As campaigns against the consumption of food items laced with agrochemicals increase, promoters of chemical-free foods have called on the public to embrace Earth Markets.
Earth Markets are specialised markets that sell and promote food items grown and processed without using agrochemicals.
Earth markets also known as organic markets are currently run every Saturday in Nsambya next to the American Embassy and at Mukono district headquarters every Thursday.
During Earth Market days, farmers, producers, and processors of organically grown and produced food items display different food items for consumers to buy, but also learn about the different ways of growing food items without using agrochemicals and how to cook them to retain their nutritional values.
The call was made by Jude Sebuliba, the manager of agroecological markets and Business Development also Acting Head of Programs at PELUM Uganda while officiating at the Earth Day Market at the Mukono District headquarters on Thursday, May 29.
According to Sebuliba, majority of people in urban centres get food from the markets.
“As they search for food in the markets, some prefer chemical-free foods or foods produced without agrochemicals. However, because no system in Uganda has created special sections for organic foods in the markets, most people miss out. Through these markets that we are promoting as PELUM Uganda, we want to show people where they can get food items of their choice,” Sebuliba said.
At the same function, Hannington Kisakye, the head of markets and advocacy at Slow Food Uganda, an organization that promotes organic food items, says they aim to create a market that brings together farmers who ecologically produce food items with consumers interested in food items produced the ecological way.
“We created this earth market to bring together agroecological producers to the buyers. Before, producers used to be cheated by middlemen at the farm. This market is an important linkage between the producer and the buyer because we are removing the middleman,” he said.
To ensure that food items meet the quality standards, Kisakye explained that through their collaboration with PELUM Uganda and Brot, farmers have been introduced to the participatory guarantee scheme where farmers are encouraged to form groups to produce one particular item, learn how to certify and package it to the market.
“Such a practice has made it easier for us to get markets because farmers alone don’t know most of the steps to follow before they can get their goods certified as organic foods,” he said.
Commonly marketed food items include Indigenous yams, vegetables, fruits, bananas, sweet potatoes, apple bananas, cassava, and eggs from local and free-range raised chicken among others.
