Organic farming gains foothold in Senegal

In the developed world, organic foods are trendy and often expensive. In Senegal, a group of farmers growing food without pesticides or chemicals say it is good for the earth. They say their products can stand up against traditionally grown vegetables not just in quality, but in price, too.

Under the midday sun, farmers draw water from the well to keep plants healthy during the dry season. What they will not put into the soil, though, are industrial fertilizers. On this organic farm, some of the most productive workers are not even human, says farmer Cheikh Sen. The papaya tree roots work the soil, he says, providing nutrients. And instead of using pesticides, farmers try to attract more help from the skies above. Sen says the birds come and eat insects that might otherwise ruin crops.

These farmers on the outskirts of Thies made a choice to grow without chemicals. And their products have found a market, albeit a small one. Every Saturday, their crops are hauled into town for Senegal’s only regular weekly organic market. It is run by Agrecol Afrique, a local NGO advocating locally-grown organic foods. Agrecol’s Mossane Ndour Gning says growers and customers meet to work out prices, "If prices are out of reach of many people, then there will be an elite that can afford it and the rest will be left behind." Market-goer Aissatou Gueye says prices here are not expensive and the food is healthier.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization in the capital Dakar has been promoting growing healthy food for several years, adapting the techniques of organic farmers for urban dwellers. Though the organic movement is still small, the FAO’s Aminata Mbaye says there is a growing consciousness among Senegalese about what is in their food. "It is obvious that if people have the means, they want the best quality," she said.

VOA