The Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) will be collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture to organize their second National Ecological Organic Agriculture Conference in October this year. The conference that will be held in Dodoma and to be attended by over 300 participants from Tanzania and outside will among others, create awareness to the public on the importance of organic farming in further attempts to raise grassroots farmers' livelihood.
TOAM Chairperson Dr Mwatima Juma issued a statement that, apart from conserving the soil and its other biological organisms, organic farming that from time immemorial has been practiced by forefathers, also ensures farmers get fresh food crops.
"Organic farming helps to maintain environment health by reducing the level of pollution. It reduces human and animal health hazards by reducing the level of residues in the product. ... It reduces the cost of agricultural production and also improves the soil health. In most cases it maintains and improves fertility, soil structure and biodiversity, and reduce erosion... reduces the risks of human, animal, and environmental exposure to toxic materials," she told dailynews.co.tz.
Also, Dr Juma noted that the main goal of the conference will focus on promoting natural and affordable agriculture to the farmers without chemicals' applications to the soil in the name of fertilizers and pesticides, adding that such finally contaminate the soil.
