YES!
Organic Perspectives is a group from Kamuli District, Uganda, and they are
about to set up a seed bank and demonstration nursery with the guidance of
the UK based business Gaian Life (which I own). They have tree seeds being
sent over from the New Forests Project and we hope to help them expand to a
level where they can act as a tree seed distribution point for all of
Uganda. Gaian Life's participation in this is to provide the seeds,
eco-technology and necessary expertise to allow the farmers to start to
implement permaculture systems on their farms in order to increase their
standard of living as well as food security.
Surveys of the farmers in Uganda started yesterday to allow us to find out
exactly what needs they wish us to address. By the end of this week we will
also be sending seeds to smooth their transition to organic methods...ie
natural pesticides Derris (rotenone), Tobacco (nicotine) and several green
manure and living mulch species. The use of nicotine is not approved for
Organic production under Soil Association guidelines, but as people's lives
depend on this we have decided to use natural pesticides as an extreme
measures backup until the local numbers of beneficial organisms can build up
to an extent where pest problems won't ocur on a large scale.
We are planning to be over in Uganda around Dec-Jan to teach groups of
farmers how to use passive solar for things like crop drying and black water
sterilisation etc, so maybe this would be the kind of thing you are
interested in or perhaps you would be more interested in helping with the
teaching nursery?
You can contact me at eco@gaianlife.co.uk and also check out the website at
www.gaianlife.co.uk. The project has its own web-page at
www.gaianlife.co.uk/organicperspectives
Hope that whets your appetitite a bit!
Cheers
Helen