Civil Society actors have partnered with vendors and market
leaders to promote organically grown foods in a bid to promote good health and
save the environment.
The activists said this on Friday during the climax of a three day training for selected market leaders from Uganda,
Rwanda and Zimbabwe under the PELUM
(Participatory Ecological Land Use Management) Association - Uganda in
conjunction with Alliance for Food Sovereignity in Africa (AFOSA).
The activists said
they had decided to partner with the market actors because they knew these were
an important link in the chain to promote the cause for good health and a green
environment.
The training held at Lake Victoria Hotel - Entebbe that attracted over fourty participants ended
with a market visit to Kitooro – Entebbe Market, where some of the participants
sensitized vendors and the general public about the dangers of eating of
chemical laden foods and adverse effects of using chemicals in food growing.
Hadija Nalule, from PELUM (U) said eating chemically laden
foods was recipe for avoidable disease and explained why the complacent current
generation was suffering from diet-related diseases.
“Our focus is to shift consumer mindset and foster a greater
appreciation for organic and agro-ecological products. We are launching educational initiatives to
promote the positive aspects of territorial markets and counter any negative
perceptions,” said Nalule adding that advocacy and awareness campaigns to all
in the food chain was essential in this effort. She added that the target persons include farmers, food traders, market
vendors and final consumers are within scope.
Nalule explained that stakeholders were in the process of
developing a national agro-ecology strategy to guide the organic farming
revolution and good feeding in the country.
//Cue in … PELUM
Uganda …Cue out… the different market."//
With her team were market leaders from Kampala City markets
of Wandegeya, Nakawa and Nakasero, who urged for government sensitization of
the public and promotion of organically grown foods.
Nalule said it was incumbent upon government to promote the
good health of its citizens by carrying out the required sensitisation and
specially promote organically grown food.
Joseph Mudhasi, a market master from Nakawa market said he
had realized after the training that it was mistake for governments in Africa
to allow in chemicals as agricultural inputs.
“I nolonger wonder why our fore-fathers lived longer than us who think
were feeding well while consuming foods grown using chemical fertilizers.”
Luganda
//Cue in … Okumanyisibwa
tekunnaba …
Cue out… nga temuli bantu."//
Richard Mugisha, from Jerofarm is a supplier to different
markets in Kampala. He said it would be
good for market masters and managers to set up a special section for
organically grown foods, where those who know the value and have interest in
that food can get it without merely guessing that what they are buying is the
right stuff.
//Cue in … Market
leaders …
Cue out… and illnesses that come with…"//
Zuena Nantme, a market master at Wandegeya Market said
government and local governments should take it up to sensitise the
communities. “KCCA and government should
organize for us more of such seminars because they are very useful. People do not have this information and need
to be sensitized,” she said.
