The Past, Present and Future of FORMAT

The Forum for Organic Resource Management and Agricultural Technologies (FORMAT) finds itself once again at a difficult crossroads.  In 2000, FORMAT was convened by several likeminded organizations to promote improved organic resource management in Kenya under the common concern that chemical and industrial “solutions” to rural poverty were overshadowing more environmentally-sound and user-friendly approaches.  Our first announcement of a meeting in Nairobi was met with overwhelming response by organic resource managers throughout the country.  Not only did we provide these managers with a voice, but we did so in a uniquely egalitarian event where all participants were treated as equals and where group discussion and live demonstrations were given preference over invited presentations.  While FORMAT’s convenors had correctly anticipated the demand for their ideas, the organizational framework of a commonly-shared platform proved difficult and this led to the emergence of FORMAT as an independent, registered NGO in 2003. 

Registering an NGO in Kenya is relatively easy; the large challenge was to balance the concerns being raised by FORMAT’s expanding clientele.  Waste accumulation in urban areas, biological invasion by water hyacinth, disappearance of traditional crops and handicrafts and climate change all emerged as seemingly competing concerns that had been initially overlooked by FORMAT’s organizers who were primarily agriculturalists and rural development specialists.  We adjusted to those issues by refining our annual events in Nairobi and by expanding the scope of our communication services but again new voices of concern arose: this approach does not really provide the necessary tools to the large number of stakeholders unable to attend events in Nairobi who are without ready access to electronic and published information.  Thus the FORMAT Countrywide Event was born and we challenged our critics to organize their own local events with our assistance.  This report largely describes these events and recognizes those who contributed to their success.

FORMAT faces its largest challenge of all now that we have formalized as an organization, identified and empowered innovators, held national and Countrywide events, posted websites, published books and broadcast television documentaries. What is next?  Despite our vision, inclusiveness and responsiveness, in reality very little has changed in the lives of those we sought most to help, the poorest of the poor.  FORMAT offers this promise, in our next phase we will implement collaborative projects that deliver technologies, products and markets to large numbers of stakeholders and we solicit ideas on how this goal can best be achieved!   We have always counted on you and you have never let us down because we all agree that “surely nothing is useless”.