Sagana: Stakeholders representing smallholder food producers, civil society organisations, researchers, and policymakers in Africa have called on governments to invest in agroecology to advance food sovereignty across the continent. The stakeholders, led by the Eastern and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) Chairperson Hakim Baliraine, urged African states to prioritise agroecology by developing and funding policies that support farmers, seed sovereignty, and sustainable food production.
According to Kenya News Agency, Baliraine expressed concern during an agroecology workshop in Sagana over the persistent disconnects between policy directives and the real needs of small-scale farmers, pastoralists, and rural communities. He emphasized that smallholder food producers, who produce the majority of Africa’s food, face immense challenges, including limited access to land, resources, and policy recognition.
Baliraine stated that past frameworks have often failed to adequately address the needs of Africa’s smallholder food producers, who are the backbone of the continent’s food systems. He highlighted the importance of supporting participatory research that addresses the unique needs of smallholder farmers and advocating for agroecological solutions to climate change to enhance resilience.
Agroecology, according to Baliraine, is not just a farming method but a movement that prioritises people, nature, and local knowledge. It promotes biodiversity, healthy soils, and social equity while rejecting harmful practices like the use of toxic and synthetic inputs. He expressed dedication to building a future where agroecology thrives, women are empowered, and food sovereignty is realised across Africa by advocating for policy changes to end hunger.
Baliraine called on all African governments to follow Senegal’s lead and allocate at least 50 per cent of their agricultural budgets to agroecology. Executive Director of the Institute for Research and Promotion of Alternatives in Development (IRPAD) Mamadou Goita highlighted the essential role of agroecology in safeguarding African biodiversity, enhancing soil quality, improving nutrition and health, and increasing resilience to climate and other crises to strengthen local food systems.
The Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA Kenya) National Coordinator Anne Maina noted that last year, Kenya established a National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation. This strategy seeks to foster a transition to resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems through agroecological approaches and promote sustainable consumption of healthy diets for all.
Maina urged consumers to demand safe food that is free from toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilisers and to move towards demanding food that is agroecologically produced. She highlighted Murang’a County’s Agroecology Policy and Act, where local governments, civil society, and farmers collaborated to create inclusive, people-centred policies. Other counties are also in the process of developing their own agroecology policies.
The stakeholders visited Wakas Farm in Sabasaba, an agroecology farm used as a demonstration farm by the county government of Murang’a and civil society organisations for training on agroecological practices. The five-day African agroecology workshop, funded by the Bread for the World organisation, brought together over 100 participants from 22 African countries. Participants urged African states to incorporate agroecology-based policies for food systems transformation.