The Solution for Africa

Foundations for Farming – Formerly Farming God’s Way
Revelation to Feed A Nation

Brian Oldreive

The Solution

Foundation for Farming can reverse these trends because it brings a very effective and appropriate technology and implementation system and deals with the socio-cultural causes of the problem.

It is a natural law that those who are faithful with what they have, gain more. Foundations for farming principles protect and preserve the soil and rain a farmer is given.

In God’s natural creation:
1. There is no ploughing.
2. There is a wonderful mulch cover from the fallen leaves and plant material. This greatly reduces soil erosion and captures and transfers the precious water effectively to the plants, reducing the risk from drought, pests and disease.

The Problem in Africa

Foundations for Farming – Formerly Farming God’s Way
Revelation to Feed A Nation

Brian Oldreive

The Problem

Africa has 30% of the world’s natural resources and some of the best climate, rainfall and soils in the world. Africa has an abundance of arable land. Yet, over 35% of the population is chronically undernourished and the whole continent of Africa only contributes 1.3% to the world’s produce – it has the same GDP as a small country like Mexico. (Kofi Annan – World Economic Forum on Africa, February 2008)
In the last 50 years, Africa has received over US$2,000 billion of aid, yet the number of people living in poverty has increased.
While world grain production has been increasing, Africa’s production has remained stagnant.

Why is Africa gripped by poverty and hunger? Why is the situation getting worse despite all the aid being given?

With the use of traditional farming methods, Africa has seen a decrease in yields and an escalation of costs over many years. In a climate where rainfall is often limited to short intense periods, ploughed land is washed away and only a small amount of the available moisture is retained. Traditional methods have sought to extract from the soil without protecting it.

Revelation to Feed a Nation with Brian Oldreive

Foundations for Farming – Formerly Farming God’s Way
Revelation to Feed A Nation

Brian Oldreive

I’ve known Brian and Cath Oldreive for 13 years and they are truly remarkable. Stephen and I lived with the Oldreive’s for 3 months and they have become our “spiritual parents.” What you see in public is how they are in private: loving, honest, compassionate, humble, gentle, God-fearing folk - People who genuinely love the poor and have a heart to seeing the poor empowered. They are such a blessing to all who meet them. I love and respect them so much. We were so encouraged and inspired listening to Brian share at Operation Trumpet Call held in Bulawayo.

The Foundation
Foundations for Farming started many years ago when the farm which Brian Oldreive was managing in the North of Zimbabwe was nearing bankruptcy. Burning and deep soil inversion were common practice on the farm causing terrible sheet erosion to occur resulting in loss of seed and water. Increasing amounts of money were being spent on the machinery required for ploughing and double rollings of the lands, and yet the yields were declining.

Being a man of faith, Brian asked God to reveal a way for him to get out of the dire situation he found himself in. God began to reveal to him that in natural creation there is no deep soil inversion and that a thick “blanket” of fallen leaves and grass covers the surface of the soil. This led him to research how he could apply theses ways of nature to his farming. He began to experiment with zero-tillage using a simple hoe on 2 hectares at the highest standards possible. The results were outstanding and so he had the faith to increase the hectarage under zero-tillage. Within six years the whole farm of 1,000 hectares was under minimum tillage and in subsequent years, due to the yearly profits from then on, other farms were bought and he oversaw the farming of 3,500 hectares of net annually cropped area. The success of the principles advocated, are undeniable in his life’s testimony.

Brian chatting to Wessie and Craig

Foundations for Farming was born out of a man basing his farming and life on the foundations found in God’s word, the Bible. If you would like to find out more about these foundations, why don’t you read the Bible for yourself? We recommend that you start by reading these verses:
Proverbs 3:5 – 6
Isaiah 58
Matthew 25:14 – 30
Luke 6:38
John 14:6 – 7
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23