BY FARAI MUTSAKA, OMAR FARUK AND DESMOND TIRO
Thursday May 2, 2024

From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change.

Africa, with the world’s youngest population, faces the worst effects of a warming planet while contributing the least to the problem. Farmers are scrambling to make sure the booming population is fed.

With over 60% of the world’s uncultivated land, Africa should be able to feed itself, some experts say. And yet three in four people across the continent cannot afford a healthy diet, according to a report last year by the African Union and United Nations agencies. Reasons include conflict and lack of investment.

In Zimbabwe, where the El Nino phenomenon has worsened a drought, small-scale farmer James Tshuma has lost hope of harvesting anything from his fields. It’s a familiar story in much of the country, where the government has declared a $2 billion state of emergency and millions of people face hunger.

But a patch of green vegetables is thriving in a small garden the 65-year-old Tshuma is keeping alive with homemade organic manure and fertilizer. Previously discarded items have again become priceless.

“This is how our fathers and forefathers used to feed the earth and themselves before the introduction of chemicals and inorganic fertilizers,” Tshuma said.

He applies livestock droppings, grass, plant residue, remains of small animals, tree leaves and bark, food scraps and other biodegradable items like paper. Even the bones of animals that are dying in increasing numbers due to the drought are burned before being crushed into ash for their calcium.

Climate change is compounding much of sub-Saharan Africa’s longstanding problem of poor soil fertility, said Wonder Ngezimana, an associate professor of crop science at Zimbabwe’s Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.

“The combination is forcing people to re-look at how things were done in the past like nutrient recycling, but also blending these with modern methods,” said Ngezimana, whose institution is researching the combination of traditional practices with new technologies.

Apart from being rich in nitrogen, organic fertilizers help increase the soil’s carbon and ability to retain moisture, Ngezimana said. “Even if a farmer puts synthetic fertilizer into the soil, they are likely to suffer the consequences of poor moisture as long as there is a drought,” he said.

Other moves to traditional practices are under way. Drought-resistant millets, sorghum and legumes, staples until the early 20th century when they were overtaken by exotic white corn, have been taking up more land space in recent years.

Leaves of drought-resistant plants that were once a regular dish before being cast off as weeds are returning to dinner tables. They even appear on elite supermarket shelves and are served at classy restaurants, as are millet and sorghum.

This could create markets for the crops even beyond drought years, Ngezimana said.

A GREENHOUSE REVOLUTION IN SOMALIA
In conflict-prone Somalia in East Africa, greenhouses are changing the way some people live, with shoppers filling up carts with locally produced vegetables and traditionally nomadic pastoralists under pressure to settle down and grow crops.

“They are organic, fresh and healthy,” shopper Sucdi Hassan said in the capital, Mogadishu. “Knowing that they come from our local farms makes us feel secure.”

Her new shopping experience is a sign of relative calm after three decades of conflict and the climate shocks of drought and flooding.

Urban customers are now assured of year-round supplies, with more than 250 greenhouses dotted across Mogadishu and its outskirts producing fruit and vegetables. It is a huge leap.

“In the past, even basic vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes were imported, causing logistical problems and added expenses,” said Somalia’s minister of youth and sports, Mohamed Barre.

The greenhouses also create employment in a country where about 75% of the population is people under 30 years old, many of them jobless.

About 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the capital, Mohamed Mahdi, an agriculture graduate, inspected produce in a greenhouse where he works.

“Given the high unemployment rate, we are grateful for the chance to work in our chosen field of expertise,” the 25-year-old said.

Meanwhile, some pastoralist herders are being forced to change their traditional ways after watching livestock die by the thousands.

“Transitioning to greenhouse farming provides pastoralists with a more resilient and sustainable livelihood option,” said Mohamed Okash, director of the Institute of Climate and Environment at SIMAD University in Mogadishu.

He called for larger investments in smart farming to combat food insecurity.

A MORE RESILIENT BEAN IN KENYA

In Kenya, a new climate-smart bean variety is bringing hope to farmers in a region that had recorded reduced rainfall in six consecutive rainy seasons.

The variety, called “Nyota” or “star” in Swahili, is the result of a collaboration between scientists from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, the Alliance of Bioversity International and research organization International Center for Tropical Agriculture.

The new bean variety is tailored for Kenya’s diverse climatic conditions. One focus is to make sure drought doesn’t kill them off before they have time to flourish.

The bean variety flowers and matures so quickly that it is ready for harvesting by the time rains disappear, said David Karanja, a bean breeder and national coordinator for grains and legumes at KALRO.

Hopes are that these varieties could bolster national bean production. The annual production of 600,000 metric tons falls short of meeting annual demand of 755,000 metric tons, Karanja said.

Farmer Benson Gitonga said his yield and profits are increasing because of the new bean variety. He harvests between nine and 12 bags from an acre of land, up from the previous five to seven bags.

One side benefit of the variety is a breath of fresh air.

“Customers particularly appreciate its qualities, as it boasts low flatulence levels, making it an appealing choice,” Gitonga said.
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Tiro reported from Nairobi, Kenya and Faruk reported from Mogadishu, Somalia.

The European Conservative
Thursday May 2, 2024

The 60-year-old leader of a mosque in Tyresö, Sweden, has been arrested on suspicion of direct participation in a terrorism organization. The Somali imam was heading a mosque on a volunteer basis, teaching children and youth on the premises of a Muslim cultural association.

The imam has been leading the mosque at least since the early 2000s, and for a time functioned as the chairman of the cultural association. His arrest was the result of an investigation following a raid by Swedish security services SÄPO in March, where four men in their 20s were detained.

Two of those, converts to Islam, have now been arrested on suspicion of preparation for terrorism and aggravated weapons offense. The two others are members of a known criminal gang. According to TV4, some of the suspects have been on the radar of law enforcement since September of last year.

A SÄPO spokesman declined commenting on which terrorist organization the five are connected with, but in earlier statements to the media, another spokesman said security services saw “international links to the terrorist organization Islamic State.”

The Muslim cultural association under which the mosque has functioned has received taxpayer support to the tune of approximately €85,000 through two different government funds. Isak Reichel, director and head of the Authority for Support to Religious Communities, said the arrest is serious because “it risks eroding trust in the government grant system … and also risks tarnishing other congregations that have done nothing wrong.”

The Swedish Muslim Association told TV4 they have frozen the group’s membership. “The investigation is ongoing, so we cannot give out any information because of SÄPO’s involvement,” a board member said.

Representatives for the Tyresö Muslim cultural association told media they were “shocked about the situation” but “choose not to comment” on their mosque being connected with terrorism.

The most recent arrest in Sweden comes at the heels of Islamist demonstrations in Hamburg where immigrant Muslims called for a caliphate to combat ‘Islamophobia’ and the revelation that underground mosques in Italy have become breeding grounds for Islamist extremists.

by Katelyn Vue
Thursday May 2, 2024

About a dozen people rallied Wednesday morning, urging a property management company to improve living conditions for largely Indigenous and Somali senior residents living in a south Minneapolis apartment complex.

Residents of the Bii Di Gain Dash Anwebi complex are demanding that their property management company come up with a plan to address several long-standing issues at the complex’s two buildings, including on-site staff that are unresponsive and delays in repairs. They also want the company to extend its security guards’ hours to provide service 24/7.

“No Elder Abuse,” one protest sign said in red ink.

“YEARS of Neglect,” said another.

Mary Levi, 79, has lived at Bii Di Gain Dash Anwebi complex for the past seven years. Sitting outside in a walker at the protest, Levi said she hasn’t felt safe walking in her apartment building because of violent incidents nearby and uninvited guests who wander the halls. Someone recently broke the complex’s garage door and left behind a hole, she said.

“I would like to feel safe walking around my building, inside,” said Levi, who is tribally-affiliated with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

CommonBond Communities manages and co-owns the property with the American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC). Michael Goze, AICDC’s chief executive officer, said his organization received a letter from CommonBond stating that they will no longer manage the apartment after their contract ends in June.

Goze said AICDC will take over as the apartment’s sole owner adding that it’s unclear when the transfer of ownership will be completed. AICDC and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will also approve a new property management company to handle maintenance repairs.

“The safety, security and the health of residents are always the top priorities at our housing communities, and we are confident that AICDC will operate and manage the property well into the future,” said a written statement from CommonBond’s spokesperson Katie Selph.

Selph also said that CommonBond’s “intention has always been to eventually transfer” ownership and legal control to AICDC.

Bii Di Gain Dash Anwebi is located on E. 24th Street near East Phillips Park. It features 47 single units for seniors who are 62 years old or older at a rate of 30% area median income. Many of the residents are Native or Somali.

Many residents say they face challenges because staff only communicate in English. One of their demands is to employ staff who can speak Somali. Ubah Shire, a tenant advocate for the housing nonprofit, HOME Line, helped translate Sahan Journal’s interviews Wednesday with Somali tenants.

Tenant Asha Yusuf, 70, said her apartment has had leaky sinks and clogged pipes for the past few years. Yusuf doesn’t speak English, so she can’t call the management company to request repairs. She said she has attempted to communicate with staff at the management office, but that the office is often vacant.

Tenant Asha Kalmyo, 71, said most of the electrical outlets in her building stopped working after a fire broke out last year. Residents are demanding that the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are cleaned to prevent future fires.

Some residents said they don’t want to leave the apartment complex because of the friendships they’ve built with neighbors. Every November, Levi said, residents hold a memorial dinner for residents who have died. Kalmyo said there’s another reason it’s so difficult to leave—a lack of affordable housing.