The prevailing demographic pressure for food and land resources (plot/farm sizes are getting increasingly smaller) coupled with unpredictable environmental conditions is obliging farmers to shift from traditional subsistence agriculture to diverse commercial agriculture options. Diversification of agriculture and/or sustainable intensification of agricultural production systems require that more food be produced sustainably on the same piece of land, year in year out.
Agriculture is generally rain-fed and thus seasonal in Cameroon just like in most developing countries. Climate Change is impacting rainfall heavily and hence drastically reducing yield of farms. The tremendous and continuos urbanization process in developing countries often raises questions of how to provide a growing urban population with fresh and healthy food.
These challenges can be best handled by effectively and efficiently making use of the huge potential and benefit of applying advanced techniques to make agriculture all-seasons both in urban and in rural areas.
It is in this light that the concept of an All Seasons Advanced Agricultural Habitat (A.S.A.A.H) the brain chilld of AFAF is coined. The A.S.A.A.H concept combines and optimizes agricultural technologies, the right farm habitat and effective farm management to produce continuous and sustained high yields of diverse quality agricultural products.
Agricultural Technologies applied includes a combination of greenhouse, improved propagation methods, irrigation, optimum food and tree crop association and rotation.
Farm habitat in this context refers to the optimized physical environment and factors for plant growth. These factors include: soil, moisture, range of temperature, availability of light as well as biotic factors such as the availability presence of soil micro organisms, pollinators, natural enemies etc. within and around the farm. Meanwhile, the continuous and sustained high yields of diverse quality agricultural products, is achieved through the use of organic manure and organic pesticides if the need arises.
Efficient Farm Management is key to applying the agricultural technologies and catalyzing the action of biotic factors in the right way and at the right time. This also includes constant monitoring of the health of the plants and ensuring optimized growth conditions on a daily basis.
The target is to produce the best possible yield of organic food products with the least effort.