How organic farming became an alternative to Poaching!
Chirwa used to illegally poach elephants and other animals in Zambia as a way to make a living. However, he stopped this to become an organic farmer from which he has gained economic sustainability while conserving nature.
He was approached by Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO), a social enterprise that trains and supports farmers in the Eastern Province of Zambia, on sustainable agricultural practices.
With a high number of elephants and other game dying from illegal poaching, COMACO decided to train the once poachers to farm organically, while providing market for their produce.
In this way, the income they got from poaching is replaced by that from organic farming. This secures farmers’ livelihoods and ensures food security, while protecting wildlife and the ecosystem.
This is achieved by offering farming skills to the thousands of small-scale farmers who live and depend on the land and natural resources in this area. In this way farmers begin to practice climate-resilient farming methods that promote biodiversity and decrease the use of destructive practices like poaching, pesticide use and deforestation.
The work has paid off! COMACO has increased the number of farmers they work with to over 180,000 and the number of elephants in the Luangwa valley has also increased.
