Regenerative Agriculture and Circular Economy Curriculum
Q-Point BV has recently developed a curriculum on regenerative agriculture and circular economy as an output of the On the Farm and Beyond project in Kenya: Growing Hand in Hand’s capacity for impact through sustainable agriculture. The curriculum was developed with close contact with trainers and farmers in two target counties, Busia and Bomet, and will be validated with 1.600 Hand in Hand members (80% women and 40% youth).
This assignment we carried out together with local experts on the ground, namely Noel Templer (agroecology expert) and Frederick Kipchumba (farm manager of Tamalu Regenerative Agriculture Farm) in Kenya.
The curriculum is meant to guide farmers through the principles of Circular Economy & Regenerative Agriculture into lucrative farm design options that take the entire ecological system into account as well as the commercial side of small enterprises. Regenerative agriculture steers toward ecosystem diversity, working with nature to minimize external inputs and opens up beyond organic market opportunities.
Regenerative agriculture promotes plant diversity, intercropping, agroforestry, holistic & circular livestock management, biological soil fertility management, water conservation practices and ready access to seed and plant material by farmers and farming communities adapted to their agro-ecological conditions.
There is no single pathway to regenerative farming, it is all about understanding your own specific land, soil, climate, crops and market situation.
Together with local experts Q-Point also involved three interns from two different Universities of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, Van Hall Larenstein and HAS Hogeschool: Fatima, Lennart and Merel.
All in all, Regenerative Agriculture is a mindset shift from extractive to restorative practices!
Interested to learn more? Read our full project here, or contact Olivia Ansenk.
