Hydroponics is a technique of growing plants in a mineral nutrient solution in a water solvent instead of soil. The agriculture industry is one of the greatest consumers of land and water. Reduction in water consumption in the agriculture industry is vital and hydroponics improves water efficiency use as the water nutrient solution is circulated. Hydroponic crops use approximately 90% less water and 50% less area and produce a minimum of four times the yield for the same crop. Since hydroponics unit systems use minimal space they can be built in closer proximities to cities as well as in extreme environments making it one of the most sustainable farming methods.Many countries including Botswana are faced with water and land scarcity and the effort to feed the growing populations in cities are making conservation efforts futile. Crops grown using this system have a high growth rate as they use less energy to move roots than normal soil use therefore high growth rate equals rich yield. The land efficiency is also high as it can hold up to 4 times more crops in 1 square meter.Cooperatives have proven to highly contribute to women empowerment in developing countries. Cooperatives allow women to come together and strengthen their bargaining power in the market. BCCN will group 20 women who will form 10 women run cooperatives in Gaborone and Francistown to carry out the Hydroponics projects in their respective areas. The BCCN will work closely with the City Council Authorities and Social Workers to identify disadvantaged women who depends on government handouts for their wellbeing. The aim is to empower women and help them out of poverty. It is important to take significant strides in promoting women’s participation in economic development and the ability to obtain income.The women will undergo cooperatives start up and business plan training to ensure effective launch and operations.Another training that these women will undergo is on Hydroponics. The aim of the training is to provide the women and the rest of the team with a good grounding and working knowledge on hydroponics.
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