Project-Driven Private Association
based on mutual cooperation between
Europe and Africa
for the beautiful life for every human, animal and plant
for the future of our children and grandchildren
based on mutual cooperation between
Europe and Africa
for the beautiful life for every human, animal and plant
for the future of our children and grandchildren
"S y m p h o n y of t h e S o i l"
On 21 June 2018, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission published a new edition of the World Atlas of Desertification, offering a tool for decision-makers to improve local responses to soil loss and land degradation.
- Over 75% of the Earth's land area is already degraded, and over 90% could become degraded by 2050.
- Globally, a total area half of the size of the European Union (4.18 million km²) is degraded annually, with Africa and Asia being the most affected.
- The economic cost of soil degradation for the EU is estimated to be in the order of tens of billions of euros annually.
- Land degradation and climate change are estimated to lead to a reduction of global crop yields by about 10% by 2050. Most of this will occur in India, China and sub-Saharan Africa, where land degradation could halve crop production.
- As a consequence of accelerated deforestation, it will become more difficult to mitigate the effects of climate change
- By 2050, up to 700 million people are estimated to have been displaced due to issues linked to scarce land resources. The figure could reach up to 10 billion by the end of this century.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180621111958.htm
O R G A N I C AGRICULTURE
provides solutions for ending soil degradation,
water and air pollution, management of CO² and other greenhouse gasses.
O R G A N I C AGRICULTURE
provides solutions for ending soil degradation,
water and air pollution, management of CO² and other greenhouse gasses.
"In this way, it would be possible to secure the provision of food for the global population even in the event of a population size above 9 billion in the year 2050; land use would not increase, and the negative effects of today's intensive nutrition system such as high nitrogen surplus levels or elevated pesticide loads would be reduced considerably. Furthermore, such a system would reduce considerably the greenhouse gas emissions from land use and the livestock systems, important drivers of climate change."
ORGANIC FARMING is the main key to healthy societies, nations, tribes and families.
Organic farming can yield up to three times as much food as a conventional farming on the same area of land, according to new findings which refute the long-standing assumption, that organic farming methods cannot produce enough food to feed the global population.
W H E R E
W H A T
H O W
W H O
W H Y
Bagamoyo, photos from 2018
Bagamoyo, photos from 2018
W H E R E
the project Living on One Acre
was born in January 2018
in BAGAMOYO settlement, SONI village, LUSHOTO tawn, TANGA region
The Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania in tropical East Africa, comprise the easternmost ranges of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The ranges of approximately 90 kilometers (56 mi) long and about half that wide, are situated in the Lushoto District of the Tanga Region. They were formed nearly two million years ago by faulting and uplifting, and are composed of Precambrian metamorphic rocks. They are split into two sub-ranges; the West Usambaras being higher than the East Usambaras, which are nearer the coast and receive more rainfall.
The mountains are clad in the virgin tropical rainforest which has been isolated for a long period and they are a center of endemism. Historically they were inhabited by Bantu, Shambaa, and Maasai people but in the eighteenth century, a Shambaa kingdom was founded by Mbegha. The kingdom eventually fell apart after a succession struggle in 1862. German colonists settled in the area which was to become German East Africa, and after World War I it became part of the British mandated territory of Tanganyika.
The mountain range was formed nearly two billion years ago. Due to a lack of glaciations and a relatively consistent climate, the rainforest has gone through a long-term and unique evolution resulting in an impressive amount of endemism and an old growth cloud rainforests.
The West and East Usambaras are large ranges of Precambrian metamorphic geologic formations of acid-gneisses, pyroxenes, and amphiboles. These mountains were formed by faulting and uplifting creating the drainage system of troughs that form many watersheds, which provide water to a majority of the population of northeast Tanzania.
The Usambara Mountains are fairly unusual in East Africa with their natural regions still covered in tropical forests, which otherwise continentally remain primarily in Western Africa. Considered tremendously significant ecologically and a Biodiversity hotspot. There are many protected zones throughout the range, which are being expanded and contributed to by the Tanzanian government, associated NGO's and research teams, and donor countries such as Norway.
Several species are endemic to the Usambara forests, including the Usambara eagle-owl (Bubo vosseleri), the Usambara akalat (Sheppardia montana), the Usambara weaver (Ploceus nicolli), the African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha), the tree species Calodendrum eickii.
Usambara Eagle-Owl, simply Kacper, photos from 2017
Historically (from textbooks) the Usambara Mountains have been inhabited by the Bantu, Shambaa, and Maasai people who were a mix of agriculturalists and pastoralists.
A Shambaa kingdom based on Vugu was founded by Mbegha in the first half of the 18th century. His grandson Kinyashi Muanga Ike gave the kingdom a stronger political and military structure. Under Kinyashi's son Kimweri ye Nyumbai the kingdom grew to cover both the west and east Usambaras, extending down to the coast and into the Pangani River valley to the south. After Kimweri died in 1862 the kingdom fell apart in a succession struggle.
From my recognition, the Shamba Kingdom or the Shambala Kingdom existed a long time before 18th century. It has been a kingdom under the matriarchal way of life which had transformed peacefully in a patriarchal system around 1600. Some spiritual leaders and natural rulers, mostly women went to Tibet to support all changes with meditation. Mama Africa culture came from that matriarchal period. The Shambaa Kindom with male principles was established around 1600-50, to defend people against European armies coming during the cold periods ( Mini Ice Age) from Europe 1650-1750-1850 to Africa for conquering a new farmland for their population. Germans, Dutch, Belgien, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Franch had arrived in the quest for food and goods. Christianity was brought to East Africa in the name of saving souls from barbarian and Islamic hell.
To love and cherish Africa is to come closer to understand what kind of changes happened on the African continent and with African climate. One needs to admit what intuitively we all feel, the climate is changing in many places but various. We are walkers on the earth, not migrants.
Myself and Gerard we've traveled in Lushoto District by bus, by motorcycle and on foot, we got assistance from Bw Msumaj, Grayson, Steven, Matt, Almasy
Photos from 2015
and we walked...for a few months, from Soni to Bumbuli, Sakarani, Mlalo, Mtae, Lukozi, Mombo, Muheza, Tanga, Pangani, Lushoto, Same, Gongija
At the end of 2016, we found a farmhouse, made of granite, with cement tiles roof, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room surrounded by an open field with ONE Acre arable land.
Photos of the farmhouse and surrounding from 2016
We have seen a drought end degradation of the of soil, cultivated by hands during a rainy season for maize (GMO) and beans (local) with limited (by finances) used of artificial nitrogen fertilizer on a one-acre arable land and we've decided to work on the transformation of the wasteland into real garden/shamba.
W H A T
All focus on the Soil
"We treat soil like dirt" -- Topsoil, Climate Change and the Collapse of Civilizations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym28_QG2U1U&index=2&list=PLk6Y6PoOiksuJLW1kadqxjuhxChT0NZew&t=38s
soil recognition, soil regeneration, soil breading
healthy soil = happy soil = healthy people = wealthy people
"We treat soil like dirt" -- Topsoil, Climate Change and the Collapse of Civilizations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym28_QG2U1U&index=2&list=PLk6Y6PoOiksuJLW1kadqxjuhxChT0NZew&t=38s
soil recognition, soil regeneration, soil breading
healthy soil = happy soil = healthy people = wealthy people
1. Water channels, irrigation, terraces.
At the beginning of January 2018, we created water channels on the whole field. The work took around three weeks and it was done by Gerard, Matt, Shambani with two younger brothers, Ramadani, Almasy.
Myself and Hajija we were cooking nutritious meals :)
In March 2018 we've bought water pipes and sprinklers, however, the long rainy season surprised us, we've had rain often from February till July.
Myself and Hajija we were cooking nutritious meals :)
In March 2018 we've bought water pipes and sprinklers, however, the long rainy season surprised us, we've had rain often from February till July.
The goal is to improve soil condition to the level that irrigation would be not needed. Watering : once per week from water deposit filed by rainy and groundwater.
Water deposit on the bottom of the field doesn't exist yet.
If you would like to visit us and support the design and the construction of a water chamber, you are very welcome!
Water deposit on the bottom of the field doesn't exist yet.
If you would like to visit us and support the design and the construction of a water chamber, you are very welcome!
contact via Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/tantraart2. Soil regeneration and soil fertility
We are going to use one tone of "Black-Gold" organic fertilizer. Cows manicure was mixed with charcoal waste in February 2018. Partially we will apply sawdust (local waste) and try different plants for intercropping and crop cover use. Organic matter is needed for soil regeneration in the Usambara Mountains. A composting toilet is not a matter of choice but necessity.
the stairs and composting hole, photos 2018
The construction of a composting toilet on Shambaa FarmGarden
will start from 01.11 2018.
It will be a great experiment so we are welcoming students, farmers, politicians, tourists everyone who loves the nature, to join us in our task.
We have timber and sawdust. Clay bricks and stones are available locally.
Matt and Almasy work on the creation of concrete tails.
WE ARE WELCOME STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, INVENTORS, ARTISTS, RESTAURATORS, HOTEL OWNERS, TEACHERS and everyone who cares about the future, to join the project.
"This trans disciplinary study investigates the potential for safely and sustainably managing human excreta by utilizing this by-product as a fertilizer via alternating batch composting toilets of a specific design. An historical analysis traces the traditional use of human excreta in cultivation, and examines the reasons for the demise of this ancient excreta management strategy in some countries. The study further explores the potential of Agricultural Sanitation providing a modem sustainable method for managing human excreta re-use in traditional settings through field research conducted in Vietnam and Northern Pakistan"
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/17390/2/Berry-whole-thesis.pdf
We can offer you a homestay on the farm. We have rooms in our house. We are preparing a small separate house, 4 rooms for guests. I am offering 3-4 meals per day. Families with children are also welcome, we can offer you a sperate house. Teenagers can use tents.
For reservation, please contact me via mail
ewaolkuska@gmail.com
* the new composting toilet needs to be operational :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLUd0veioU
3. Crop science, permaculture, food forest, cash crops and cover crops.
From March 2018 we've planted: cassava, bananas, avocados, cardamon, coffee, passion fruits, kweme and red-bush beans. We've planted Luceana trees (from seeds) to reinforce the terraces and bring more shadow for the soil.
Photos of cardamon, which we've introduced on our field in March 2018, we planted them on terraces, we used "black-gold" organic fertilizer and cows/chicken manure
In the second half of March 2018 we have planted red beans (local varieties).
10 kg of seeds were planted in separate hols, 2-3 seeds per hole in a control-area 1000m²
We've had plenty of rain in 2018 include very heavy, a stormy period in May.
Local farmers suggested the use of artificial NPK fertilizer or organic manure.
In 2015 I've met Lady Farmer from Soni-Maweni, she told me that then years ago she started to use NPK for beans and maize. After a few years, the yield began to drop down, from 100kg of beans till 40kg of beans from a land-area around 0,5 acre. Artificial fertilizer chased away most of soil microorganism. I've advised using more manure from her cows. I could not get proper manure for our Shambaa and we chose the organic way of farming. We have planted to the soil which we have found. After 105 days we have harvested 50 kg of beans (after drying it). The yield is very low but higher than from a field of Lady Farmer from Soni-Maweni. Mama Angela planted beans with maiz (intercropping), the most common cultivation of maiz and beans in Tanzania.
It seems to me that gmo-maiz is very demanding and beans could not compete with maiz
( we could research the subject in the next year 2019)
Red beans harvest from 2018
The Three Sisters method worked miracles for some millennials in South America. I've studied the subject of ancient horticulture in Spain, 2011. In the Tanzanian way of using the method, the third crop is omitted.
Pre Columbian cultures planted beans, corn and squash. They planted often on terraces and on a plateau. Fertilizer was made by human excreta, animals manure, green waste, leaves, corpses of animals (did they use corpses of humans ? perhaps, what came from the soil should go back to it).
Archeology discoveries help to understand how the ancients had grown their crops living under different climate and conditions. In 2015 I've come as a volunteer in Maweni Farm, I got the invitation to do experiments which could support organic farming and eco-agro-tourism in West Usambara, Soni. Meeting with farmers gave me a piece of information about local subsistence farming.
Organic farming, especially horticulture in changing climate has its own challenges. Before our soil will become healthy and fertile, and plants will become resistant to pests we can apply not harmful organic herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides.
The subject deserves for future study. In 2015 I've prepared and applied:
-garlic fungicide/pesticide
-cinnamon fungicide/pesticide
-eucalyptus herbicide
We are welcome everyone who would like to learn, during a holiday about the preparation and use of natural,
crop-protection products.
more information about courses via
https://www.facebook.com/Africanewacreations/
-eco-cooking
-eco-agro-tourism
-eco-food-products
-eco-clothing and beddings
Photos after cooking, on a gas cooker, or in charcoal-fire clay pots
2015 Soni-Maweni Farm
Photos of batick-workshop 2015 Dar es Salaam
Photos from 2016, Dar es Salaam
4. Transforming subsistence farming into a sustainable
agro-entrepreneurship of the arable land, 1-3 acres
Food products, food service, craft, hospitality should find consumers in local markets and abroad. An active holiday on a farm, the coconut oil production, the design of cotton cloth-table and more can successfully work for better cash-income in the farm economy.
We can do many things together and have lots of fun. I did produce a few, pure organic products and presented at the Farmers Market in Dar es Salaam
2015-2016
5. Botanical Garden around the old house.
In 2015 I was searching for wild African Violet, but I did not find one plant. Saintpaulia ionantha perish from West Usambara. African violet, anthurium, ferns, rhododendrons, philodendrons, snack plant, golden photos I found in clay pots around farmhouses in Soni. Many of Usambara plants can purified air in apartments.
In 1882 Adalbert Emil Walter Redliffe le Tanneux von St. Paul-Ilaire (known as Baron Walter), the Governor of the Usambara District of German East Africa, collected seed and plants of a small herb which were sent to Hermann Wendland, Director of the Berlin Royal Botanic Garden. Wendland cultivated the plants and recognized them as representing a new species in a new genus, Saintpaulia ionantha, with the English common name African violet. In the generic name. Saintpaulia he recognized von St. Paul-Ilaire; the specific name he assigned means violet (Gr. ion) flower (Gr. anthos). In their native Usambara Mountains cloudforests, the plants are threatened with extinction.
My colection of airpiurifaing plants from Usambara, photos 2015
Botanical Garden, a part of the project, in Bagamoyo-Soni is evolving. We need to
-obtain more land, around our houses, is another 2 acres of old garden,
-be accepted by the local community,
-get support -perhaps from You for :
soil renewal, planting materials, design, and realization
If you would like to become a partner in that part or in the whole project, please send a message.
ewaolkuska@gmail.com
5. The Library
(the description I will be published soon)
6. Communities, farmers association, education, cultural life on the village.
W H O
Ewa & Gerard
Poland Holland
the originators of the project
Mama na Bwana
Gerard: the memento about the SOIL
Organic re-vitalization of depleted agricultural soils in the West Usambara Mountains in North East Tanzania: A Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) project.
Soil is the interface between Geology and biology, formed by live forces from the universe, evolving and changing with climate cycles over millions of years. Soils are complex and mysterious collectives of live forms, composed of biological live, constantly interacting with minerals and the elements, sustaining millions of living organisms. Soil is the natural resource which made it possible for civilisations to flourish and after being over exploited by humans are rendered unproductive, hence via starvation soils are responsible for the downfall of those civilisations. Our civilisation started to explore space before we knew the merits and limitations of our most valuable natural resource, right under our feet, soil. We have always taken our soils for granted, used them till they are exhausted and new areas are opened up for cultivation, in order to feed our fast-growing cities. We are running out of new virgin soils, before we even know exactly what soil is composed off, over 50 % of the organisms active in soil are not yet known to man. We refer to the complex and mysterious collective of living organisms in soil. We refer to all soil-live, simply as organic matter, we know only a few soil fungi like mycorrhizae, bacteria like rhizobium and organisms a little higher on the soil-food chain; protozoa.
From these known microorganisms, we are just beginning to understand their live cycles, functions and the cooperation they achieve with plants and indeed our food crops. We slash and burn, killing known and unknown organisms pertaining to biological live in the topsoil. On slopes the burned topsoil is left vulnerable for the sun, wind and water erosion, we further enhance erosion of our soils by ploughing up and down mountains and into valleys. We lower the organic matter content of our soils and hence lower infiltration rates, enhance runoff, reduce water storage capacity and moister retention. The above-mentioned treatment of soils calls for intensive cultivation methods; heavier machinery and tied irrigation schedules. This in turn results in soil compaction, salination and drainage problems, leading to degradation and deterioration of the internal soil structure. After world war II, my generation, the baby boomers, came with the so-called ‘Green Revolution’ focussing on production increase only, no matter the costs! With the arrival of cheap synthetic or chemical fertilisers, the up to then limiting plant nutrient nitrogen became available in abundance for crops and production levels doubled, even tripled. Hybrids and composites arrived on the seed market, combined with mono-cropping and genetically modified organisms (G.M.O.) made production levels to rocket further than ever before, the sky seemed to be the limit!
Little did we know about the magnitude of problems we introduced in this way. In the meantime, we found out, that in order to maintain bumper crop levels, there is a need for more and more chemical fertilisers, crop protection chemicals and additional irrigation water. However, the stuff is produced in bulk, is cheap and readily available so the soils under conventional agriculture became dumping grounds for synthetic fertilisers and crop protection chemicals. Conventional agriculture considers this to be a small price to pay for feeding the world, as they put it, while this treatment of our no 1 natural resource, turns out to be an enormous environmental disaster: Millions of hectares under conventional agricultural management are dead, most biological organisms are killed and flushed out. Roughly 50 % of any chemical fertiliser application is in access of what crops can absorb and ends up in rivers, lakes and lastly in oceans, where algae grow excessively. Oxygen levels drop dramatically, sweet water and marine live die amass and more oxygen is needed to break down the rotting river and marine bodies, creating large dead zones in river deltas and along the shore lines. (the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico being a most shocking example) According to the new atlas of soil loss and land degradation produced by the joint research centre of the EU in June 2018; compiling reports over the past 20 years, states: 75% of the world arable land is degraded. Degrading of land is taking place at an alarming rate of more than 4-million km2/year. The annual economic losses run in the tens of billions, 90 % of the world soils are estimated to be degraded by the year 2050.
The soil degradation clock is ticking, we think it is a few minutes before midnight and we should make a U-turn towards our soils. We cannot use and abuse our soils as a take-away-from service only, we have to create a balance between taking from and giving to our soils. We need a wholistic approach, whereby soils are studied, tailor our cultivation methods to and fit our crops in these diversified live sustaining systems: SOILS We call on the new generations of researchers, scholars and students to invest their skills and time in our unique and mystic natural resource, which my generation took for granted, raped, depleted, subsequently disregarded, and even dared to refer to as ‘dirt ‘, shame on us! We appeal to all farmers, other soil users and consumers of agricultural produce to go organic. Also watch; The symphony of the soil released in 2013, available on U-tube.
The West Usambara mountains
The Usambara mountain soils developed in old granites, well drained red soils (an abundance of small oxidised ion particles, finely distributed through the profile) The mountains range from 1300 to 1900 m above sea level and were covered with primary rainforest, practically untouched till Tanzania gained independence. Tanzanian leaders were keen on opening up new agricultural land and to speed up the process. They encouraged the burning of fast forest reserves in order to expand the acro-economy. Administratively, the West Usambara Mountains are in Lushoto district, which was subdivided a few years ago into Bumbuli and Lushoto districts. The annual rainfall averages between 1100 mm/year in the South East and 800 mm/year in the North West of the West Usambara. Since the nineteen-sixties, after Tanzania gained independence, the population more than tripled and the soils have been tilled more and more intensively. Soils on Slopes of 25 to 65 % are typical, well drained deep subsoil profiles with thin top soils, low in organic matter. Long periods of exposure to sun and rain; no cover crops nor mulch, resulting in high runoff and sheet erosion. Although maize takes 4.5 to 5 months at a 1300 m and 6 to 7 months at 1900 m altitude, maize is the food crop of choice in the West Usambara and is planted year after year, almost everywhere interplanted with beans. Due to intensive cultivation on these steep slopes, low organic matter content in top soils, runoff rates are high. (up to 50%) For an average long rainy season, with a total rainfall of 750 mm over 3 months, this means +/- 375 mm infiltrates in the soil and is available for plants. For a maize crop this is +/- 200 mm short and that maize crop will not produce sufficiently and this is why farmers do not invest much on the steep slopes unless they can lengthen the growing season of their crop with additional irrigation water. The valley bottoms, however are been fertilised and drained upon from the slopes directly above, rainy season after rainy season. These fertile fields are in high demand, they are intensively tilled and produce most of the vegetables found on Karioko market in Daresalaam, Tanzania’s fast-growing business capital. In the early eighties a Tanzanian / German bi-lateral cooperation started a soil conservation project under the Ministry of Agriculture in Lushoto District. The conservation project had high impact through-out the district; millions of trees were planted; Guatemala grass was introduced through the Ministry of Agriculture. Trees combined with Guatemala grass were planted in macro contour lines on the long steep slopes to brake the speed of runoff and build up terraces. However due to land scarcity, the macro contour lines were minimised in width during and after implementation, the grass was used as cow fodder for the zero grazing units and many trees end up in kitchen-fires.
A report released by the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture in the eighties stated that 80% of the production under irrigation was produced by farmer managed irrigation associations, against 20% produced by large-scale irrigation schemes. This encouraged the Dutch Development Organisation (SNV) to support farmer managed irrigation and start a Traditional Irrigation Improvement (TIP) in the late eighties, in 6-districts in Tanzania. In 1990 Lushoto was added as the 7th TIP district. Due to the topography of Lushoto district, the Irrigation component was combined with a strong soil and water conservation approach: Instead of designing from rivers and streams towards the farmers fields, we started from the farmer’s field, depending on the steepness of the slope, with infiltration ditches or terraces. The infiltration ditches and terraces became in high demand all over the district and a cooperation between the German and the Dutch projects was established under the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture to comply with the farmers demands for soil and water conservation measures and irrigation improvements.
Synthetic fertilizers, hybrids, GMO seeds and crop protection chemicals are more and more used in the West Usambara, however much more so on the valley bottom fields because of the high returns and investments made by farmers who own these high producing fields. Families who cultivate the slopes above are mostly organic by default because they simply can’t afford to invest these for them pricy farm-inputs. Due to the topography in the mountains, all cultivation is done by hand-hoes and no soil compaction takes place. Therefore if we can work on infiltrating rainwater, plant cover crops and manure application, we can stimulate soil organisms, improve the soil structure and indeed soil fertility in a sustainable way. This, in turn, will higher crop production and will get the farmers attention. Therefore, we regard the majority of the subsistence-farm-families struggling on the slopes in the West Usambara, as our primary target group for the Living on One Acre organic soil re-vitalization project.
Ewa Barbara
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