A solar-powered farm in Kenya shows how to restore biodiversity

The farm belongs to Benedetta Kyengo, the founder of Feedback to the Future, whom we meet in Kwamiui village. Her dwelling is “submerged” in leafy greenery, providing a cooling relief from the scorching midday sun.

Benedetta bought the four acres of land in this arid and semi-arid area years ago before she left the country to study in the Netherlands. There, she acquired knowledge in sustainable business and innovation, immersing herself in practices aimed at curbing climate change and promoting a circular regenerative economy.

A mother of one, Benedetta returned home ready to apply the experiences she gained abroad, disproving the widely held belief that Makueni is unfit for agriculture.

Nature-Friendly Farming

Benedetta’s farm in Kwamiui employs an approach called syntropic farming—a form of soil-regenerating, organic agroforestry that combines food production with forest ecosystems, building up soil in a way that mimics natural processes.

She hired Thiong’o Gachie, an expert in regenerative agriculture, and Elizabeth Kyengo, who specializes in monitoring and evaluation. Together, the team has incorporated local and indigenous knowledge of native plants into their practice.

As Gachie guides us around the farm, we hear a great variety of insects and calling birds—a reminder of our ancestral connection to nature. The farm grows more than 80 species of native fruit trees, food crops, tubers, medicinal plants, and much more.

“With diversity comes stability,” says Gachie. “If 10 out of 80 species are affected by pests and diseases, we still have 70 species we can rely on, either for food or commercial purposes.”

A shaded section of the farm serves as a nursery for freshly planted seeds and seedlings. In the main farm area, they create one-meter-wide seed beds of varying lengths, planting food crops and trees in them. They avoid tilling the land to preserve soil structure and protect soil organisms from adverse climatic conditions. By not turning the soil, they also ensure that carbon remains underground, contributing to climate change mitigation.

Mulching is essential, preventing evaporation and encouraging the soil to absorb water like a sponge, giving plants prolonged access to moisture. Stepping on the beds is strictly prohibited to avoid compacting the soil, which limits water infiltration.

No Pesticides

Pesticides, pruning, and uprooting of plants are also avoided. Gachie explains that allowing leaves to naturally fall and decompose while leaving dead roots to rot underground enhances soil nutrients and water retention.

“We don’t use pesticides to treat infested crops because if we start killing pests, we’re not helping that crop very much,” he says. “We let nature take its course, allowing pests to deal with weaker plants. This way, only healthy plants remain for the next season.”

Another reason they avoid killing pests is to attract natural predators, helping to restore the natural food web.

Benedetta laments how humans have turned against nature. “Every insect has a purpose,” she says. “As you walked around, you saw some of our plants have been attacked, and we’re fine with that. We’ve destroyed nature, depriving insects and birds of food. We are sharing this world with all organisms—we don’t need to monopolize life.”

However, challenges persist, as neighboring farms use pesticides that the wind can carry into Benedetta’s conserved farm. To counter this, her team planted trees along their fences to trap wind-blown chemicals. They’re working to encourage neighboring farms to practice organic farming, though these conversations have been challenging.

Solar Pumps

The village got electricity only about two months ago, but power outages are frequent. Benedetta has overcome this obstacle by using solar power at home and on the farm.

Elizabeth Kyengo explains that the farm initially relied on the Kwamiui dam, 700 meters away, for water. However, carrying water from the dam was strenuous, so they recently installed a borehole with a solar-powered pump, making irrigation quicker and easier.

The borehole is 70 meters deep and, when fully recharged, holds 20 cubic meters of water. Powered by 15 solar panels, the pump supplies up to 40,000 liters of water to the farm daily, except on Sundays.

“It’s not a cheap investment,” Benedetta says. “The solar pumps can run for about six months, sometimes a year, but eventually, they need replacement. In one and a half years, we’ve already replaced three pumps.”

Nonetheless, she is satisfied that using solar power to pump water into holding tanks is much cheaper than relying on main electricity. They’ve also dug 14 water pans to capture rainwater, allowing it to sink into the ground.

“We hope to restore seasonal rivers to their original state, but to achieve this, we need to ‘tighten our belts’ a bit more and be patient as the water penetrates the ground,” Benedetta says.

Scaling Up

The farm contributes to food system sustainability by feeding their families and selling surplus produce. Benedetta also trains the new generation on preparing indigenous produce without losing nutrients. Surplus from the farm is sent to slum residents in Nairobi, most of whom lack access to balanced diets.

The farm has employed over 20 community members and serves as a source of indigenous food and a model for training. Since its inception, over 700 farmers in Makueni County have received training. With support from the county government, syntropic farming has spread to 19 villages in Makueni.

“We have 200 farmers implementing what they’ve learned,” says Benedetta. “It’s an achievement. The challenge is that large-scale implementation takes time, but with resources, it can accelerate.”

Experts are discussing how to finance and achieve these efforts during COP16, the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held this week in Colombia.

Restoration Boost

At a COP16 side event on October 30, Jochen Flasbarth, Germany’s State Secretary at the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, announced EUR 40 million to support the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).

The initiative aims to strengthen governance for sustainable land management, create green jobs, promote value-added businesses, and restore degraded landscapes through community action. Six countries, including Kenya, are participating.

Flasbarth emphasized that transformation is achievable, but it presents challenges. “If rain comes and there’s no soil to hold it, destructive floods can occur,” he said, adding that it's now time to restore what has been damaged in the past.

Kenya’s Role

On October 29, Festus Ng’eno, Kenya’s Principal Secretary of the State Department for Environment and Climate Change, told COP16 delegates that Kenya has integrated biodiversity considerations into sectors like agriculture. He also announced that Kenya is developing a resource mobilization strategy for effective implementation of a Biodiversity Restoration Plan.

The Nairobi-based Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development will serve as the sub-regional technical and scientific cooperation support center under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. It will promote knowledge exchange, research, and dissemination of eco-friendly technologies in the region.

Combining Knowledge

A recent study by the University of Oxford highlighted the economic benefits of investing in nature-based solutions. According to the study, nature-based solutions can enhance the resilience of ecosystems and the economies that depend on them.

Benedetta’s farm exemplifies this approach, aiming to “make peace with nature.” The farm enhances climate resilience through forest and land restoration, while ensuring nutritious indigenous food and creating job opportunities for locals.

The team combines scientific and indigenous knowledge in syntropic farming. They collect indigenous seeds from nearby villages to plant on the farm or store in solar-powered driers for their seed bank. They avoid mixing local seeds with commercial ones due to concerns over genetically modified seeds, which require chemical pesticides and cannot be replanted.

However, Kenya’s policies prohibit unlicensed individuals from selling or exchanging seeds, posing a challenge for small farmers. Benedetta is urging the government to align policies with the Global Biodiversity Framework.

“Our approach is guided by a circular and regenerative economy,” says Benedetta. “Nature is intelligent. It responds quickly, whether positively or negatively, to human behavior.”

This story was produced as part of the 2024 CBD COP16 Fellowship by Internews' Earth Journalism Network