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crops. Farmers with the most fertile and extensive land were grouped to- gether into cooperatives; monocrops replaced mixed crops in some areas; and the use of hybrid seeds, along with fertilizers and pesticides, led to an an- nual 14% increase in national agricul- tural production since the launch of the CIP. As a farmer from Musanze says: “I can no longer grow sorghum; here we grow maize.”tHE AnkoLE is cuLturEThe Slow Food philosophy makes per- fect sense in this context. The network, run by volunteers, began to coalesce around the 10,000 Gardens in Africa project in 2012, with the aim of safe- guarding the traditional knowledge of indigenous communities and good, clean and fair food. Grace, a primaryschool teacher, says: “The Slow Food idea is hugely successful wherever we go. People sign up to it: our role is primarily to raise awareness among people of all generations.” In just a few years, food gardens sprung up across the country, enabling the intercropping of several varieties in small areas and the production of high-quality, environ- mentally friendly food.Clément Misago, the leader of the Slow Food Nyamabuye-Gitarama Con- vivium, explains how, during the Umu- ranga harvest festival, “we all come together to celebrate local food, cook- ing maize, sweet potato, colocasia [taro], dodo [amaranth], local marrows and isogi [a native leafy vegetable]. We need to teach people about our culture and pass it on!”21