Tesfanesh Tadesse | August 14, 2026
News Brief
Farmers across the continent are being forced to adapt to the effects of climate change, which is affecting rainfall patterns, temperature, and soil fertility. In many places, women in particular face a unique challenge, as they have less access to training, information, and support. But radio programs are filling this gap in many places, particularly in the highlands of Bensa woreda, Ethiopia, where Berso Bayona has been listening to a farmer program on Nature-based Solutions, supported by Farm Radio International. She says, “One day I listened to a [radio] program about a farmer who improved his land using compost and tree planting. He explained everything step by step in our language. That program inspired me to try it on my own farm.” Today her farm looks different, with darker more fertile soil that retains more water and supports healthier plants.
Farmers across the continent are adapting to unpredictable rainfall, rising temperatures, and increasing soil erosion, trying to maintain and improve the quantity they harvest so they can feed their families and sell the surplus to pay for school, medicine, and other necessities. Some farmers are facing unique challenges adapting: particularly women, who often have limited access to information, training, and support.
For Berso Bayona, a 30-year-old mother of two and a household head in the highlands of Bensa woreda, Ethiopia, the situation once seemed hopeless. She says, “I noticed that for the last four or five years, my farmland was very infertile. … The rain did not come when we expected it, and sometimes the heat burned the crops. The soil was slowly washing away, and I was worried about how I would feed my children.”
Like many women farmers in rural Ethiopia, Ms. Bayona has limited access to agricultural information and extension services. Training and advisory visits are often focused on male-headed households, leaving women farmers with fewer opportunities to learn about improved farming practices.
She says, “Development agents usually visit the men in our community. They rarely stop at my home. I wanted to learn how to improve my farm, but I did not know where to find the information.”
Everything began to change when Ms. Bayona started listening to a radio program about Nature-based Solutions on Bensa FM, supported by Farm Radio International. The program, produced in the Sidamigna language, shares practical information on climate-smart agriculture and Nature-based Solutions that communities can apply using locally-available resources.
Through the radio program, Ms. Bayona learned about practices such as compost preparation, mulching, intercropping, and planting indigenous trees to restore soil fertility and protect farmland from erosion.
She says, “One day I listened to a program about a farmer who improved his land using compost and tree planting. He explained everything step by step in our language. That program inspired me to try it on my own farm.”
Starting with small steps, Ms. Bayona planted indigenous trees along the edges of her farmland and added false banana plants, or enset, to provide shade and help conserve soil moisture. Encouraged by early results, she later introduced mulching and intercropping to improve soil health and crop productivity.
A radio documentary about compost preparation particularly captured her attention. She adds, “They explained how to collect materials, how to layer them, and how long to wait before using the compost. I listened to the program several times so I would not forget the process.”
Using crop residues, leaves, and organic household waste, Ms. Bayona prepared her first compost pile. Over time, the impact of these practices became visible. She says, “Today my farm looks very different from before. The soil is darker and more fertile. Water stays longer after the rain, and my crops grow better.”
The changes have significantly improved her household’s resilience. With healthier soil and improved yields, Ms. Bayona is better able to provide food for her children and cope with unpredictable weather conditions.
Her success has also begun to influence the wider community. Farmers who pass by her field have noticed the improvements and started asking questions about the practices she adopted. Batimo Mercho, the kebele administrator, says “Berso’s farm has become a powerful example of what is possible. With the knowledge she gained from the radio, she transformed her land. Her success is encouraging other farmers, especially women, to try these practices.”
