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Home » 10.000 Orti in Africa » Ugunji Community Garden

Ugunji Community Garden

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Somalia

Shabeellaha Hoose

The village of Ugunji, in the Lower Shabele Riverine area, in southern Somalia, is home to around 12,500 citizens. The 1 ha community-owned and cultivated garden is situated in the riverine area, which provides water for the crops. 15 individuals cultivate the garden, growing crops such as “diir”, a type of red bean, okra, spinach and “boor katito” – a pumpkin only found in the Lower Shabele area. Prior to the project started, however, they primarily cultivated maize and practiced conventional agriculture. Now the farmers have abandoned the use of synthetic chemicals and have diversified the crops cultivated. Excursions to the garden are planned for local primary school students, so they can meet the farmers and learn about agriculture and farming.
The recent conflict in the region and ongoing political tension is hindering agricultural production and prohibits farmers from meeting.

Area
Ugunji village, 70 km southwest of Mogadishu, riverine area of Lower Shabelle region

Coordinator
Riverain 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:Riverain Convivium
Sibling with:Cultures of Resistance Network Foundation, USA

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