rural community. Livelihoods Development: Training will be offered to teach farmers about the international cash crops market, in order for
them to better understand their industry, their role in the supply chain and their negotiation power based on cultivation
practices. Training will include education on the concepts and consumer demand of “fair-trade”
and “organic”, in order for farmers to better understand the justification for our programmatic procedures.
To further assist the farmers in pushing their crops up the value chain,
we will apply to have the farms certified organic, and fair-trade, and abide by rain-forest alliance processes, to illustrate
to socially responsible consumers the social, economic and environmental attributes of their retail sales.
Education: A key part of our program is to ensure children stay in school and receive a quality education.
All farmers benefiting from our program will be required not to employ children (paid or unpaid) as farm hands during
school days/hours. All laborers will be registered, including their ages, and farms will be monitored to ensure this policy.
Farmers will register all immediate child dependants and will be required to ensure their children are in school through the
completion of secondary school (seventeen years old). Rural Development Connections will work in coordination with the Ministry
of Education, and education-focused NGOs to monitor the quality of education being provided in the local schools and provide
the school with any additional resources required.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
