Regenerative Agriculture: Africa’s Future – A Conversation with João Ramos

João Ramos, Managing Partner at East Africa Brazil International, shares the concept behind EABI and its goals.

“The idea behind East Africa Brazil International is to leverage the knowledge of Brazilian agricultural techniques and implement them in Africa, starting with Kenya. We do not reinvent the wheel; many techniques that have been successfully used in Brazil for decades can be easily implemented here, given their well-documented track record. What we promote is essentially known as regenerative agriculture, which relies less on chemical products and focuses on improving soil quality to reduce dependency on chemicals. Our approach also emphasizes diversifying crops, relying less on monoculture, and producing a variety of products within a smaller area. This will enhance soil quality and include agroforestry practices to increase tree cover, thereby capturing more carbon and reducing emissions”, says João Ramos.

“The quality of agricultural products, including meat and poultry, can be significantly improved with these techniques. This can revolutionize agriculture, making it more appealing to the youth. Currently, agriculture is often perceived as a field for the older generation and is associated with poverty rather than new opportunities. Agriculture is the backbone of many countries’ economies. By making it more attractive to the youth with new techniques and technology, it can become a path to employment and economic freedom. Smallholder farmers can achieve self-sufficiency both economically and in terms of food security. In Africa, the majority of agriculture is conducted by smallholder farmers who often rely on monocultures, which yield minimal returns. The current system benefits brokers more than the farmers. By providing training and implementing new techniques, we aim to change this and ensure better returns for the farmers. Training is a significant focus of our initiative”, he adds.

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