The hidden market for organic products in Busia

Eight years ago, Anastancia Muleka received an invite to attend a farmers’ training session. It turned out to be a course on organic farming methods, facilitated by Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT).

Through the agroecology workshop, Anastancia and other small scale farmers participated in several sessions, where they learned how to produce crops using organic methods, in Bukhayo West of Matayos Sub County, Busia County.

Organic agriculture combines several practices, including the use of organic fertilizers, compost manure, locally adapted seeds or breeds, biological pest control, crop rotation, mulching, minimum tillage, soil erosion prevention, agroforestry, sustainable irrigation and inter-cropping with nitrogen-fixing trees, or legumes.

“We learned that organic products are healthy and priced higher than conventional ones,” she begins.

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With that in mind, Anastancia started with a small plot for home consumption but later expanded, growing a variety of organic crops which include vegetables like sukuma wiki, tomatoes, onions as well as maize, beans, groundnuts, bananas, yams, potatoes and cassava, targeting markets for income.

Her immediate challenge was finding a market for organic produce: “I had never heard of markets that deal with organic products. Just before harvesting, l began searching for organic markets, but all existing ones sold conventional products.”

She took her organic products to the market, promoting them as healthy, but customers didn’t distinguish them from conventional ones, insisting to pay the same price. She was frustrated.

In 2019, she met Loice Anyiko, who was looking for a source of crops grown without chemicals. Anyiko, was still in shock, over a recent incident involving tomatoes, at a market in Busia town.

One afternoon, Anyiko bought tomatoes in bulk for Sh 350, ensuring they would last for at least two weeks without the need for her to return to the market.

Shockingly, the tomatoes began to rot the third day, and within five days, all of them spoiled and developed white mold. Several people who had purchased the tomatoes also found theirs spoiled.

Soon, word spread that suppliers, who were from Uganda had likely sprayed the tomatoes with excessive chemicals, possibly to speed up their maturity and ripening.

“If the use of excessive chemicals was true, it meant, we were at risk of dangerous health issues related to unsafe food. And possibly, this issue extended to many other crops, not just tomatoes,” narrates Anyiko, from Alupe area.

Yet, World Health Organization (WHO) states, access to sufficient amounts of safe food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. That, an estimated 600 million-almost one in 10 people in the world-fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420 000 die every year.

“And, children under five years of age carry 40 percent of the foodborne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year,” WHO warns.

For Anyiko, the high incidence of lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart disorders has made her realize the critical importance of food quality and safety.

At first, Anyiko was skeptical and questioned more how Anastancia produces her crops.

After confirming that Anastancia truly grows organic crops, Anyiko began purchasing from her, and today, six years later, she remains one of Anastancia’s most loyal farmers.

Anyiko shares: “I buy from her groundnuts, maize, beans, fruits, tomatoes, onions and traditional vegetables. She’s also connected me with her colleagues in organic farming, where l can get what she doesn’t produce.”

Today, Anastancia has tens of loyal clients who buy directly from her. She explains: “I got motivated when people who understood the value of organic products began buying from me.”

Fredrick Ochieng, Farmer Communication Programme Coordinator and Head of Support Functions, for Biovision Africa Trust acknowledges the numerous challenges in the markets for organic products, including limited consumer awareness, inadequate infrastructure to facilitate transportation and storage and higher cost of organic products compared to conventional ones.

Additionally, the lack of established certification systems and supportive policies for organic farming hinder market growth.

“To overcome these challenges, we advocate for public awareness campaigns, investment in infrastructure and policy reforms that promote the adoption and trade of organic products,” he explains.

He promises, BvAT programs which focus on forging strategic partnerships with stakeholders such as supermarkets, schools and hospitals are designed to support farmers access reliable and profitable markets for their organic products.

Quinto Makokha grows organic vegetables, fruits, cereals, bananas and also keeps poultry in Mundika, Busia. He recalls how the training on organic farming promised them great fortunes through sales. 

Armed with fresh skills, Makokha invested more in organic crops, but after harvesting, he found there was no market.

“I sold my crops as conventional products. This dampened my spirit for organic crops. Nowadays, l produces very little, just for my dozens of clients and for home consumption,” he explains.

Most people in markets across the county such as Corinda, Nambale, Bumala, Busia town, Ogalo and Funyula are familiar with organic products. However, only a few know where to find them.

Luke Sande from Bumala says he’s heard organic products being touted as healthy, but has no idea where to find them. He adds that even if he were to come across them, he wouldn’t identify them based on their physical appearance.

“I was born and raised here, but l am yet to physically see organic maize, bananas, beans and cassava. Here at Bumala market, all products look the same,” he says.

Given opportunity, Sande says he would feed his family healthy products, out of concern for diseases associated with eating unsafe foods.

Pamela Otieno, from BvAT in Kakamega County explains that in the region, eight out of 10 people are conscious of what they eat. “People are increasingly asking, is it safe, healthy and nutritious,” she says.

She emphasizes, their work is to educate farmers about agroecology, providing them with information on how to effectively use organic inputs and improve their soil through various practices and technologies.

Lack of organized markets remains pain to those producing in large quantities, as selling one on one is not economical.

Strangely, some farmers engage in commercial production using chemicals, yet maintain their own organic kitchen gardens to provide food for their families.

“The produce from their gardens such as vegetables is meant for personal consumption, while the chemically grown crops are sold in the market. These farmers know what to eat, and what to sell,” she regrets.

Rosemary Sikoyo, Matron of Mundika Secondary school, shares how providing organic vegetables saved the school from frequent complaints from students.

Initially, students ate vegetables bought from local farmers. However, at least 80 out of 600 students in the school experienced stomachaches and ulcers after consuming the vegetables.

Concerned by students’ complaints, the school later discovered that some of the local vegetable suppliers were applying excessive chemicals to speed up the crops maturity.

“As a school, we require a constant supply of vegetables for our students. But fearing a disruption in supply and income, some of our suppliers resorted to using excessive chemicals to speed up vegetables growth. This was unfortunate because, it started affecting our students,” Matron explains.

Fortunately, through BvAT training, the school established its own kitchen gardens where they planted organic vegetables. Once these vegetables were introduced into the meals, no student experienced stomachaches and ulcers as they had before.

As time went on, both students and the staff members asked for more, leading to a surge in demand. Students who ate vegetables once a week, requested to have them twice a week, after seeing positive changes.

And since the school project couldn’t meet the increasing demand, Rosemary says they started sourcing additional supplies from local community groups, among them Namalenga Women Group, who grew organic vegetables.

Ochieng praises the initiative of farmers selling directly to buyers, saying it fosters trust and ensures farmers receive fair compensation without intermediaries.

He advises, “Farmers can leverage on technology such as mobile applications, e-commerce platforms and social media tools to reach a broader audience and establish long-term relationships with buyers.”

To him, digital marketplaces specifically designed for organic products can facilitate transparency, traceability and convenience for both farmers and consumers, ensuring the sustainability of these direct sales efforts.

Ochieng acknowledges farmers selling organic alongside conventional products, as a common challenge.

He emphasizes the importance of farmers obtaining organic certifications. Organisations such as Kenya Organic Network (KOAN) can assist farmers to obtain these certifications, and enable them access organic markets.

“Certification not only validates their organic practices but also allows them to access premium markets such as supermarkets, specialty stores and export opportunities. Certified organic products often fetch higher prices,” he explains.

He adds, advocacy for dedicated organic sections in local markets could help distinguish organic products and attract discerning consumers.

Ochieng advices buyers to explore digital platforms and mobile applications tailored to organic markets, as they provide detailed information on product availability, pricing, and farmer locations.

Buyers should connect with organizations that promote organic farming, for guidance and validation of genuine organic producers.

He advises organic farmers to focus on building small-scale local networks and forming cooperatives, that strengthens their bargaining power and market presence.

William Buluma, a Farmer Field Officer from Busia explains that after training, farmers began producing a variety of organic crops.

As for markets, he says: “We are in the process of identifying potential markets, including institutions like primary secondary, colleges and Universities. We are also targeting local market centres, supermarkets across the country and exploring export opportunities.”

In his area alone, there are 300 registered farmers who have been interviewed, categorized and grouped as part of their search for markets.