Raqueeb Bey Ajamu-Osagboro is an Urban Agriculturalist from Pittsburgh and receives a 2022 Nuffield International Scholarship generously supported by Bayer and TIAA CREF Global Agriculture.
Raqueeb is the Founder and serves as Executive Director of the Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op.
"We are an organisation that has brought together a collective group of 20 farmers to work together to solve challenges that we face here in Pittsburgh as black urban growers," she says.
"We endeavour to transform the narrative of unfair practices such as racism, government policy and a lack of fair access to markets for African Americans, that lead to food apartheid in black communities of underserved people."
She has won numerous awards including a Finalist Spot in Uprize Competition, - The Hustle and Heart Excellence Award for Entrepreneurship from Pennsylvania State Representative Jake Wheatley, Pennsylvania Agriculture Sustainable Association (PASA) PASAbilities award for business leadership, Softer Side Seminars Rising Up Light To The Community for Creating Positive Change, City of Pittsburgh African Americans in Conservation Honoree, Proclamation from Governor Tom Wolf for Urban Farming, International Men's Day L.T Henry Economic Sustainability Award, The E.A.T Initiative, World Food Day Honoree and the New Voices, Black Women Green Future Award.
Raqueeb's scholarship research focuses on two key areas: 1) how regenerative agriculture can help urban farms; and 2) the importance of diversity and inclusion to empower black urban and rural farmers.
"The results of applied practices and education within regenerative agriculture will garner us more successful urban farms in multiple city areas. Regenerative agriculture practices and principles enhance our ecosystems by boosting biodiversity, developing soils, and improve watersheds. These methods also include biodynamics, indigenous farming and permaculture which can heal the earth and give us an increased resilience."
Raqueeb is thrilled to be a recipient of a 2022 Nuffield Scholarship.
"Nuffield can help us urban farmers enhance our production methods by engaging with other farmers across the globe to achieve sustainable agricultural practices and innovations and help shape policy."
"This is not just an opportunity to get expertise for our own farm and farmer membership, but I know it is paramount to return what I have learned into our entire community. As a Nuffield International Farming Scholar, I will be able to find best practices for urban farming and policy, to bring back home with integrity to support future goals."
