Lesotho's vast highland plains are spectacular places for tourists. Broad and treeless, they offer stunning views of the mountains looming over shimmering gold grasslands.
But they are terrible for farmers.
Decades of intensive agriculture have stripped the land of trees, and exposed soils to wind and rain.
Erosion has created countless miniature canyons that split the plains everywhere you look. The already thin mountain soils have lost virtually all their productive nutrients.
Global forces
The forces now shaping global food prices are way beyond its control.
"The last summer season, most of our tractors couldn't go to the fields because of the cost of diesel. Now that the price has doubled, we're not expecting any to be able to go," Mr Lehata said. "It is very difficult."
In many respects, Lesotho is a microcosm of the problems facing so many parts of the developing world.
Keyhole gardens
They are now thriving on what have become known as "keyhole gardens". They are round gardens of about two metres in diameter and raised to waist-height to make them easy for the sick and elderly to work.
Inside, the garden-beds are layered with tin cans, mulch and ash which together provide the nutrients to make the gardens extraordinarily productive.
Ntsie Tlali from Care, the non-governmental organisation behind the gardens, believes they are revolutionary.
Lesotho sits on a high plateau and has a short growing season
"As you can see, (Mahaha's family) has three keyhole gardens and that's more than enough to supply all 10 of them with all the vegetables they need, and with some left over to sell. It's changed their lives."
Because they are protected by the stonework, the rich soils are safe from erosion.
They retain moisture far more effectively than land farmed by traditional farming methods, and they are compact enough to turn the tiniest plot of land into productive agriculture.
'Food is life'
Mr Lehata acknowledged that the gardens alone will not transform Lesotho, "but we've been really surprised by just how well they've worked," he said.
"We expected them to disappear after half a season, but you can see that although we have such cold winters, they are productive all year round. It's been really helpful to our people."
Even so, the one thing the minister wants from the Rome summit is urgent action on the cost of basic farm supplies like fuel, seed and fertiliser.
"Food is life," he said. "If we can't afford that, we're finished."
"The last summer season, most of our tractors couldn't go to the fields because of the cost of diesel. Now that the price has doubled, we're not expecting any to be able to go," Mr Lehata said. "It is very difficult."
In many respects, Lesotho is a microcosm of the problems facing so many parts of the developing world.
That is very terrible the effect of climate change. Many poor people suffer al the world, while developed country and Food Organisation of United Nation take action is very late to help them.
Source : BBC NEWS
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar