Kajiado County media personnel received a one-day training from Consumer Grassroots Association (CGA) experts on Agroecology, food sustainability, food systems, and climate change.
The scribes were tipped on how they can relay information at the grassroots level for a better understanding of how Agroecology plays a key role in environmental conservation during climate change. Dr. Alice Kemunto emphasizes the media’s role in promoting better food production, climate change mitigation, and environmental conservation, urging journalists to be trained in Agroecology reporting.
Dr. Kemunto emphasizes the importance of media in providing information and promoting agroecology, highlighting its role in educating consumers and contributing to climate change mitigation through gadgets and stories.
“Media is everything that we need at this point and age because through the media everybody will be able to get this information and media personnel should pride themselves because they are carrying the community in their gadgets and their stories. So media plays a key role in ensuring that consumers know about agro-ecologists and contribute positively towards mitigating climate change”, he said.
The training provided an opportunity for journalists and CGA experts to discuss consumer issues, improve food production, and educate communities about agroecology.
“We want to bring a new concept that needs to be accepted and its uptake to come in handy when we are all facing issues of climate change and this is agroecology. Agroecology is taking us back to the way we used to do things, the traditional way of growing food, the traditional way of relating with organisms, and that method was not affecting the environment, hence we are encouraging consumers to go back to the old ways of doing things and that way we will regenerate the soils, regenerate the way we are living and ensure there is a turn around on issues of climate change”, noted Dr. Kemunto.
He assured journalists that their organization will work closely with the county government of Kajiado and other stakeholders to ensure that the bills related to agroecology that have been passed are implemented, they will also contribute the resources they acquire and partner with the county government to assist them perform their duties.
Bus radio station manager Victor Juma and Juuadio Domus head of programs Tracy Obinge while representing the journalists highlighted what they got from the training and the actions they intend to take as media personnel.
“My take home is, as journalists we have work to do concerning agroecology. We have realized that there are consumers who buy food and do not understand the preparation process and chemicals used to prepare food and I have learnt that information is power and if we understand what to inform the public, we can transform their lives”, noted Juma.
Obinge highlighted the significant impact of daily interactions with the community at their level, particularly regarding agroecology, which is essential for understanding the source and importance of food they consume.
By Seline Nyangere
