Investing in africa

The First DESERT FOOD Pilot Farm has Been Successfully Established in Turkana Kenya

Lake Turkana

In September 2015 the DESERT FOOD FOUNDATION has launched its first pilot project in Kenya’s poorest region, Turkana County. Turkana is particularly affected by climate change. Increasing droughts and desertification confront a largely pastoralist society with ever decreasing grass- lands, extreme food scarcity and intertribal conflict.

Through the DESERT FOOD pilot over 10 families have been provided with employment and agricultural training. Their work enables a decentralised and safe food and fresh water resource for the entire surrounding village, which inhabits roughly 320 families.

However, severe challenges remain. The high maintenance costs of reverse osmosis machines, combined with the region’s high poverty levels and poor infrastructure require highly efficient cultivation and sales systems to assure the pilots financial sustainability. These systems are now to be developed.

The pilot serves as a proof of concept. Once it is up and running the DESERT FOOD Foundation will actively look for other promising locations to set up further farms and increase its social impact.

The Pilot Project

Impressions from the DESERT FOOD Pilot Project Inauguration

Introductory speech by DESERT FOOD founder Martin Schoeller
The finalised building holding the solar powered reverse osmosis machine
The official opening...
The reverse osmosis machine and Joseph, its proud manager
The rest of the community admiring the technology
The Nariokotome Anam community waiting to start with the planting of the DESERT FOOD field
The very first collective planting
And the first uses of the fresh water dispensary
The video from the DESERT FOOD inauguration in Nariokotome Anam, Turkana Kenya.
Impressions

The Beginnings of the DESERT FOOD Pilot Farm in Turkana

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