small scale farmers

Victor Barry (above, second from the left) reflects on what it’s like to be an organic and low-carbon farmer in the UK.

I’m an organic and low-carbon farmer on Treloan Farm, in the beautiful and designated heritage coastal area on the south coast of Cornwall not far from Truro. The fields of the farm end abruptly and cliffs plunge into the sea below.

Progressio regional managers oversee five or six country programmes from the UK. Even when I travel as far as one of our country offices, I can get so bogged down in spreadsheets and visits around town that I never leave the city.

So I was particularly excited last week when I set off in a 4×4 for the town of Wedza, 200km south east of Harare. Barney Mawire, the director of our partner organisation Environment Africa, was showing me their work. Along for the ride were Lloyd Simwaka and Kevin Ndemera who are in charge of our work in Malawi and Zimbabwe.

As debate rages in Britain about the relative benefits of organic food, Progressio says that ‘going organic’ is changing the lives of poor farmers and their families across the developing world.

Following a recent report by the UK’s Food Standards Agency, which suggested that organic food has little difference in nutritional value and “no health benefits”, debate has been raging about whether organically grown produce is superior to non-organic food.

As debate rages in Britain about the relative benefits of organic food, Progressio says that ‘going organic’ is changing the lives of poor farmers and their families across the developing world.

Following a recent report by the UK’s Food Standards Agency, which suggested that organic food has little difference in nutritional value and “no health benefits”, debate has been raging about whether organically grown produce is superior to non-organic food.