Against the Grain: Championing Traditional Farming Wisdom with Edie Mukiibi

Welcome back to If I Ruled the World! Today, we explore the transformative power of traditional farming practices. In this insightful episode, we're joined by Edie Mukiibi, a Ugandan agronomist, smallholder farmer, and the President of Slow Food International. Eddie brings a passionate perspective on the critical need to embrace traditional agricultural methods in Africa. He delves into the adverse effects of industrial farming and champions the health, dignity, and sustainability that traditional farming offers.

Key Takeaways:

1. Challenging Industrial Farming in Africa:

   • Edie's critical view on the adoption of industrial farming practices in Africa.

   • Discussing the negative impacts these practices have on the continent's health and sustainability.

2. Advocating for Traditional Practices:

   • The importance of returning to traditional agricultural methods.

   • Edie's personal experiences as a farmer in the Mukono District of Uganda.

3. Biodiversity and Organic Farming:

   • The role of biodiversity and organic farming in sustainable agriculture.

   • The benefits of agroforestry systems in enhancing ecological health.

4. Impact of Western Consumerism:

   • Critique of the influence of western industrial farming and supermarket consumerism on Africa's food systems.

   • The disconnect between these practices and the needs of African farmers.

5. Preserving Local Knowledge and Seeds:

   • Edie’s commitment to education and advocacy for indigenous farming methods.

   • The importance of preserving local seed biodiversity for future generations.

6. A Call to Action:

   • Positioning African farmers and traditional farming systems as key in resisting the narrative of aggressive industrial farming.

   • Edie's call to recognise and value native knowledge and practices.

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Connect with our guest:

• Follow Edie on X

• Find out more about Slow Food International: https://www.slowfood.com/

Follow Gillian

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Website: https://www.gillianburkevoice.com/

What would you do if you ruled the world?

If you have any insights or feedback on today’s episode or you have an idea for how the world could be a better place, drop me an email on podcast@gillianburkevoice.com

A final thank you to our wonderful sponsors Triodos Bank UK for making this podcast happen, and to The Wildlife Trusts for their continued support.

Produced by Soundquake

Edited by Jake-Lee Savage