PELUM works to foster ELUM, ecological land use management

What do we mean by ‘ELUM’? ELUM is a way of looking after land and the people who farm it. We believe it’s the best way to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.

ELUM works to:

• Increase farm productivity and yield in an ecologically sustainable and culturally appropriate way
•  Increase a farmer’s access to markets
• Create a policy environment conducive to ELUM
•  Create equally amongst male and female farmers
•  Enable sick people infected by or affected by HIV to farm

The ELUM approach:
Farming in an ELUM way with greater access to markets, supported by policy reinforcement through campaign, advocacy and lobbying activities.

Farming ‘the ELUM way’ means:

• Having an ecologically diverse farming system and not degrading the environment
• Using and managing natural resources sustainably, including energy conservation and renewable energy systems and water conservation and water harvesting technologies
• Using animal integration with good animal husbandry techniques
• Using indigenous seeds and making use of indigenous knowledge
• Not using genetically modified seeds
• Not using synthetic fertilisers and instead using natural fertiliser like compost to provide nutrients to the soil

How are we fostering ELUM?

• Research, training and sharing of good practice on sustainable farming techniques that have been shown to increase yield and reduce farm costs – such as organic conservation agriculture, agro-forestry, integrated pest control , water harvesting and using locally available resources
• Through training in value addition and crop diversification and in market models
• Through campaigning, advocacy and lobbying work
• Through training in gender mainstreaming
• Through training in low-labour farming techniques and training in HIV mainstreaming

Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , our agricultural and rural development officer, to find out more.