The photograph shows Peter McAlpine, Marketing Manager of Artemis & Angel Co. Ltd., with Madame Jacqueline Sultan, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.
The bio-fertilisers Credit Fund will enable the government of Guinea:
- To become Africa’s first 100% organic farming country.
- To free up funds, which the government would have spent on subsidizing fertilizer, for use on infrastructure projects, rice mills, food processing factories, farming community development, opening up new land to agriculture, etc., instead.
- To eradicate harmful chemical fertilizers and sprays and replace it with 100% organic agriculture, with all the benefits this entails for public health, poverty alleviation, social wellbeing and happiness, environmental protection, a safer water supply, etc.
- To increase food production significantly beyond what chemical agriculture can achieve, and for a much lower cost. These bio-fertilizers can ensure the country’s food security. Chemical agriculture cannot because of its harmful effects on the soil and environment. The bio-fertilisers are effective with all crops and trees, including Guinea’s main crops.
- To reduce food production costs. In bio-chemical farming, for example, costs drop by about 40%. In 100% organic farming the cost savings compared to chemicals are much higher.
- To restore and improve the soil’s fertility. The soil can be cleaned of chemicals while hard, chemical soil and poor soil can be changed to a crumbly, fertile state, which is rich in micro-organisms and beneficial insect life.
- To increase the quality of crops, e.g. fruit and vegetables become sweeter, crispier, and keep longer; grains have an improved taste; flowers are larger, fresher-looking, keep longer, and have a stronger scent; etc. A longer shelf life means that crops will not be spoiled before they reach the market at home or abroad.
- To ensure that the country’s food exports will not be rejected because of chemical content.
- Guinea can become known for exporting 100% organic food. This will increase exports and provide more money for the farmers and the economy.
- To develop commercial agriculture, particularly in a 100% organic direction.
- To reduce poverty as farmers will earn more from higher crop yields and quality. Also, because there will be no increase in price over the 5 years the farmers will become wealthier.
- To protect water sources from chemical agriculture contamination.