“Our Organic Revolution began with a purpose—to promote food security through sustainable agriculture by empowering smallholder farmers in rural communities.”
My name is Oluwayemisi Adesina, and I founded my company, Agribuiz Without Borders Ltd, to power up the organic revolution in different rural communities of Nigeria. Through my initiatives across various states and outreach in Ogun State, I’ve witnessed how the hard work of our participants come into fruition – prosperity, improved yields, and expanding markets.
Starting the movement with a “Veggie Challenge”
Our organic movement started amidst soaring food prices and a growing need for sustainable farming practices. To promote food security through sustainable agriculture by empowering smallholder farmers in rural communities, we started a “Veggies Challenge” during the COVID-19 pandemic, where we were training people on how to grow vegetables at their pace whilst knowing others were doing the same thing as well in their homes. We received over 200 participants from different states in Nigeria.
©Agribuiz Without Borders Ltd.
Advocating for sustainable farming
Our second outreach took us to Ogun State, where we picked “Ijebu-Ode” a quiet yet industrious community in Ogun State, Nigeria, as our advocacy training location. Here, we gathered 50 enthusiastic farmers, mostly women, who had been practicing conventional farming for years. The idea of shifting from chemical-dependent farming to organic methods was met with skepticism at first. These farmers had relied on agrochemicals for so long that imagining an alternative seemed impossible. But as we introduced scientific farming techniques, better input selection, and yield-maximization methods, their perspectives began to shift.
©Agribuiz Without Borders Ltd.
Working towards better market access
Our training with farmers was well-received. Many expressed their readiness to transition into organic. However, they were taken aback by one major concern: market access. Taking immediate action, we set up a Farmers Market (Organic & Natural Growers Farmers Market) in collaboration with another company –Farmhub- in the wealthier parts of Lagos State, a bustling metropolis where residents had higher disposable incomes. This gave the farmers an opportunity to display and sell their fresh, organic produce to health-conscious consumers willing to pay premium prices. The result was remarkable, farmers who once struggled to sell their goods now had a steady market, reducing waste and ensuring sustainable income.
Into the next milestone
Fast forward to today, our organic revolution gets stronger than ever in its second year. More farming groups have joined the movement, and our farmer’s market continues to thrive. The early adopters who committed to organic farming from the start are now seeing the fruits of their labor—prosperity, improved yields, and expanding markets.
