Tawakal Community Garden

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Somalia

Shabeellaha Hoose

This garden is well known in the area where it located (Tawakal village) and it measures 10 jibaals (1 jibaal, a local measure, is a half-acre). The garden is 25 km far from Merka, the regional capital of the Lower Shebelle region. It was established in 2015 by a cooperative of Tawakal farmers. It produces many crops, vegetables and cereals, including cabbages, sesame, maize, tomatoes, pumpkins, lettuce, onions and cucumber. They are mostly consumed locally. The soil is a mix of sandy clay and loam, which is good for its water holding capacity and to help the plants growth. The soil maintains its fertility thank to crop rotation and the use of organic fertilizers, such as crop residues and manure. The village has a large space to sell vegetables and cereals. Many gardeners from neighboring villages take their products to the market, but the Tawakal garden is the one with the highest yield, which ensures a good income. Part of products is consumed by the members of the project and their families.

Area
Tawakal Village, Lower Shebelle region

Coordinator
Merka Convivium leader

Slow Food in Somalia

Somalia has been subject to one of the worst crises of any country. Long years of anarchy, civil war, tribal conflicts, fundamentalism, banditry and natural disasters have devastated the country, and this prolonged conflict and instability has damaged agricultural productivity. Many farmers have either lost their assets (livestock and irrigation equipment) or been displaced from their land. The production of bananas and other fruits, once Somalia's second largest export after livestock, has been hindered by the civil war and intermittent armed clashes over control of this lucrative export business. Local people, meanwhile, must often depend on international food aid for their survival. Slow Food has existed in Somalia since 2011. Today it has a strong network that promotes sustainable food production, protects food biodiversity by saving many products from extinction through the Ark of Taste project and connects key figures in the country’s food world. Despite the difficult conditions and the political situation since the 1990s, Slow Food has still managed to create a remarkable number of community and school food gardens, planted with crops like lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, white and red onions, sweet and hot peppers, pumpkins, spinach, sesame and maize. The message that Slow Food Somalia wants to send to the world is that we can work together to end this cycle of humanitarian crises by developing the agricultural sector into one that is highly productive, profitable and sustainable.

Garden Informations

Type:	Community Garden
Slow Food Convivium:	Merka Convivium
Sibling with:	Eataly, Italy

Photos