Parenting styles and prosocial behaviors

How the Authoritarian Parenting Style Affect Prosocial Behavior on Children

Effects of Parenting Style on Prosocial Behavior 

            Studies in behavioural sciences have managed to ascertain the correlation between different parenting styles and the acquisition of prosocial behaviour among children. Scholars drawn from various social sciences and sociology have continued to study to understand better the connection between different parenting styles and prosocial behaviour in children. Different parenting styles have been identified that parents use to guide their children into the right behavior. The most popular parenting style includes the authoritarian. A notable general issue in parenting is that different parenting styles effectively facilitate the development of prosocial behaviors compared to others. Findings from various studies conducted in this area have revealed that authoritarian parenting style negatively affects prosocial behavior in children. This discussion focuses on reviewing the available literature on how the authoritarian parenting style affects prosocial behavior in children.

            Parenting style can either be aligned to the aspect of responsiveness or demandingness. According to Carlo et al. (2007), responsiveness refers to parental support and further explains the degree to which a parent exhibit affection in bettering the relationship with their child (Callaghan & Corbit, 2018). On the other hand, demandingness is a dimension of parenting style founded more on the aspect of control and explains the degree to which parents are strict towards their children in enforcing the desired standard of behavior. Authoritarian parenting is one of the styles that is aligned to the dimension of demandingness. Scholars have continued to research and identify whether demandingness and responsiveness have any implications or influence in children’s development of prosocial behavior.

            Understanding elements of parenting and prosocial behavior are important to understanding the influence of authoritarian parenting style and the development of prosocial behaviors. Clark et al. (2015) explain parenting style as the distinct emotional environment created by the parents’ attitude during the children’s socialization process. Emagnaw and Hong (2018) explain prosocial behaviour as voluntary behaviour that yields a wide range of benefits to other people by being reactive and proactive in responding to other people’s needs. Some of the notable elements of prosocial behaviour include sharing, having empathy and sympathy towards others, volunteering, donating to those in need, being concerned with the wellbeing of other people, helping and comforting those going through a hard time (Dunfield, 2014). Researches and studies in this area have focused on understanding the correlation between different parenting styles and their likelihood of enforcing and facilitating the development of prosocial behaviors.

            As a style aligned and based on demandingness, authoritarian parenting has been found to hinder the development of prosocial behaviors in children. Authoritarian parents use punitive and other power-assertive techniques like yelling, overt depiction of anger, and corporal punishment. (Clark et al., 2015). Parenting style of authoritarian is linked to the low development of prosocial behaviors. Children brought up under authoritarian parenting style exhibit little or no elements of prosocial behaviour. Notably, children under authoritarian parenting tend to demonstrate the other negative extreme of prosocial behavior, which is aggression (Clark et al., 2015). Specifically, using disciplinary enforcement techniques such as corporal punishment and other power-assertive tactics such as yelling results in relational aggression behaviour, low empathy towards others, and significant impairment to the expected prosocial behaviour among children (Clark et al., 2015).

Children brought up under the authoritarian parenting style are highly susceptible to antisocial behaviors. According to Clark et al. (2015), authoritarian parenting style has been linked and associated with relational aggression in children. From a behavioural studies perspective, relational aggression is more of opposite of the prosocial behavior and is characterized by depiction and engaging in behaviours that harm other people, especially through manipulating relationships. There is little parent involvement in behavioural monitoring and enforcement of right behaviors, which results in the development of antisocial behaviors. Further, in some instances, authoritarian parenting is also associated with many antisocial behaviours that result in delinquency when a child reaches adolescence and criminal behaviour when they get into adulthood. For this reason, the authoritarian parenting style is a hindrance to the development of prosocial behaviors among children. The authoritarian parenting style is associated with the other extreme of prosocial behaviors such as aggression and manipulation of relationships to hurt others. This information shows that the authoritarian hinders the development of prosocial behavior among children.

            The authoritarian parenting style hinders the development of prosocial behaviors because of its lack of crucial elements of support and responsiveness among parents. Malonda et al. (2019) affirm that parenting style that demonstrates parental warmth and support is positively associated with prosocial behavior among children. However, when it comes to authoritarian parenting style, the parent depicts harshness and high-level strictness in outlining the rules that must be followed with little or no form of compromise. When children fail to adhere and comply with the set rule, an authoritarian parent responds with corporal punishment. In some instances, authoritarian parenting escalates to being physically and emotionally abusive towards the child. Some of the parents utilize the authoritarian style as they equate it to loving and caring for their children to protect them from the social evils in society. However, authoritarian parenting only results in an impaired relationship between the child and the parent. It creates an atmosphere that results in antisocial behaviors at the expense of prosocial behaviors as expected. Children brought up through authoritarian parenting lack some crucial virtues such as empathy (Clark et al., 2015).

            The social learning theory can explain the negative implications of authoritarian parenting style and its hindering effect on the development of prosocial behaviors. Social learning postulates that children learn their behaviors by observing those around them, especially the parents (Bandura & Hall, 2018). Children tend to imitate the behaviors and attitudes they observe from those around them. Children brought up by authoritarian parents will tend to acquire antisocial behavioural tendencies associated with aggression, being harsh, and bitter towards others. Being aggressive towards the child to comply with rules will make such children comfortable with being aggressive towards others. These children who become used to violence and physical abuse are more likely to become aggressive and rebellious. Such children are prone to bullying behaviours in school towards their peers. The social environment that the family and parents create within the house is a critical determinant of whether the child will acquire antisocial or prosocial behaviours.

            In conclusion, the authoritarian parenting style stands as a hindrance to developing prosocial behaviors among children. The authoritarian parenting style is excessively strict and utilizes elements such as corporal punishment and other power-assertive techniques to get the child to comply with the parent’s rules. Such a parenting style predisposes the child to acquire antisocial behaviors associated with aggressiveness towards others. The acquisition of antisocial behaviour takes place through observation, as explained through Bandura’s social learning theory. Therefore, the use of harsh methods such as corporal punishment, and being strict towards children as in authoritarian parenting style does not translate to fostering prosocial behaviors in children

References

Bandura, A., & Hall, P. (2018). Albert bandura and social learning theory. Learning Theories For Early Years Practice, 63.

Carlo, G., McGinley, M., Hayes, R., Batenhorst, C., & Wilkinson, J. (2007). Parenting styles or practices? Parenting, sympathy, and prosocial behaviors among adolescents. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 168(2), 147-176.

Callaghan, T., & Corbit, J. (2018). Early prosocial development across cultures. Current opinion in Psychology, 20, 102-106.

Carlo, G., White, R. M., Streit, C., Knight, G. P., & Zeiders, K. H. (2018). Longitudinal relations among parenting styles, prosocial behaviors, and academic outcomes in US Mexican adolescents. Child Development, 89(2), 577-592.

Clark, C. M., Dahlen, E. R., & Nicholson, B. C. (2015). The role of parenting in relational aggression and prosocial behavior among emerging adults. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 24(2), 185-202.

Dunfield, K. A. (2014). A construct divided: prosocial behavior as helping, sharing, and comforting subtypes. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 958.

Emagnaw, A. B., & Hong, J. Z. (2018). Relationship among parenting styles, prosocial behavior and school performance of students who are attending to Grade Seven and Eight state schools. American Journal of Educational Research and Reviews, 3, 32-32.

Malonda, E., Llorca, A., Mesurado, B., Samper, P., & Mestre, M. V. (2019). Parents or peers? Predictors of prosocial behavior and aggression: a longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2379.

KENYA AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION THROUGH CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN FARMING: UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF CARBON CREDIT CONCEPT IN KENYA

The carbon credit concept is an instrument whose potential remains unexploited. It refers to a tradable certificate or a special permit that is issued to entities an countries to allow them emit up to one tone of CO₂. It is worth noting that Carbon (IV) Oxide remains to be the major greenhouses gas (GHG) that continue to cause global warming, which has in turn accelerated climate change. As per the current market stand, one carbon credit is equivalent to one tone of Carbon (IV) Oxide. The carbon credit concept operates under the principle of emission trading, which is a market-based strategy aimed at controlling pollution and offering economic incentives for the countries and entities that are able to achieve reduction in the emission of various pollutants.

Kenya Strategic Positioning

Agriculture is the mainstay of Kenya’s economy contributing to about 30% of the country’s GDP and supporting over 80% of the Kenya’s workforce. Kenya is one of the countries that continue to experience the negative effects of climate change. The recent massive invasion of the desert locusts has been blamed to the continued climate change. This is so as Kenya has recently experienced heavy rainfall and drastic rise in the temperatures, which create conditions that are favorable for the breeding of the locusts.

It is an undisputed fact that environment and agriculture are intertwined as farms are extensions of the larger natural environment. It is this aspect that led to the coining of the term ‘Agro-ecosystem,’ which simply means an ecosystem that has been modified by man for the purpose of food production, raw materials, and cash crops. Kenya’s landscape is dominated by wide range of agroecosystems ranging from tea and coffee estates, maize and wheat farms, ranches, and various irrigation schemes supporting production of rice, onions, sorghum, and other cash crops.

 Farmers should be brought on board as strategic agents in the mitigation of the effects of climate change. One of the ways through which farmers can become agents in the fight against climate change is through carbon projects under the carbon credit concept. A carbon project refers to any business initiative that receives a certain amount of funding because of it capacity to cut down on the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Through this initiative, Kenyan farmers and their farms can form carbon projects where they are funded to adopt sustainable farming practices that serve to sequestrate carbon into the soil. The carbon credit farming programme is not yet fully developed in the country despite its demonstrated potential. However, the program is very popular in some of the industrialized and developed economies. In these countries, the governments compensate farmers for their efforts especially adoption of agriculture best practices that are effective in bringing down GHGs and on the process reducing the negative implications of global warming.

Feasibility of the Project

Adoption of sustainable farming practices has been identified to facilitate the process of carbon sequestration, which is serves to sink and offsetting Carbon (IV) Oxide from the atmosphere. According to Griscom et al. (2020), there is a growing interest in the natural climate solutions (NCS) that strives to boost the carbon-storing potential of farms, forests, and some of the fields covered with vegetation. In his article in the ecosystem market place, Zwick (2019) identifies Kenya as among the countries that are on the NCS portfolio of those that have great potential in sinking carbon through protection of forests, adoption of sustainable agriculture, reforestation, and management of wetlands.

Through this blog, I reiterate that carbon credit is an area that with incredible potential to empower livelihoods while at the same aiding in the realization of objectives in climate change and mitigation of the same. The estimated value of the carbon market currently stands at $ 176 billion. The market has managed to get the attention of a wide range of stakeholders with main among them being the farmers. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is in charge of over sighting projects in the area and instrument of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It is worth noting that there 3,927 CDM projects around the world. Out of these, there are only 84 of such projects in the entire continent of Africa. The low number of the projects demonstrates that Africa is yet to tap on the potential in this area, which would be vital for attaining sustainable development.

Unknown to many is the potential that Kenya holds when it comes to farming and how much it can achieve with the right and relevant support especially in the area of carbon credits. Notably, in the year 2014, a section of Kenya farmers emerged as the first beneficiaries of carbon credits. These farmers were able to adopt sustainable agricultural practices that facilitated sequestration of up to 184,788 metric tons of carbon (IV) oxide, an equivalent of emissions released by over 5,000 vehicles every year. This was attained under what was known as the Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project (KACP) that involved up to 64,000 small holder farmers owning a total land area of 45,000 Hectares. The farmers were guided into adopting sustainable agricultural land management which had an accounting methodology for carbon and was implemented and overseen by the Swedish NGO Vi Agroforestry and funded by the World Bank.

The project had a wide range of other socioeconomic benefits beside the mitigation of the effects of climate change. The adoption of the sustainable agricultural land management (SALM) practices increased and raised the soil fertility. Further, it was realized that through the SALM practices, farmers managed to get a 15-20% increase in their yields, because of the increase soil fertility. Therefore, in addition to assisting in the sequestration of carbon into the soil, SALM played a critical role in improving the soil fertility and yields of the farmers.

World Bank positions itself as strategic partner in this project and initiative and is ready to finance projects in that line. Additionally, the Swedish based NGO, Vi Agroforestry also stands as a crucial agent in this efforts as it was the one that was involved in the implementation of the project in Kenya through the support of World Bank’s BioCarbon Fund. Some of other agents included the French Development Agency and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. It is worth noting that the World Bank’s BioCarbon Fund started plans for purchasing the carbon credits generated by the 2017 project, which was estimated at a value of $ 600,000.

The section of farmers that would significantly benefit includes the coffee farmers. From an ecological perspective, farmers engaged in farming of tea and coffee plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse gases through their farms. Unknown to them is that they earn extra income by owning the farms as they serve as carbon sinks. Specifically, it is estimated that farmers have the potential of earning $ 1 per coffee tree they own, which is equivalent of about 105 Kenyan shillings. Therefore, for a farmer with an acre of coffee having 500 coffee trees, he would stand to earn over 51,000 Kenya Shillings every year for owning the farm and growing coffee. It is worth noting that there are additional monetary benefits such those for using fertilizers that are environmental friendly. According to Job Kareithi, who is the CEO of the Lead Consultant at Capacity Building Consultants, Kenya has a total acreage of 150,000 Hectares of coffee. Each hectare has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,250 coffee trees. This is to mean that Kenya has been missing out up to 20 billion because of the lack of coordination and projects in this area.

ROOM FOR CORPORATIONS TO ALSO BENEFIT

In addition to farmers, companies and corporations can also benefit immensely in the area of carbon credits. It is worth noting that some of the renowned corporations have tapped and reaped heavily in the area. For instace, Mumias Sugar became the first Kenyan agro-based company to sell carbon credits and earning from the same, demonstrating the practicability of the concept. In 2010, Mumias Sugar Company announced that it earned a total of Sh22 million after the sale of 43,000 tons of carbon dioxide. The company sold the carbon credits to Japanese Carbon Finance.

In addition to Mumias Sugar, other companies such as the East Africa Portland Cement and KenGen have also reaped greatly by negotiating with some of the available international buyers in the global market. With regard to Kenya Power, the company in collaboration with the Standard Bank managed to purchase 700,000 worth of carbon credits that were aimed at funding clean energy projects. The project was focused on facilitating replacement of kerosene lamps with the LED lamps in Tanzania. The systems works by earning one carbon credit for every ton of carbon (IV) oxide that is removed from the atmosphere.

Reference

Griscom, B. W., Busch, J., Cook-Patton, S. C., Ellis, P. W., Funk, J., Leavitt, S. M., … & Gurwick, N. P. (2020). National mitigation potential from natural climate solutions in the tropics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 375(1794), 20190126.

A Functional Plan of Community Participation in Forest Management – Case Study: Geta Forest- Nyandarua County, Kenya

It was with great marvel that I watched a news segment entitled “Forest Converts” that was aired in one of the local TV news, Citizen News. It covered how a community surrounding Geta forest, in Kenya turned from being radical loggers to passionate and dedicated forest conservationists. Geta Forest covers 18,807 HA and is situated in Nyandarua County, in the central Kenya highlands and is part of the larger Aberdare Forest ecosystem. The community members were involved in the illegal logging in the forest and they were always clash with the government and engage in the running battles with the forest rangers. However, the then leader, Jamleck Gichuki indicates that they realized the more they used to cut down trees the more they got poor.

The government approached approached them through the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and they entered into a mutual agreement to be conserving the Geta forest ecosystem and this changed everything. They turned from being loggers to conservationists it has transformed their lives for the better. They are involved in the planting of trees in the forest after harvesting trees and they are also allowed to practice farming in the forest as well. One of the highlights that caught my attention was that on a good harvest, Jamleck Gichuki is able to make up to Ksh. 800,000. These returns have enabled the community to empower themselves, where they now own land and have been able to put up modern decent houses for their families. They have managed to invest and educate their children without challenges. Some now own multiple motorcycles, which continue to boost their income.

Any environmentalist watching the news segment can see a functional plan of the community participation in the conservation of forests. One of the major threats to our natural forests is illegal logging mainly by the locals. The government should replicate the Geta plan around all natural forests in the country. It is a fact that the government is not in a position to hire enough forest rangers to protect the trees from the illegal loggers. The community surrounding these forests stands as the biggest asset and tool towards the realization of the country’s conservation goals. As evidenced in the segment, the community highlighted that they cannot allow any person within or without to come and cut a single tree from the forest. This is the best guarding mechanism that is free from compromise from the mighty and greedy officials in the government. It is my hope that the government will be able to replicate this idea to all major forests including those of Mt. Kenya and the Mau Forest, that are among the country’s main water towers.

 

A Country Headed in the Right Direction

As an upcoming environmental professional, I must highlight my appreciation for the efforts that the government is making as far as conservation of the country’s environment and natural capital is concerned. In the recent past, we have witnessed the country undertake some actions that will go in a long way to conserve out environment. One of the most notable of actions included enacting a ban on the use of plastic bags. Although Kenya lacks effective execution strategy, this ban has since taken effect. I was privileged to take a class by the former director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Prof. Michieka, and I  remember asking him why the country has not being able to effect a ban on the use of plastic bag. He noted that the cartels in the industry would not stand and see their business go down. It is a commendable thing that the ban has since being effected. However, the government has requires a team to enforce the ban as it is a sad situation where people are importing the plastic bags from the neighboring country.

The other action that the government has undertaken includes banning all logging around the country. The country is increasingly loosing a considerable amount of its forest cover because of logging, whether legal or illegal. There is a need to empower institutions such as those of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to enforce this ban, just like the Kenya Wildlife Service has been effective in enforcing the ban on illegal poaching. Kenya is known to have the best of the policies when it comes to addressing challenges affecting environment. These policies remain only good in the paper and it is time these policies are enforced and implemented to the letter. It is worthy mentioning that the county government are also joining in, where the governor of the Machakos County banned all logging activities in the county for the next 3 years.

Lastly, the appointment of a new Cabinet Secretary, Kiraitu Tobiko appear to be another great move. Needless to say, Tobiko is considered to be among the best brains in the country. It is my hope that he will bring his wisdom and astuteness in the country’s conservation efforts. Notably, Tobiko is already doing a good job as he has appointed a taskforce comprised of the best environmentalists in the country. The task force will be charged with coming up with strategies to conserve the environment and mainly the forests. The task force was as per the directive of the office of the Deputy President. Therefore, it is clear that the executive is headed at the right direction as far as conservation and environmental governance is concerned.

ROLE OF AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES IN ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY

African continent by the virtue of its position on the globe and the nature of economic activities of its people poses as the most vulnerable and most affected by the harsh effects of climate change. Africa, most livelihoods is in the agricultural sector and poses also high dependent on natural resources. The rainfall patterns are changing and becoming unpredictable as the years goes by. Temperatures are also rising and they are expected to rise even farther gradually.

These two phenomenons are having a very big impact on the livelihoods of African people who depend upon rain for their agricultural activity. Rivers are drying and the desert landmasses are increasing in size and area. Clean water is becoming a commodity hard to find in ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid) regions. This places a greater responsibility upon the institutions of higher learning to come up with mitigation measures and adopting techniques to the effects of climate change.

Also it is upon these institutions to come up with breeds and cultivars that will adapt regardless of rainfall and with high tolerance on high temperatures and the upcoming pests and diseases that are evolving due to changes in temperature regimes. Universities are known to produce the best educated human resource and it’s therefore their responsibility to develop courses geared mitigation and adaptation of climate change at both levels of study, undergraduate and post-graduate.

This will increase extensions services to the vulnerable farmers and also will see setting up of consultancy firms in agricultural and natural resource sectors. This will reduce the information asymmetry facing the farmers as to what is happening around them and what they may expect in the future and how to make the necessary adjustments to adapt in the climate change together with their farms.

CLIMATE CHANGE: IS IT A FATE OR A CONSEQUENCE

There is a lot of debate surrounding Climate change, mostly on what is causing it, whether it is triggered by human activities and that it fate and a result of expanding human population  and the long-term and short-term effects arising from it. Climate change should however be differentiated from climate variability, the latter refers to temporary variation of weather elements  for a period not exceeding 10 years while the former which is the climate change refers to a permanent deviation of weather element from their original occurrence patterns  that has lasted for a period of or exceeding ten years.

The causes of this global phenomenon have greatly being attributed to anthropogenic activities that has increased in the last two centuries. The greatest anthropogenic activities blamed for climate change are industrialization and agriculture. These I must say as it is are based on the basis of their contribution of green house gases into the atmosphere. Industrialization is known to discharge a significance amount of GHG’s in the atmosphere which include mostly the carbon iv oxide, sulphur iv oxide and nitrous iv oxide which are the greatest contributor to greenhouse effect leading to global warming. Most industries in the developed countries are the biggest contributor to emissions of these GHG’s especially those which depend on coal for their source of energy. Like U.S.A is known to contribute to about 25% of total GHG’s emitted annually and their refusal to sign and adopt the Kyoto Protocol would leave us wondering as to why. Kyoto Protocol would commit them to lower their emission but now it not the fact.

Agriculture has become a culprit of causing climate change also for its contribution of various GHG’s gases into the atmosphere like Methane, nitrous oxide and carbon iv oxide. This mostly comes from unsustainable use of nitrogenous fertilizers which leads to giving off of nitrous oxide in air. Other activities that contribute to GHG gases are cultivation of rice and poor management of manure due to anaerobic activities that goes on in the two, also to mention is the enteric fermentation taking place in livestock’s digestive system. They may sound insignificant but in the long term these activities are contributing to global warming through discharge of the methane gas. Through mechanized activities of ploughing, weeding, fertilizer application, and harvesting, these machineries which are fully dependent on fossil fuels are known to emit co2 in the atmosphere during the above activities.

More industrialized countries may deem these phenomenon as a fate rather than a consequence of human activities as they are responsible for it, and they may want to escape their polluter pay and carbon trading that takes quite a lump some of their generated income geared to mitigate the effects and pay the developing countries that are acting as carbon sinks for their emitted carbon. This is not the time to debate whether climate change is a natural triggered phenomenon or a result of  human driven activities, but it is time to work the way forward and participate fully in reducing its effects and mitigating the already happening activities.

EFFECTS OF CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE TO THE ENVIRONMENT

conventional agriculture is a mode of farming characterized by  the use of chemical artificial fertilizers,synthetic pesticides, and growth regulators which are collectively known as Agro-chemicals.conventional agriculture also pose a heavy reliance of non-renewable sorces of energy.

the effects of the above substances to the ecosystem is hazardous not only to the ecosystems at large, but also pose a great health risk to people and the soil and the biosphere that exist in the soil. It reduces biodiversity in any given agro-ecosystems due to the practises and creating unbearable surrounding environments. for instance, practicing large scale Monoculture means that only one species of plant thrive in that particular agroecosystem.

monoculture also discourages flow of essential ecosystem services like pollination as the planted crop species may not be favorable to pollinators. pollinators are known to play a very key role ensuring maturing of crops and cases are known where yield went down due lack of this important biotic component in the landscape like case in America corn field. for more details about pollination as an essential ecosystem service click.

unsustainable use of fertilizers is known to cause soil degradation like soil acidity or alkalinity, salinization and eutrophication to the surrounding riparian ecosystem. soil acidity influences availability of essential nutrients to plants and also discourages soil biota both micro and macro organisms like bacteria and earthworms which are important agents of improving soil fertility by accelerating decomposition, homogenization and mineralization of substrate into the soil.

Another effect is pollution of water resources both surface water and ground water table. This is after these chemicals percolates deep down the ground into the aquifers and consequently into water tables. Another is through surface runoff of the these agrochemicals following application and following a a heavy torrent rainfall that washes them into rivers and water bodies. This is clearly evident in where farmers practicing conventional agriculture in water catchment areas, the effects of the chemicals are usually incurred to those in the downstream.

Eutrophication is another environmental phenomenon that follows after accumulation of these chemicals in water bodies especially nitrogenous compounds. more on eutrophication click. This has become a menace in kenya and threatens the future existence of the largest fresh water lake, Lake Victoria which is being clogged and suffocated by water hyacinth(Eichornia crassipes) and also Lake Naivasha affected by the salvinia molesta due to eutrophication.

Food contamination is another menace that has hit the food industry. Residual concentration of these chemicals have increasingly gone up both in horticultural and livestock products like eggs, milk and poultry meat. Broiler chicken farmers are known nowadays to use growth hormones and boosters to accelerate maturation of their chickens so that they can make quick money. But yes, quick money at the expense of the health of general public. The next thing you get to realize is increasing statistics of lifestyle diseases and high mortality.

THE WAY FORWARD

Ecologists and agronomists is the high time they advocate adoption of sustainable agriculture techniques like organic agriculture and also awareness of the public on what they consume is also essential. Conscious Consumption is being advocated by UNEP and not only to consume sustainably but also have clear knowledge of the cradle-to-cradle process of the commodity being consumed.

 

FROM EGO-CENTRIC TO ECO-CENTRIC ECONOMIC APPROACH IN FARMING

Agriculture forms one of the best, easiest and most convenient form of making money especially in the sub-Saharan Africa like my country Kenya. Profit maximization forms the basis of venturing in  Agriculture without putting into perspective the harm it will incur to the environment. In the name of maximizing returns, the farmer adopts conventional agriculture and due to inadequate and imperfect information, he or she applies agrochemicals haphazardly.

Effects and harmful effects of conventional agriculture to our environment cannot be estimated. Contamination of ground water table and contribution to soil degradation in the long run are just to mention but a few(More on effects click; enemy to sustainable agriculture.Its time farmers approach Agriculture from an ecological point of view rather than economic point of view. This places a greater responsibility on the government institutions to prioritize on extension services in Agricultural and Natural resource sector to bring awareness to these ignorant farmers who are working hard to get out poverty but are driving their future generations into an environmental disarray.

SIMPLE BEGINNING

The start of something or venture is always surrounded by fear, doubt and confusion. One is faced by fear of failure and lack of confidence to confront the challenges and the obstacles ahead. Once you have taken a first step, rejection may be your first guest. this should not kill the vision you hold in your mind with gusto, but instead you should take sometime back and review if you are really fit for the task before hand.

One of the key ingredients for success is learning. Learning will help you acquire the required skills for the task ahead, it will also build your confidence and raise your self esteem to dive back into your dream.