An Indigenous Ibadan Woman Empowers Other Women, Teachers and Students in Nigeria

Cultivating Green Futures Through Food Gardens in Nigeria

In her fourth year as a food science student, Racheal was struck by the enormity of the waste of indigenous crops. During a course on post-harvest losses, she realized that she needed to address this issue by rebranding traditional foods.

She recalls: “I learned about Slow Food at a local Terra Madre fair organized by the Nigerian community in 2017. I was a recent graduate with a lot of free time, so I attended the festival and met Mr. Benjamin Olatilo, Coordinator of the Slow Food Network in Nigeria, who told me a lot about the Slow Food movement in our country. Since then, it has been one of the best things I have done for myself.”

More recently, Racheal secured funding for the Green Futures project: Cultivating Knowledge, Community, and Sustainability Through School Gardens in Nigeria. The project is led by Naija Youths for Education and Advocacy and is supported by Slow Food and by a grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The initiative focuses on creating school gardens as educational and practical tools for teaching sustainable agriculture, empowering students, teachers, and local communities to produce good, clean, and fair food. The fund is an initiative of the Slow Food Indigenous Peoples’ Network that combines intensive peer-training on human rights, biodiversity protection and project design, with small funding for activists to implement the skills acquired along with their communities.

Racheal and her community were able to establish six school gardens to provide hands-on agricultural education to students; a children’s home garden, whose harvest significantly contributes to feeding the children; and a campus garden at the University of Ibadan to promote agroecological practices among agriculture students. These gardens serve as living classrooms, offering practical learning opportunities in seed saving, composting, and agroecological practices. The children’s home garden, in particular, has thrived due to the children’s consistent involvement, demonstrating that commitment and necessity can lead to success in food production.

Gardens’ superpowers

The gardens touch Racheal’s soul deeply. “I love the smell of the earth and the scent of freshly cut grass. I can smell rain from far away and tell people when it’s coming. Those are my garden superpowers. Honestly, though, I never imagined that gardening would become a full-time passion or career. I’m a certified food scientist with a deep love for agriculture, especially the farm-to-table approach. I love food and have a special admiration for fresh, homegrown ingredients. Gardening has always been part of my life. Like many children of my generation, I grew up with a small garden in our backyard that supplied food for everyday meals. Over time, I began to see gardening as more than just a way to grow fresh food. I began to see it as a tool for education, nutrition, and sustainable development within local communities. My major gardening journey began after college. Out of boredom while waiting for a job, I planted a few seeds. I didn’t expect much, but watching things grow brought me unexpected joy. Moreover, gardening taught me valuable life lessons about patience, resilience, care, and generosity. After working a few office jobs, I realized that I wasn’t cut out for an office environment. I felt more at home speaking to plants and more alive when I touched the soil, taught others, and gave away what the garden produced. I knew I wanted to help people rediscover the value of the food around them and the life skills they might be overlooking that could promote growth and resilience in their communities. Everyone has a right to good food. I believe the journey to that begins with our hands in the soil”.

Empowering Educators and Students

Empowering educators and students was an integral part of the project’s aim, which was achieved through a training summit that brought educators, students, and policymakers together to discuss the role of school gardens in ensuring sustainable food security. The summit provided a platform for sharing best practices and emphasized the importance of producing good, clean, and fair food. It also strengthened collaborations among stakeholders. Approximately 200 teachers, representing 100 schools, incorporated school gardens into their curricula to enhance agricultural education. These educators now play a crucial role in leading and maintaining the gardens, demonstrating how capacity-building initiatives can lead to sustainable project outcomes. Furthermore, fifteen volunteers and five students from the Slow Food Pilot Garden in Ibadan played an essential role in training their peers, thereby fostering a sense of leadership and ownership among the young participants.

Shaping Change in an Educational Community

Racheal explains how her project came about: “When I had to write a project proposal, I chose the most effective, sustainable, and easily replicable option because there is a huge disconnect between young people in my community and their food source. As an educator teaching in a community high school, I see how rigid agriculture education has become. Students are tired of memorizing definitions and nutrient cycles. I knew I had to do something different, so I decided that school garden projects would be a fun way to keep students interested in learning. After speaking with a few people, I discovered that, in addition to teaching agriculture, school gardens can be spaces for learning in general, regardless of the subject, and students can develop soft and hard skills there. Aside from this important reason, I saw a higher chance of reaching more community members, including youth, women, men (as parents), and elders, through the students. Students are informal influencers and a powerful bridge to the wider community, especially in tightly knit communities and families. Setting up school gardens means we can win over parents and prepare the groundwork for community garden projects, which are more likely to be accepted since parents have seen the changes in their children. Lastly, I believe school lands are better protected than any other space in the long term. In Nigeria and some other African countries, there are schools that have existed for more than 100 years. There is a lower chance of land grabbing within schools than outside of them, where communities have to deal with various land issues and competition with real estate developers. These are some of the reasons why I chose this project. In the course of implementing it, I have learned a lot and developed many skills. I have learned more about collaboration and partnerships, and I have a better understanding of delegation, teamwork, and how policies work. I also have a better knowledge of the people in charge of policies and how they can be influenced to promote sustainable community development”.

Before the Green Futures project, schools and communities primarily depended on government-distributed seeds, paying little attention to indigenous varieties. The Green Futures project reversed this trend by promoting the large-scale cultivation of local crops and reviving nearly extinct seed varieties. It has also challenged the misconception that indigenous peoples’ foods are “low class.” Students and community members are rediscovering the nutritional benefits of traditional foods and learning about the dangers of fast food and chemically treated produce. The gardens have become powerful educational tools, demonstrating that agriculture is a means of achieving not only food production but also healthier diets, economic opportunities, and environmental sustainability.

Empowering Women and Youth

These activities promote inclusive participation by offering significant roles to women and youth, who are traditionally underrepresented in agricultural initiatives. Women, who were not traditionally involved in public matters, now freely share ideas and make decisions in community forums. For youth, gardening provided a constructive alternative to unproductive or even harmful activities. They gained practical skills, built networks, and developed a deeper appreciation for local food systems. This engagement reduced the likelihood of conflicts and fostered peace and stability within their communities.

The Green Futures initiative has increased access to indigenous seeds and fresh produce. Over 200 packs of indigenous seeds have been distributed to community members, and the gardens’ harvests are increasingly used in school meals and local restaurants. This demonstrates the project’s impact on local food systems. Additionally, local food producers have adopted agroecological practices, enhancing the quality and sustainability of food production in the community.

Looking Ahead: A Vision for Green Futures

The Green Futures project is a transformative movement towards food sovereignty, environmental sustainability, and community resilience, not just a garden initiative. Through a combination of education, practical experience, and community engagement, the project is cultivating a new generation of leaders who recognize the significance of accessible, clean, and fair food for everyone. With its sustainable approach, strong partnerships, and community-driven model, Green Futures is poised to continue thriving and inspiring similar initiatives in Nigeria and beyond.

by Paola Nano