AIBIS DIRECTOR ENCOURAGES JOURNALISTS TO INVEST IN AGRICULTURE
The Executive Director of the African Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (AIBIS), Allan Kalangi, has advised journalists to invest in ventures that can give them an alternative source of income. He singled out agriculture as a field that journalists can try out because of the many advantages associated with it.
“When many people hear of agriculture, they think of big farmlands full of livestock or large plantations but that is not the case. People with small plots or those staying in urban areas can also practice agriculture. Journalists because of their busy schedules can practice urban agriculture and invest in things such poultry farming, apiary, and horticulture,” he said.
Kalangi gave this counsel to journalists last week during a training workshop organised by the Community Green Radio (CGR) at Atkon Hotel in Kiboga Town for media practitioners belonging to the Albertine Journalists Platform (AJOP). The CGR belongs to the National Association of professional Environmentalists (NAPE).
He gave this advice while responding to issues raised by some journalists that they were not being paid well by their media houses and that it was a demotivating factor. He said that people who join journalism should have passion to cause positive impacts in society and that they can always look for other ventures to supplement their income.
“In their work, journalists are exposed to different development ventures. They should not only stop at writing news about them. They should also get involved and participate in making the news ”, he said.
Kalangi said that journalists these days report a lot about climate change and climate smart agriculture. He said that them participating will give them more insight into what is at stake enabling them to report more passionately and engage the policy makers to come up with realistic approaches for combating and mitigating climate change.
He however cautioned journalists that if they are to practice agriculture, they should serve as good examples in society by not engaging agricultural practices that degrade the environment. He said that they should not encroach on sensitive ecosystems such as swamps and riverbanks and that they should avoid using dangerous agrochemicals such as herbicides and artificial fertilizers.
