Using Agriculture to Restore Degraded Ecosystems

Global warming has already fundamentally altered weather patterns in Kenya, causing too much rainfall at some moments and too little at others. This destabilisation of established ecological factors and changing farming practices have left nearly 80% of the country's agricultural land eroded and nutrient depleted. Recent studies have shown that 12-15% of the country’s total land area, which sustains 27% of the population, is suffering from severe degradation. 

Alongside changing weather patterns driven by rising global temperatures, this degradation is driven by deforestation, overgrazing, and unsustainable land use practices such as overusing fertilizers, up-down hill plowing, and development along rivers and lakes. A government-supported fertiliser subsidy was first introduced in 2008, which made chemical fertilisers more accessible for smaller-scale farmers. Their wide-scale application has perpetuated issues of degradation and established a system of overreliance that impacts smallholder farmers struggling to make a living. 

This degradation has a direct impact on the outputs from the land. Kenya’s agricultural ministry found that 63% of all arable land is now acidic, directly affecting maize production, which fell 4% in 2022. 

Overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides has also harmed populations of birds and insects that historically served to control pest populations. This has led to an increase in the presence of insect pests, which can cause yield losses of up to 91%. 

The Haller team works with smallholder farmers to provide them with alternative solutions to chemical fertilisers and pesticides to improve their yield outputs while restoring the health of degraded soils and damaged ecosystems. 

One smallholder farmer described the challenges he faced before Haller’s intervention. He was struggling to spread out the demand for water between his crops, animals, and household needs, as well as battling against an influx of pests such as striped beetles which damaged his outputs. 

The Haller team in Kenya has taught him how to make and use compost to improve soil health and boost yields. Before he began work with the Haller team he used to throw away his cow and chicken manure, but this now forms the basis for the production of organic fertiliser. The Haller team has also provided education around the creation of natural pesticides, to protect his crops from pests and protect precious yields. 

The increased levels of production have enabled him to generate money by selling vegetables, a valuable source of additional income that can be reinvested into his farm or support his family. 

All of the techniques the Haller team has helped him learn and implement can be found on the award-winning Haller Farmers app, used by smallholder farmers around the world to improve their yields and restore degraded ecosystems.