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A sustainable development organization and a French seed company have developed a model for gardening that can provide a balanced diet for a family of ten in a space of 60 square meters—and consumes 80 percent less water than conventional agriculture.
The non-genetically modified seeds were developed over 15 years by JTS, and Pro-Natura developed technology for mass-producing biochar: renewable biomass that is made from any organic waste—agricultural or forest residues, invasive plants, etc.—and can substitute for regular charcoal (associated with deforestation).
They call it the Super Vegetable Garden (PDF), and now that pilot phases in Niger and Senegal have proven successful, it's a kit they hope to spread throughout tropical regions of the world that face food insecurity. Production in the super garden is year-round, involves a consistent 45-day cycle, and reduces the demand on human labor to two hours per day.
To get started, everything the farmers need comes in the kit: a plastic lining, to limit the plot size and help with subsoil enrichment and pest infestation; water retention mini-sponges, which improve the quality of the soil; germination and nursery veils, which help to counter water evaporation; special, non-GMO seeds for fruits and vegetables including cabbage, tomatoes, carrots and melons, all developed over 15 years of agronomical research; as well as organic fertilizer and some gardening equipment.
So far, people who have tried it—more than 150 in Senegal so far—have had great success, like a farmer described in a Voice of America story on the super garden:
Francois Sarr started his first super vegetable garden in October. He says his first harvest weighed nearly 200 kilograms. After feeding his family of seven, he was able to sell the rest of his cucumbers, beets and eggplants at the local market. He made a profit of more than $150.
