Evergreen Agriculture was a hot topic when Centre Director General, Dennis Garrity, joined in a round table discussion with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Executive Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner, in Nairobi yesterday.

Six guests representing locally based environment and business organizations came together for the private discussion on the "Green Economy" with Chancellor Merkel and senior members of her government.

The Chancellor requested Dr Garrity to present his vision on how agriculture needs to be reinvented during the 21st Century. “It was an excellent opportunity for me to outline the scope of Evergreen Agriculture and its significance for the future of agriculture here in Africa and globally,” said Dr Garrity after the meeting.

The Director General explained how Evergreen Agriculture – combining the best options of conservation agriculture and agroforestry – can underpin a transformation in farming in Africa, with the potential to double food production in a sustainable way.

“A green economy needs an evergreen agriculture,” said Dr Garrity. “The Chancellor and her ministers were very interested in the contribution that Evergreen Agriculture is making to sustainable development and poverty eradication. It combines advances in food production with the regeneration of farm environments.” He emphasized that Evergreen Agriculture is an approach that is in harmony with the central tenets of a green economy: to improve human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental and ecological scarcities.

Hundreds of thousands of famers in Zambia, Malawi, Niger and Burkina Faso, for example, are restoring exhausted soils and dramatically increasing both crop yields and incomes through the adoption of Evergreen Agriculture. Results from Malawi and Zambia show maize yields have doubled and even tripled in agroforests of ‘fertilizer trees’, which improve soil fertility.

In addition to Dr Garrity and Mr Steiner, other invitees included Professor Wangari Maathai, head of the Green Belt Movement, Mr. Vimal Shah, Director Bidco Oil and Vice-chairman of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Dr. Julius Kangogo Kipng`etich, Director KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) and Mr. Eddie Njoroge, Managing Director of KenGen (Kenya Electricity Generating Company).

The meeting with Chancellor Merkel also discussed the Kenyan Government’s new Greening Kenya Initiative that aims to ensure 10 percent forest cover, that industries produce green goods and services, and citizens only consume green products.

“I’m delighted that the Kenyan Government is taking such a committed approach to regenerating tree cover,” Dr Garrity said. “This initiative links in nicely with the discussions we are having with the Government to launch a national agroforestry and food security programme. By planting millions of trees on farms we can hit two birds with one stone: achieving both food security and environmental rehabilitation.”

As a follow up to the meeting, Germany’s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection and the Chancellor’s personal advisor will have further meetings with Dr Garrity to discuss Evergreen Agriculture in more detail.