Christian Aid brought a piece of west Africa to the Royal Show, Warwickshire in July 2008. The model of a Burkina Faso farm highlighted the struggle farmers face when coping with climate change.
Christian Aid was joined by farmer and former Blur star Alex James who visited our projects in Burkina Faso in May. You can see some of what he got up to in our video above.
- View some gardening tips from Burkina Faso
The garden demonstrated simple soil and water conservation techniques being taught to farmers in order to help them combat the ever present threat from drought and floods.
It looked at the use of natural fertilisers, bio pesticides and planting techniques used to help farmers grow more crops to feed their families.
Small scale livestock breeding projects are helping poor farmers to diversify and increase their household income, allowing kids to attend school and families to gain access to vital medical care.
The garden also showed how Christian Aid is working with remote communities, who until now have had no access to electricity, to harness new solar technologies.
Techniques
Alex, who travelled to Burkina Faso with Christian Aid at the beginning of May to visit the projects said: 'As a working farmer, I was fascinated to see how agriculture in Burkina Faso compares with the structure of farms in the UK.
'It was great to exchange ideas and techniques, learning how farmers there are dealing with the challenges presented by climate change and then bringing this back to the Royal Show audience.'
Christian Aid will be using the garden to highlight its Climate Changed campaign www.christianaid.org.uk/climate and raise vital funds for climate related projects across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Lessons for UK farmers
Karen Hedges, Christian Aid, said: 'Farmers in the UK are increasingly facing changing weather patterns and having to adapt their practices accordingly, as are the eighty percent of subsistence farmers in Burkina Faso.
'These changes have devastating consequences when you make your living from the land, no matter where you live, and Christian Aid is keen to encourage the sharing of ideas and new technologies for combating the increasing threat of an unpredictable climate.'