Efficient use of natural resources in a Leeuwarden household

Fortunately, I arrived safely in the Netherlands on the 13th January 2023. For the first time I arrived in The Netherlands.

I am staying for a time in Leeuwarden since my arrival. I have been really excited about my studies in Wageningen. I don’t know if it is due to the way of living of the people or if it is just because of my interest in the study of Forest and Nature Conservation/ Agroforestry at Wageningen University, which starts in February. Nevertheless, I cannot ignore the way my host family makes efficient use of natural resources such as organic vegetable and fruit waste to maintain soil fertility in the garden. It makes me believe that this dayly initiative helps farmers in the management of the available production resources so that the required production is obtained on a sustained basis. In Cameroon, one of the major consequences of population growth has been the evolution from shifting cultivation to bush fallowing. In this system, farmers become tied permanently to a given location and small yields of crops are taken annually on the same piece of land, usually with periods of rest fallow. As a result, the land is used more intensively compared to shifting cultivation. Moreover, as opportunities for shifting locations become restricted due to population growth, I suggest that farmers in Cameroon should also adopt a way of living in which they would skillfully utilize household compost from organic vegetables and fruit’s waste to maintain fertility under continuous cropping. In this way, they could contribute to the improvement of some of their agricultural practices.