ShambaJijini Summit

"Regenerative farming means to farm with more output than input."

Silke Bollmohr is an expert in food safety. Her work supports the advocacy around toxic pesticide use in Kenya and its impact on human and environmental health. She currently works in various African countries to scientifically support awareness creation on issues related to pesticides. Through her permaculture expertise she promotes alternatives to pesticides.

"I see a bright future for Kenya in the direction of regenerative farming."

John is a part-time lecturer at Tangaza University College teaching chemistry. He has also had experience as an urban farmer, growing greenhouse tomatoes, capsicums and also reared poultry for eggs. He has also ventured briefly into medium-scale farming of potatoes.

He has also grown vegetables in small spaces around his apartment which cut on their food budget costs. His interest going forward is to produce compost from kitchen waste to use to grow vegetables thereby reducing waste. Currently, he is also a researcher working on technologies of removing agricultural nutrients from wastewater for reuse in agriculture.

Silke and John give us some information on food safety issues on vegetables and fruits. They talk about the impact of pesticides on our health and on the environment. As not all vegetables require the same amount of pesticides, Silke explains which vegetables we should grow ourselves and which ones we can buy from the supermarket.