Gauteng Smallholder April 2017 | Page 9

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MAILBAG

Farming a solution to the poverty trap

Sir ~ I would like to suggest that there is a solution to the posed problem ( in you comment The elephant in the room , February 2017 ) that would lift all participants out of poverty and benefit South Africa as a country enormously . We usually look to the “ big ” ( business , conglomerate farming , multi nationals and government ) to help the small . Each of these big entities is made up of small individuals that it relies on to make it big . Every individual needs a few basic things to live and give input to the “ big ”. The most important is food , so to start with the provision of food is a good place to begin . If man has more food than he needs and can barter / sell the extra he is out of the poverty / dependency syndrome . Poverty is in essence a dependency problem and not a positional status . If you depend on a “ big ” to give you a job , or a multinational to give you food aid , you are their slave , and not free – in short you are controlled by them , which equals poverty . If you can provide your basic need without the “ big ” in your life you are out of poverty and climbing the ladder to wealth . If one household of father , mother and two children

have one hectare of land they can grow enough food for their needs and have surplus to sell for other things like clothes . This has been achieved by some on half a hectare in Malawi . The understanding is freely available for all from “ Farming God’
s Way ”. The inputs needed are all provided by God , freely to all . Farming God’
s Way training is given freely to any person who wants to use it , through a few avenues . The written material is on the web for free download , atwww . farminggods-way . org and I do training at Plot 82 , Nooitgedacht , Muldersdrift . There is a DVD that can be purchased from the web site or from me . The basic process is using compost made on site , and soil improvement through natural farming methods , all implemented by man , without the need for costly machines .
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