Vyakulani Africa Project (June 2024 – January 2025) The aim of the project is to document African diaspora foodways in Belgium.
Vyakulani is Swahili for “in the foods” or “which foods”, which embodies our intention to explore and celebrate the rich and diverse food traditions of the African diasporas.
There is increasing interest in consuming nutritious plant-based diets in Europe. However, the consumption and trade of nutritious African foods, has not gained as much acceptance as it should in the public domain, in view of the historical link between both continents.
Interest in nutritious plant-based diets is on the rise, yet African foods have not gained the recognition they deserve in Europe despite efforts to promote fair-trade food systems. For African diasporas in Europe, cooking with traditional ingredients remains a key part of their identity and heritage. However, the influence of Western lifestyles and biases against African food often echo colonial attitudes, limiting the acceptance and awareness of nutritious African foods like millet, fonio, and sorghum.
While other exotic dishes like kimchi, lemongrass, and quinoa are widely accepted, African superfoods and the role of African agrofood entrepreneurship in biodiversity conservation are not well-known. The project aims to:
Highlight the importance and potential of African food systems.
Encourage Africans in Europe to reconnect with their culinary traditions.
Promote healthy African foods to the wider public.
Among the African diasporas in Europe the desire to cook home foods with indigenous ingredients persists. Within families, food is one of the strong identity markers. Thus, the sustainability of home recipes and diets, including their transmission across generations and potential benefits for larger society (European citizens) need further exploration.
Vyakulani Citizen Scientists guide# 9 pp. : This document explains all you need to know, to effectively participate as a citizen scientist in the Vyakulani Africa Project
This report assesses 30 of the world’s largest food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers – 23% of the global F&B market – on their performance to improve access to nutritious foods. The Index presents companies’ relative progress across a range of nutrition-related topics, areas for improvement, and offers a roadmap for change.
This is the fifth Global Access to Nutrition Index. It assesses how the world’s largest food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers are contributing to addressing malnutrition in all its forms. The world faces more challenges than at any point in recent memory. Since 2021, the obesity epidemic has accelerated, with a concurrent slowing of progress in addressing undernutrition. The food sector – particularly the modern food retail segment – is growing. This growth is fastest in emerging markets, with processed foods becoming more available.
Opportunities ramp up in the continent’s food processing industry, yet a lack of policy progression threatens to stall progress.
Local entrepreneurs are increasingly entering value-added processing, creating products that cater to both local tastes and international markets. There has also been a notable rise in innovative products using local foods, appealing to niche markets and shifting Africa from a raw commodity net exporter to a value-added foods producer.
“This progress positions African food processors as key players in driving both economic growth and food security across the continent,” Vivian Maduekeh, programme director, Partners in Food Solutions. For the past 16 years, Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) has been working with over 2,000 food processors in over 12 countries.
The increased demand for processed foods provides an opportunity for Africa's food processing sector to grow and contribute to economic growth; however, the continent remains a net and growing importer of processed foods. Africa now has an opportunity to benefit from its growing urban markets and accelerate its transition from primarily producing and exporting raw agricultural commodities by increasing production in its growing food processing sector, The Malabo Montpellier Panel report finds.
In the face of demographic shifts and evolving food preferences, Africa stands at a pivotal moment
in its agricultural and economic evolution. The past few decades have seen remarkable strides
in agricultural productivity across the continent and food systems transformation. Traditional
home based and local food processing has declined and opportunities of expansion of food
processing industries are growing in the continent.
The dynamic interplay between population
growth, rapid urbanization, rising incomes, women’s roles in the labor markets, as well as changes
in dietary patterns presents both a challenge and unique opportunity for Africa.
The dietary shift
among urban and rural populations towards processed foods, uniquely positions the continent to
leverage these trends for economic development but also include challenges for nutrition quality.
The expansion of Africa’s food processing sector offers a strategic path to reduce dependency on
imported processed food products and enhance the region’s food system development.
This report by the — VALUE-UP: Policy innovations to advance
Africa’s food processing sector for growth, jobs, and health— reviews the current situation
in Africa and draws lessons from African countries: Ghana, Kenya and Senegal. It focuses on
their policy and institutional innovations, as well as programmatic interventions to transform food
systems and enhance economic development. The report delves into the various opportunities
and challenges faced by food processors in Africa and provided valuable insights and actionable
recommendations for stakeholders committed to advancing the continent’s food processing
industry.
Healthy diets promote health, growth and development, support active lifestyles, prevent nutrient deficiencies and excesses, communicable and noncommunicable diseases, foodborne diseases and promote wellbeing. The exact make-up of a diet will vary depending on individual characteristics, preferences and beliefs, cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs. However, the basic principles of what constitutes healthy diets remain the same.
In this document the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have formulated principles of what constitute healthy diets, underpinned by guidelines and other normative elements developed by the two Organizations. The principles provide the basis for the design of policies aimed at improving diet and for the assessment of the healthiness of diets.
8 - 10 November 2024. African Diaspora Agrofood ForumThe African Diaspora Agrofood Forum, offers a platform for African diaspora agrofood entrepreneurs, stakeholders and interested members of the public to convene, exchange ideas, explore opportunities for growth in the agrofood sector and experience African food innovations.
Key highlights of the event include:
Expert Panels and Keynote Speeches: Hear from leading experts and thought leaders on current trends, challenges, and opportunities within the African agrofood sector.
Workshops and Training Sessions: Participate in interactive workshops designed to enhance skills and knowledge in various aspects of agrofood production, marketing, and consumption.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers, professionals, investors, and policymakers to build strategic partnerships and collaborations.
Exhibition: Explore the 2 days exhibition fair and taste innovative agrofood products
Presentation of the African Diaspora agrofood entrepreneur of the year award and the annual compendium of African diaspora agrofood entrepreneurs
The ADAF 2024 partners include Sankaa vzw, European Union Global Diaspora Facility(EUDIF), ENABEL, COLEAD, EU Impetus Accelerator Program, Zidi Circle, Alefa Diaspora and others.
This panel discussed the role of the African Diaspora in driving innovative agrofood entrepreneurshipthat aligns with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The panel was moderated by GFAiR.
Policy makers, experts and entrepreneurs discussed how to create policies that foster growth, sustainability and opportunity in agrofood sectors across Africa and its diaspora.
Entrepreneurship is deeply intertwined with the migration stories of African diasporas, particularly in the agrofood sector. Over the years, many in the diaspora have harnessed their resources to launch agrofood projects, which often go unrecognized in mainstream development narratives and data. To spotlight these efforts, the African Diaspora Agrofood Entrepreneur of the Year award was conceived, honoring those making significant impacts in the sector.
In 2022, this prestigious award, organized by The Food Bridge, was presented to Mr. Cyril Sanjoh, a Cameroonian entrepreneur revolutionizing the international agrifood landscape. His company, Sansusa, registered as a Common Initiative Group (CIG) in 2014, is committed to sustainable farming practices, producing a diverse range of crops and livestock.
In 2023, Mr. Alpha Diallo, founder of Africapaid, received the award for his innovative work at WELLI Farm in Senegal. His farm addresses food security challenges by focusing on fruit, vegetable, and dairy production while supporting the local community. Diallo’s approach is especially notable for his collaboration with local women, who collect farm produce on credit and sell it at markets, keeping 100% of the profits.
This publication aims to support and promote the growth of the African Diaspora agrofood entrepreneurship ecosystem.
It is featuring African diaspora agrofood
entrepreneurs based in Europe, who operate businesses in Africa, the Caribbean, or Europe. Selected entrepreneurs will be highlighted in this year's edition.
Conclusion and recommendations
Women entrepreneurs engaged in food
processing in Africa, in particular the African Diaspora, have unique opportunities to improve nutrition by leveraging their positions to create healthier, locally sourced, and culturally relevant food products. For example, women-led businesses can focus on processing traditional, nutrient-dense foods that are often overlooked by large-scale industrial producers, such as indigenous grains, legumes, and vegetables. These women entrepreneurs can innovate by fortifying common foods with micronutrients like iron, vitamins, and
minerals to address local nutritional deficiencies, such as anemia or vitamin A deficiency.
Additionally, they can promote healthier alternatives to processed snacks by creating low-sugar, high-fiber, and nutrient-rich products that cater to local tastes. By using
local ingredients, women entrepreneurs can also support regional agriculture, boosting food security and encouraging sustainable farming practices. Furthermore, women-run food enterprises can serve as platforms for education, teaching communities about the benefits of nutritious eating and helping to shift consumer behavior towards healthier, more balanced diets. These efforts not only improve the nutrition of local populations but also empower women entrepreneurs to play a central role in shaping the health and economic landscape of their communities.
Highlight
A dedicated blogpost is forthcoming about Gamaal.
GAMAAL is a dynamic homecooked food app dedicated to connecting cultures through the universal language of food https://gamaal.co.uk/
Traditional metrics like usage frequency or app downloads often fail to capture the true impact of Digital Farmer Services (DFS). The "Meaningful Use" framework fills this gap by evaluating the real benefits that farmers gain from these services. Based on a survey of nearly 5,000 farmers across India, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia, this approach covers services such as information access, input and equipment markets, and credit offered by 18 DFS providers.
The panel of experts will discuss the design of the 'Meaningful Use' framework in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics, how DFS is transforming farmers' practices, livelihoods, and resilience, and Insights on scaling DFS solutions to deliver sustainable, impactful benefits for farmers across Africa and Asia.
The World Bank`s "What’s Cooking Digital Agriculture Learning Series" webinar is now on The World Bank Open Learning Campus, OLC. The OLC is available to everyone inside the World Bank as well as externally.
4 Oct 2024. Transforming Agriculture Through Data and Digital Technologies and Enhancing Productivity
The agricultural sector is confronting escalating challenges that threaten both productivity and environmental sustainability. From ensuring food security to maintaining stable production amid climate change, traditional farming methods are increasingly insufficient. The modern agricultural landscape calls for innovative solutions, leveraging advanced technologies such as Internet of Things (IoTs), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data. e-kakashi's Digital Platform: Spearheading the integration of plant science with data-driven technology, e-kakashi offers a digital platform that enhances agricultural practices.
Utilizing sensors and AI, this system not only captures and visualizes vital environmental and cultivation data but also merges plant physiology with machine learning. This approach provides farmers with real-time, actionable insights to optimize growing conditions, mitigate risks, and improve crop quality and yield. e-kakashi is dedicated to expanding its platform to include a wider range of agricultural data, such as soil conditions and human labor, creating a comprehensive agricultural information network. https://www.e-kakashi.com/en/
Sagri's Geo-Spatial Analytics: Since its inception in 2018, Sagri has been at the forefront of integrating geo-spatial analytics with AI and proprietary models to revolutionize farming techniques. By combining satellite imagery with on-field data, Sagri delivers precise, farm-level recommendations that optimize irrigation and fertilizer use while promoting sustainability. Their advanced satellite analytics also help farmers reduce costs and emissions, capitalize on agriculture carbon credits, and enhance productivity with data-driven methods. Sagri's impact spans across global operations in 10 countries across Asia, South America, and Africa. https://sagri.tokyo/en/technology/
Enhancing Knowledge Management in institutions requires enforcing a national policy aimed at influencing knowledge sharing and serving as a repository of knowledge among stakeholders, key players, and the public. On 25th October 2024, the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in partnership with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), held a Knowledge Management Policy Dialogue at Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, through the Ukama Ustawi Initiative.
The IWMI-led Ukama Ustawi (UU) Initiative is a four-year project worth approximately USD 40 million that promotes diversification for resilient agribusiness ecosystems in East and Southern Africa (ESA). The initiative is set to end in 2024 and targets 12 countries in this region: Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The main goal of the UU Initiative is to address food and nutrition security risks in the region, which stem from an overreliance on maize monoculture. The initiative instead promotes a climate-resilient, water-secure, and socially inclusive approach aimed at helping smallholders diversify and de-risk agri-food systems based on maize in the targeted countries.
The Forum builds on a far-reaching year-long process, from the work of AEF multi-stakeholder Strategy Groups and the Future Africa-EU Roundtable of July 2024 to Friends of Europe’s Global Europe programme and in the preamble of the State of Europe 2024. Throughout the year, the AEF community has had a strategic focus on ‘sustainable finance’ as a defining domain of cooperation for a forward-looking Africa-Europe Partnership on equal footing.
Donald Kaberuka - High Representative for the Peace Fund of the Africa Union Commission and former President of the African Development Bank
Arancha González Laya - Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po and former Spanish minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli - President and CEO of the ONE Campaign
Simon Mordue - Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS)
Myriam Ferran - Deputy Director General, European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA)
Related:
25 September 2024. ONE Campaign "Africa at the Forefront of Global Financing Solutions," discussed the current financing gap for people and planet and African-led ideas and solutions for the future. The event featured panels and discussions on global health financing and the future of replenishments, Africa's seat at the table in shaping our collective future, and ONE's journey of activism and advocacy as we celebrate our 20th anniversary.
At the Food & Agriculture Pavilion, CGIAR and FAO will create a platform for collaborative dialogue, knowledge sharing, and decision-making on the unique role of agriculture and food systems in the fight against climate change. These will include sharing efforts to drive adaptation and reduce emissions across food, land, and water systems to ensure food, nutrition, and water security for the most affected small-scale producers and food-insecure communities through targeted adaptation strategies.
This session explores LLA experiences designing food and agricultural climate solutions that engage diverse stakeholders, leverage innovative finance, address structural inequalities, and foster capacity and knowledge exchange.
Led by ICARDA and ICRISAT, the Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD) builds on CGIAR’s 50-year legacy of dryland agri-research, science, and extensive partner networks, to leverage cutting-edge technologies and foster synergies for agri-innovation packages that are tailored to unique dryland challenges.
The current climate financing falls short of enabling net-zero, nature-positive transitions. This event explores science-based solutions to unlock capital for farmers, boosting resilience, food security, and equity, while addressing both adaptation and mitigation in sustainable livestock development. The session highlights barriers faced by women in agriculture, creating a platform for their empowerment in the food system transformation.
The panel will discuss the findings of a recent study that highlighted the potential of bioinputs, particularly inoculants and biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) techniques, as alternatives to nitrogen fertilizers in non-leguminous Crops such as wheat, rice, sugarcane, corn, and pastures.
Extension systems are often faced with operational budget constraints, weak technical capacity, coordination challenges, poor research-extension linkages, and unsupportive policy environments for building resilience to climate shocks.
Experts will discuss how cutting-edge innovations are revolutionizing traditional farming methods, promoting resource efficiency, and enhancing resilience in the face of climate change and resource scarcity. Additionally, the panel will explore how financial mechanisms can direct capital toward sustainable practices, ensuring the long-term management of vital resources such as water and land.
Led by AUDA-NEPAD and supported by the Italian Development Cooperation, this program will provide African countries and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) with technical support to integrate climate and food systems policies into actionable investment pipelines, with a focus on regional dimensions and trade corridors.
An opportunity to announce progress against various initiatives focused on smallholder farmers, taking stock of how recent global and bilateral initiatives have catalyzed investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation.
This side event explores the profound impact of climate change, particularly rising atmospheric CO₂ and extreme weather events, on food supply and the nutrient quality of key staple crops like maize, rice, and wheat.
Key experts will share (1) food sharing model for food waste prevention in Solo (Indonesia); (2) zero waste and agroecology implementation in Kerala (India); and (3) zero waste communities and organic food production in Rangpur (Bangladesh).
The ‘2024 Breakthrough Agenda Report: Agriculture’ is the first standalone report to focus on agriculture within the Breakthrough Agenda series. This report draws on CGIAR’s and global stakeholders’ expertise to assess the status of international collaboration toward implementing sustainable practices in agriculture, and to propose clear recommendations for sector-specific actions that governments and non-state actors need to take together.
Representatives from Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia will launch Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plans designed to align climate adaptation in agriculture with NDCs.
This event will highlight the potential of agroecology, water systems, sector-specific initiatives in fisheries and healthy diets for ambitious national climate action.
The 2024 Breakthrough Agenda Report – Agriculture is the first standalone report to focus on the agrifood system in the Breakthrough Agenda series. The report assesses the status of international collaboration toward implementing sustainable practices in agriculture and finds that while efforts are being made, they are not yet delivering the levels of investment and deployment required to drive reductions in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions required to meet international climate goals.
Spotlighting two sectors of the agrifood system with the greatest contributions to GHG emissions – enteric methane emissions from livestock and emissions from fertilizers production and application – the report outlines several promising technologies that could support climate mitigation if appropriately scaled. It calls on governments to strengthen collaboration in key areas – such as financial and technical assistance, knowledge exchange, demand creation, and the development of common metrics and indicators – to accelerate the much-needed transition to clean, sustainable, agricultural practices.
Launched in December 2022, AfriFOODlinks is an EU funded project*. Coordinated by ICLEI Africa, the project gathers 26 partners across the globe to improve food security and urban sustainability in 65+ cities in Africa and Europe by:
Applying an urban food systems lens to promote shifts to healthy, sustainable diets
Transforming urban food environments through real-world socio-technical experiments
Promoting inclusive multi-actor governance to empower public officials, small businesses and communities with ownership and agency to shape their food systems
Accelerating innovative, women- and youth-led agri-food businesses to support local value addition and inclusive economic participation
This project is part of the Step Change initiative, co-funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and IDRC. Step Change is a five-year, CAD28.5-million initiative that aims to accelerate equitable and inclusive locally led adaptation.
The main objectives of Tropical Summit are to promote the transfer of knowledge, stimulate multidisciplinary collaboration and the involvement of stakeholders, and contribute to the co-creation and innovative projects, capitalizing and densifying existing initiatives and collaboration platforms for the rapid implementation of tangible and robust solutions. The focus will be on South-South-North triangular cooperation and 4 thematic areas:
PLANETARY HEALTH: Nurturing life within the global boundaries
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: Sustainability as a path to socioeconomic progress
TERRITORIAL AND SOCIAL TRANSITIONS: Building resilient spaces and societies in every dimension
HUMAN GROWTH: Empowerment and technology for the times ahead
This panel session discussed the critical role of agroecology in addressing food system challenges in Africa, particularly under the looming impacts of climate change. Opening remarks by Dr. Aggrey Agumya focused on the need for a robust ten-year agricultural strategy from FARA that acknowledges the benefits of agroecology, a point furthered by Dr. Guy Faure’s insights on EU support and the importance of innovation and market access for agroecological systems. Dr. Marc Corbeels highlighted the detrimental effects of climate change, indicating changes in temperature and rainfall that could reduce crop yields. Discussions led by Prof. Rachel Wynberg outlined fundamental principles and necessary transformative approaches to agroecology. The session identified key action items for scientists, researchers, policymakers, and research institutions to bolster evidence, innovation, market access, and research capacity, while also addressing the challenges of urbanization and waste management in agroecological practices. Overall, the meeting underscored the urgency of catalyzing agroecological practices as a resilient response to climate change and food security challenges in Africa.
Aggrey Agumya, FARA
FARA is developing 10-year agricultural strategy for Africa. No mention of agroecology in the strategy despite efforts. Lack of evidence cited as reason for not featuring agroecology prominently. Call for scientists to provide more concrete evidence on agroecology benefits.
Guy Faure, EC-INTPA
He emphasized need for innovation in agroecology to boost production, Highlighted importance of better market access for agroecological farming systems, EU is funding regional multi-actor research networks to strengthen research capacity
Marc Corbeels, CIRAD
He presented the CANALLS project. This research project aims to drive agroecological transitions in the humid tropics of Central and Eastern Africa via multi-actor transdisciplinary Agroecology Living Labs (ALLs) and providing holistic agroecological solutions that meet the challenges of the local food systems. The ALLs are based in
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Bunia in DRC (Lowlands/ cocoa) + Biega in DRC (Highlands/ coffee) + Kabare (Highlands/ coffee) + Uvira (Lowlands/ cassava, rice)
This book offers a contribution that is enriched by the collaborative, creative, and critical voices of African farmers, activists, scientists, scholars, and policymakers. Their viewpoints combine in this volume to articulate a shared and dynamic vision of a world where agriculture is productive, diverse, and sustainable; where different ways of seeing and knowing are respected; and where seed and food systems are in the hands of farmers and local communities.
Baitsi Podisi, CCARDESA
06/11 Agricultural Development
Keynote - Sammy Aggrey Professor in Genetics and Genomics at the University of Georgia, Athens
Bongiwe Njobe - Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Karen Montiel - Technical specialist, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Ravi Khetarpal - Chair of the Global Forum on Agriculture Research and Innovation (APAARI)
Sylvain Perret - Director of Agrinatura
Moderator: Oseyemi Akinbamijo Former Executive Director of FARA
06/11 Building Climate-Resilient Agri-Food Systems: Case Studies and Indicators
Parallel Session – Project Showcase
Transformative Agri-Food Supply Chains for Climate Resilience – Which indicators are suitable to measure resilience and social transformation? - Christine Altenbuchner, BOKU University
Agroecological Solutions for Resilient Farming in West Africa - The Cape Verde Case Study - Miguel Ribeiro, ADPM - Associação de Defesa do Património de Mértola
Variability and Trends in the Beginning and End of the Rainy Season in West Africa. The Guinea-Bissau case study - Orlando Mendes, National Meteorological Institute; Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning
Sustainable Aquaponics for Food Security in SIDS: A Case Study of São Tomé and Príncipe - Britta Kautzman, School of Agriculture; Lisbon School of Economics & Management
INNOECOFOOD - Eco-innovative technologies for improved nutrition, sustainable production and marketing of agroecological food products in Africa - Ana Faria, CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research
INNOECOFOOD aims to establish innovative production/ business ECOHUBS and improve local aquaculture farms using AI and IoT in six African countries. To support EU-AU markets and trade, INNOECOFOOD will train rural farmers, youth and women to innovatively produce and process nutritious aquaculture catfish and tilapia, blue-green cyanobacteria spirulina, and insect value chains that will be processed into certified marketable human food products and feed.
The project aims to establish ECOHUB farms in six African countries, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Namibia, Tanzania and Egypt, where sustainable cultured fish, Spirulina (a green-blue algae) and insects will be produced using innovative artificial intelligence technologies and climate-friendly renewable local energy sources, with optimized production-processing-operation-marketing. This project will also lead to the employment and training of local people with low socio-economic status in these ECOHUB farms, enabling them to sustainably continue the production chain and cycle in the ECOHUB farms, and to produce and process certified, marketable food and industrial products from these innovative farms, thus providing the potential for sustainable social impact.
Soil Salinity and Saline Agriculture in Eastern & Southern Africa: Experiences from a Regional Technical Network Initiative - Jakob Herrmann, Weltweit – Association for the Promotion of Local Initiatives e.V.; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Soil Science and Soil Protection
06/11 Transforming African farming and food systems through research and innovation – A presentation and discussion with six EU-H2020 projects
Adam Standring, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão
Idalina Dias Sardinha, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão
Giles Young, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Helena Serrano, Faculty of Sciences - University of Lisbon
Cristina Branquinho, Faculty of Sciences - University of Lisbon
Mary Steverink-Mosugu, ISRIC - World Soil Information
Giovanna Seddaiu, University of Sassari
Harun Cicek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
Fernando Sousa, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
Vladimir Mrkajić, InoSens
Mila Sell, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
6/11 Reflections of Agroecology as pathway to climate change adaptation and mitigation
This Panel Discussion brought together experts to address the critical role of agroecology in achieving sustainable agricultural systems amidst climate challenges. The panelists identified research gaps, including the pressing need for improved dialogue between scientists and policymakers regarding soil health and agroecological practices.
Key presentations focused on evidence supporting agroecology's benefits for food security and sustainability, alongside the importance of translating research into actionable policies. The discussion also emphasized participatory approaches to certification, farmer compensation for ecosystem services, and fostering effective communication strategies to bridge the gap between science and policy. Collaborative efforts between FARA and Ruforum were highlighted as essential for advancing research and addressing the challenges of farmer adoption of agroecological practices while ensuring immediate economic benefits. Action items include conducting quantitative studies on agroecological impacts and developing compensation schemes for ecosystem service providers.
Alex Awiti, CIFOR-ICRAF
Khamis Fathiya, ICIPE
Irene Kadzere- Forichi, FiBL
Emmanuel Njukwe, CORAF
Felix Rembold, Food Security Team Leader at the Joint Research center of the European Commission EC-JRC
He presented findings from systematic reviews on agroecology impacts, discussed positive impacts on food security, socioeconomic factors, and food system sustainability, highlighted ongoing review on climate change mitigation and adaptation and he emphasized the need for more quantitative data and modeling.
He has led the development of the anomaly hotspots of agricultural production and was one of the initiators of the African Post Harvest Losses Information. He has lived in Africa for several years and contributes to numerous international research and cooperation projects together with the EU delegations, UN and local organizations.
Transcript of Felix' contribution:
When yesterday I heard in the introduction of Dr. Aggrey Agumya (FARA) that there are still ongoing discussions, even at a very high level and a very strategic political level, where the availability of scientific evidence that proves the potential of agroecology to have an impact on food security, on socioeconomic aspects, on climate change adaptation, and that this is still questioned, I was really feeling to be in the right discussion.
The Joint Research center's core mission is to provide scientific evidence to European policymakers. And this includes agroecology. We are not engaged in primary research about agroecology. So in the last three years, together with other research centers such as CIRAD but also several European universities, we have started several systematic scientific reviews of scientific literature and also meta analysis. We have already published the results of three of them.
The impacts of agroecology on food security in comparison with conventional systems. The first review was specific to developing countries and 19 out of 26 are in Africa. It was an opportunity to characterize what agroecological practices are being implemented and are most used by farmers in those 19 African countries.There is a clear positive impact of agricultural practices on food security. It's not only through yield and production, but it's also very clearly in terms of increased availability of nutritious food and dietary diversity (the link between food security and health).
Socioeconomic impacts. In 80 peer reviewed papers scientific we found clear positive association with farmers income, with revenue and also with efficiency and productivity. Of course, agroecology is labor intensive and can increase costs. But we also know that it is always a question of trade offs and cost benefit. It is important to look very specifically at local context to understand whether the overall effect on income prevails on the increase of costs or on pressure, for example on gender inequality that can be linked to the increase of labor need.
Food system sustainability.There is clearly less literature available on this. We compared the principles of agroecology with the food systems framework and food systems sustainability dimensions.Biodiversity has a positive impact on food systems. Increased biodiversity. Synergies in crop livestock systems or increased soil fertility with organic material in the soil and above the soil creates a number of synergies that support sustainable food systems.
We are currently close to finalizing a review of 16,000 scientific papers about the potential of agroecology in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Climate change mitigation:
There is strong evidence that agroecology has a potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in particular CO2 and N2O thanks to the reduced carbon intensive inputs and thanks to the use of less fossil based fertilizers. From the 16,000 papers 300 papers have been full text contributions and some have quantitative data. There is scientific evidence about the fact that the agricultural practices can clearly and strongly increase the carbon stocks in the soil through the various practices from mulching to practices that increase organic material in the soil and agroforestry which clearly contributes to Carbon Sequestration
Rice producing systems are contributing very strongly to methane. Methane can be reduced by different agroecological practices. The same applies also to livestock. It's a body of evidence which cannot be ignored and which can guide also political dialogue and policy dialogue and decisions for adaptation.
Climate change adaptation:
there is a strong body of evidence that some aspects or some practices in agroecology and in particular diversification at the farm level clearly has a strong potential to contribute to climate change adaptation.
Increased biodiversity can support resistance to drought or drought tolerance.
Challenges:
One of the challenges with the scientific reviews was to take into account practices which are not named as Agroecology. Another challenge throughout all these reviews is that we most of the time find papers or work on single practices. So the complexity and the systemic aspects are very difficult to evaluate.
Policymakers need not only conclusions about the potential and whether the associated impact of agricultural practices is positive or neutral or negative. They need also more quantitative data. And this is something we started working on and I think also other research centers are working on.
We need to do more modeling so that we can also provide quantitative information, possibly in local contexts and not just globally.
A lot of research is focused on the farm and on production aspects and not on the other parts of the food system. So there is clearly a gap. The identification of this gap is the second benefit of literature review, after identifying the main comparative advantages of agroecology with conventional: what are the research gaps? This is also something we are discussing with the colleagues of RUFORUM, FARA others. What are the research gaps so that new initiatives can focus on those gaps.
07/11 FOOD4WA: Sharing Africa's Centers of Excellence and Innovative Agricultural Solutions with the World
Parallel Session - Project Showcase & Debate
Organised by: Food for West Africa Network
In line with strengthening Inter-ACE collaborations, various thematic networks have been created under the ACE Impact Project. The Food for West Africa (FOOD4WA) is one of eight thematic networks established with the aim of advancing collaboration on cutting edge research, to address food insecurity challenges within the region. The Network headquarters are based at the Regional Center of Excellence on Poultry Sciences (CERSA) of the University of Lome-Togo.
Eh Samba Sylla, Food for West Africa Network (FOOD4WA)
Centre of Excellence on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture (CCBAD) of Côte d’Ivoire
