SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE (SAFSI)

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Initiative (SAFSI) is a unique economic and social upliftment program that combines sound agricultural principles with economic farming techniques that are compatible with rural African traditions, expectations and lifestyle. 

SAFSI promotes bio-intensive agriculture, locally available crops, organic compost materials, crop diversification and efficient planting. Bio-intensive agriculture is a much more viable option for most rural areas than chemical based farming. The latter requires expensive chemicals and fertilizers and is not sustainable. Conversely, SAFSI’s organic agricultural system is a sustainable option in developing countries because it offers a unique combination of low external-input technology, environmental conservation and input/output efficiency.

In Africa, isolated organic farming techniques are often practiced. There is a general lack of an integrated approach to soil regeneration and crop protection which would otherwise optimize the benefits of locally available natural resources.

SAFSI is a farming system that preserves biodiversity, natural resource management and soil fertility improvement, using sound ecological principles. It offers farmer-oriented technical training in proven sustainable farming techniques modeled on traditional agricultural practices. It optimizes irrigation and the management of safe water resources.

SAFSI supports women in agriculture: The role of women is crucial in agricultural production and for improved livelihood. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, 37 percent of rural households are headed by women, despite the fact that women have less access to land than men do.

When women own land, their holdings tend to be smaller and located in more marginal areas. SAFSI’s 1 hectare based production system is compatible with these realities and physical capabilities – thereby offering a viable solution. As the livelihood of the majority of people in the poorer areas of rural Africa is being threatened increasingly by the rapid depletion on natural resources, SAFSI offers the development of indigenous value-added enterprises that encourage more specialized and profitable agricultural products.

SAFSI is a systematic approach to ecosystem management and food production. We have made significant achievements in developing alternatives to conventional agriculture methods. Environmental protection and good natural resource management are keys to sustainability. Declining soil fertility is the greatest problem affecting African farmers' ability to produce enough food for their families. Soil regeneration is the key to sustainable development and is a key feature that distinguishes SAFSI from many previous endeavors.

SAFSI offers the prospect of ongoing food production, with daily produce, throughout the year. It is an ongoing, sustainable, agricultural project that is actually focused primarily on people – empowerment, promoting progress, eliminating poverty and malnutrition, and achieving sustainable environmental utilization and protection. The effort-derived economic benefits of SAFSI offer the opportunity for social upliftment by building self-esteem and prosperity through manageable projects that achieve measurable success.