Accelerate regenerative and agroecological food systems transformations

4 – 7 June 2024. Location: Arusha, Tanzania. The Cultivating Change Gathering: accelerate regenerative and agroecological food systems transformations

An ambitious transition to agroecology and regenerative approaches can reverse biodiversity loss and increase food security. The Cultivating Change Gathering built on a co-design process with partners on the ground in key countries and regions.

The event was co-convened by the Ministry of Agriculture of Tanzania, Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Biovision Foundation, and the Agroecology Coalition.

• The National Ecological Organic Agriculture Strategy (NEOAS) of Tanzania is a testament of the country’s commitment towards agroecology.
• Tanzania has increased its agriculture budget by five times compared to three years ago.
• Developed over several years through a multistakeholder participatory process, NEOAS covers 6 priority action areas
• Other East African countries have developed/are developing their respective agroecology strategy
• Leadership is key (at all levels); need to wean from external inputs as farmers integrate agroecological approaches
• Need to leverage global finance for key drivers of change, align donor efforts
• Articulate/mainstream agroecology other agendas and communities: climate, biodiversity, etc.
• Regional/continental agroecology agenda have to be rooted in civil society and local organisations, anchored on food sovereignty and food culture
• Agroecology should go beyond production and cover consumption; creating demand and developing market pathways for agroecology to flourish is essential
• Harnessing the creativity and energy of young people into agroecology is vital
• Retooling/training extensionists on agroecology given their key role in knowledge dissemination and uptake is crucial
• Knowledge needs to be decolonized. Recognizing indigenous, farmer, local and traditional knowledge and practices is key.
• Farmers need to have space for meaningful involvement in research prioritization and implementation.
• Donors present during this convening has shown very high interest to coordinate their efforts in support of agroecology and deep regenerative approaches in Tanzania, in East Africa and beyond.

Resource:

Global Alliance for the Future of Food. Cultivating Change:A Collaborative Philanthropic Initiative to Accelerate and Scale Agroecology andRegenerative Approaches. n.p.: Global Alliance for the Future of Food, 2024. # 22 p.

In 2023, the Global Alliance along with over two dozen philanthropic partners launched an initiative to explore strategies to accelerate and scale agroecology and regenerative approaches. This report explores what's needed to transition a costly global food system into one that is regenerative, renewable, resilient, interconnected, healthy, equitable, and inclusive.

The report Cultivating Change calculates the cost of the transition to agroecology and regenerative food systems. The transition will require USD 430 billion annually but right now only USD 44 billion goes towards this. In contrast, nearly USD 630 billion goes annually towards agriculture subsidies, half of which are harmful.

The cost to transition to regenerative, resilient, equitable food systems is dwarfed by the massive costs of damage caused by industrial food systems to our health, the environment, and society.

Related:

26 June 2024. 03:00 PM CET. Driving the transition to regenerative farming

• update on Regen10's Outcomes-Based Framework, which aims to equip all food system actors with a shared understanding and ambition for driving the transition to regenerative farming; provide a spotlight and Q&A on Regen10's upcoming feedback survey; and present the latest on Regen10's transition pathways briefs, which explore the costs and benefits of transitioning to regenerative food systems.