Sabah Al-Faraj: Nurturing her land, family and future

23/09/2024

Sabah Al-Faraj, a dedicated female farmer field school (FFS) participant from Sreihin in Hama governorate, has successfully embraced simple, climate-smart and sustainable farming techniques she learned at the FFS, with remarkable outcomes. The FFS, implemented under the Building Local Resilience in Syria (BLRS) project funded by UK Aid, has taught her innovative methods that have transformed her farming practices.

Having lost her husband a few years ago, 50-year-old Sabah makes use of the land adjacent to her home, where she grows vegetables such as cucumbers, eggplants, okra, and spinach to meet her family’s food consumption and nutritional needs. To cover the shortfalls, she also works as a labourer on neighbouring farms to earn additional income, ensuring that her grandchildren, two of whom are in elementary school, have everything they need.

After attending several FFS sessions, one of the key lessons that Sabah learned was how to breed and release natural enemies back into her fields to combat pests more effectively.

"We used to spray chemical pesticides to exterminate every kind of insect in the field, which was very expensive," she explains. "After attending the FFS, I found out that one of these insects, the green lacewing, was a beneficial natural enemy of pests "

By adopting sustainable practices, including integrated pest management (IPM) with the support of FAO, Sabah has improved her family’s access to fresh produce while contributing to a better environment. By reducing her reliance on chemical pesticides, she helps maintain soil health and foster local biodiversity.

During the FFS sessions, Sabah learned how to identify, breed, and understand the lifecycle of the green lacewings. She used simple materials like a cardboard box, water, jam, and some sponges for breeding: " I was able to learn about the process that the eggs go through to evolve into adult green lacewings, which I then released back into my cucumber field," she proudly adds.

In addition to breeding beneficial insects, FFS participants like Sabah have learned how to make organic pesticides such as potassium soap and sulphur soap. These eco-friendly solutions are made from simple ingredients like water and  common food preservation materials, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides.

These innovative, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly methods have had a significant impact on Sabah's farming cutting her pesticide costs by two-thirds. This reduction has not only saved her money but also improved the sustainability of her operations, allowing her to invest more in her family's future.  It has allowed her family to consume produce directly from her land without having to wait for a two-week pre-harvest interval (PHI), during which they would need to buy more vegetables instead of consuming their own products. "This year’s cucumber harvest exceeded last season’s yield. I was able to cover my family’s needs, preserve some pickles, and even gift some fresh produce to my neighbours—all without spraying a single drop of chemical pesticides," she proudly concludes.

Sabah is one of over 9 000 farmers benefitting from FAO’s farmer field schools under the BLRS project in Aleppo, Deir-ez-Zor, Hama, Homs, and Rural Damascus governorates. These FFS’s are transforming agricultural practices by promoting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) for both crops and livestock. This will ensure that farmers’ have enhanced productivity, enhanced food and nutrition security, and achieve a more sustainable impact on the environment and the climate.

Beyond her own fields, Sabah’s adoption of sustainable practices is gradually influencing her community. Other farmers in the village have taken notice of her success, sparking interest in eco-friendly techniques. By reducing chemical pesticide use, Sabah is also contributing to the health of her local ecosystem, protecting water resources, and promoting biodiversity.