Bio-Nature, Deki’s first organic cooperative
“We often have difficulties in our work. So, we decided to form a group to work together. By helping each other we have noticed that there are improvements in our production. When I go to the fields on my own, I don’t manage to achieve a lot, but since I’ve been a member of the group, my crop production is evolving now”
Having only formed in 2021, the Bio-Nature Cooperative, are still a relatively new group, having not completed a full growing season yet.
The 19 rice and vegetable farmers recognised early on that when they worked on their own, they faced more difficulties, so when Gabriel (IADES Rural Manager), approached the community and explained the benefits of the Cooperatives programme and how it would work, they decided to form a group and work together.
Gabriel told us that Bio-Nature are already seeing the benefits of working together in a cooperative. They have a shared field for which each member gets rewarded based on their efforts, and through helping each other and working towards a mutual goal, they have found a mutual respect and renewed self-respect. They have also noticed that by helping each other they are already seeing improvements in their production.
They are a determined cooperative and already have plans to expand the size of their current cultivatable land. They need to have room to diversify their crops to include soya. By having a larger area to plant, they would increase their yield and therefore the amount of produce available to sell.
They are working hard towards their dreams of being financially autonomous and independent, to be successful and to increase production. One day they hope to have a shop of their own and to export their produce.
Bio- Nature have attended every training session and workshop available to them, determined to learn new skills and gain knowledge of more effective, modern farming techniques, which they are already putting into action.
Learning about quantities of seeds and fertilisers has been the most valuable training session to most of the cooperatives; learning how many seeds the land will support and how much fertiliser to use and when.
Bio Nature were particularly interested in learning about the organic methods of farming. They care about their environment and want to promote ecology within their farming habits. They understand that more specialist knowledge is needed to become an organic grower and they have embraced this alternative way of farming.
Recently they learnt how how to make their own organic compost. Other cooperatives rely on mineral fertilisers, as it guarantees their harvest, but Bio-Nature believe that although organic farming is not an easy route to take, eventually they will be able to ask a higher price for their produce, so it is worth the risk.
Only their vegetables are organic so far, but they are working towards turning their rice fields organic too.
“Fortunately, this year, thanks to the loans we have received, things have changed. We are really happy. We are really happy because the loans we have got have helped us to reduce the difficulties we suffered in the past.” Atsu, a member of Bio-Nature