Reducing the use of synthetic chemical pesticides in agriculture: a challenge to be met
From June 20 to 24, 2022 was held in Bujumbura, Burundi an InterBN* workshop on synthetic chemical pesticides in agriculture and the action of Inades-Formation.
This workshop, organized within the framework of the Conscience AlimenTERRE campaign of Inades-Formation is the second of its kind after the one in Lomé in October 2020 on the planning of the first steps of the campaign which gave the top start of the campaign.
Bringing together the various directors of the Inades-Formation national offices and the general secretariat, the Bujumbura regional workshop aimed to allow participants to collectively reappropriate the issues of the AlimenTERRE Consciousness campaign and to take stock of its evolution since 2020.
The workshop started with an opening ceremony marked by the presence of the President of Inades-Formation Burundi, Mr. MASUGURU Apollinaire and the speeches of the National Director of Inades-Formation Burundi, Mr. NIGEZE Joseph, of the Secretary General of Inades-Formation, Mr. ADESSOU Sena Kwaku, of the Representative of Alboan, Mr. Octavio Romano and Mr. Paul Bottelberge, representative of Broederlijk Delen (BD) in Burundi, who intervened virtually.
The workshop was then structured around the following points:
- Collective reminder of the issues at stake in the AlimenTERRE Conscience campaign
- Review of the implementation of the commitments with the planning workshop
- Strategic planning of major milestones and actions for the AlimenTERRE Awareness Campaign through 2025
- Follow-up – evaluation
- Communication
- Resource mobilization
Thus, during these meetings, the participants returned to the commitment of Inades-Formation since the General Assembly of 2013 to work on the promotion of food systems based on family farming and food sovereignty. To strengthen the collective reappropriation, they widely exchanged on the purpose of the AlimenTERRE Consciousness Campaign, the findings, the challenges and the strategic orientations: how to tackle the problem of the persistence of the toxicity of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers for the environment and humans. The review of the strategic direction plan identified opportunities and actions for 2025.
Each national office was able to briefly present the actions already carried out at the national level within the framework of the campaign since the Lomé 2020 inter-NB workshop and the main actions planned for the future.
The campaign is based on two components (i) education for food citizenship with a view to building a broad citizen’s movement to promote and defend the individual and collective right to healthy, sustainable and adequate food and (ii) Advocacy for policy and regulatory directions to reduce chemical pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture.
For a better support of the campaign process, the communication device was discussed. Communication is, in fact, an essential lever in citizen education and advocacy on all levels of operations. All offices must now work on this important aspect to make the campaign a success.
A field visit to commune with the communities accompanied in Burundi
To change the atmosphere, Inades-Formation Burundi organized a day of field visit for the participants to see the projects executed and to greet the beneficiaries. They went to the west of Burundi, in Cibitoke Province, Commune Mabayi (Province bordering Rwanda and the DRC). Participants visited beneficiaries who use organic manure and biopesticides in their fields as part of the Community Capacity Building for Climate Resilience Project (CCBRCP). The accompanied households of this locality warmly welcomed the delegates of the BN with local densities. They demonstrated to the participants their techniques of preparation of organic products such as Bokashi and biofertilizers based on different plants to fight against pests and diseases of plants.
At the end of the workshop, the Secretary General encouraged all the teams and invited them to communicate regularly in accordance with the network’s mission. He congratulated Inades-Formation Burundi for hosting the workshop and for all the logistics involved.
It was with a note of general satisfaction and renewed enthusiasm for the campaign that the participants returned to their respective countries.
The campaign is being carried out with the financial support of MISEREOR, Broederlijk Delen (BD), CCFD-Terre Solidaire and Alboan.
*InterBN workshop: workshop that brings together the National Offices of Inades-Formation.
Richard Havyarimana & Marcelle Moroh
Communication Inades-Formation
