This monthโs conversation: Networks of Agroecology in Africa.
Conversation Leads:
As part of the European AGROECOLOGY partnership, a global mapping of agroecological Living Labs and Research Infrastructures was conducted, identifying numerous initiatives worldwide. In Africa, such projects are rapidly emerging, with examples like MAHDIA and NATAE, alongside long-established networks like PELUM and AfrONet. These initiatives encompass a diverse range of activities designed to support local and multi-actor agroecological transition. For this presentation, a selection of agroecological Living Lab projects in Africa were highlighted.
Knowledge on agroecology is often fragmented and anecdotal. The European Commission's Knowledge Centre for Global Food and Nutrition Security synthesizes and curates knowledge on agroecology, making it available to policy-makers and the public. Convergence of knowledge is also sought by the African Regional Multi-Actor Research Networks (RMRN), funded by the European Commission's DG for International Partnerships (INTPA) and supported by the KC-FNS. They bring together scientists, stakeholders, and practitioners in three African regions to advance agroecological research and innovation. Both initiatives facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration and learning. These integrated approaches aims to bridge the knowledge-policy gap and support the scaling up of agroecology practices.
- Taru Sandรฉn, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Austria
- Ana Pires da Silva, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), Portugal
Topic 1: ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐
- Audrey N'gom from the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment in France
Topic 2: ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ: ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข-๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐
Knowledge on agroecology is often fragmented and anecdotal. The European Commission's Knowledge Centre for Global Food and Nutrition Security synthesizes and curates knowledge on agroecology, making it available to policy-makers and the public. Convergence of knowledge is also sought by the African Regional Multi-Actor Research Networks (RMRN), funded by the European Commission's DG for International Partnerships (INTPA) and supported by the KC-FNS. They bring together scientists, stakeholders, and practitioners in three African regions to advance agroecological research and innovation. Both initiatives facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration and learning. These integrated approaches aims to bridge the knowledge-policy gap and support the scaling up of agroecology practices.
- Carlo Rega, Joint Research Center, European Commission
- Caroline Callenius Joint Research Center, European Commission (She was also a guest speaker of a GFAiR webinar on agroecology in December 2024).
Caroline mentioned that JRC is working on a Research overview and Policy brief on Forgotten Foods.
Upcoming:
Related:
- For an overview of webinars organised by the (European) Agroecology Partnership see: https://www.agroecologypartnership.eu/news
21 March 2025. PrAEctiCe hosted its first thematic webinar, โAgroecology Living Labs in Africa,โ in collaboration with its sister projects. Jan Hoinkis from Hochschule Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA), also the coordinator of the PrAEctiCe project, moderated the webinar. The speakers included Mehreteab Tesfai from the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) for CANALLS, Gerrie van de Ven from Wageningen University for NATAE, and Miguel Ribeiro from Mertola Heritage Defense Association (ADMP) for CIRAWA.
The projects under the Horizon Europe Farm to Fork program offered a range of perspectives on the development of living labs in various areas, such as climate conditions, ecosystems, crops, and stakeholders involved. They also provided their own definitions of living labs and discussed the potential benefits and challenges of agroecology living labs in Africa.
The projects under the Horizon Europe Farm to Fork program offered a range of perspectives on the development of living labs in various areas, such as climate conditions, ecosystems, crops, and stakeholders involved. They also provided their own definitions of living labs and discussed the potential benefits and challenges of agroecology living labs in Africa.
- Jan Hoinkis introduced one of the three living labs for the PrAEctiCe project, focusing on the one in Kisumu, Kenya. This particular lab focuses on integrated aqua-agriculture. They use a membrane bioreactor to treat wastewater, which is then used for fish farming. The water from the fish tank is also used for nutrient irrigation for crops. Additionally, the lab is working on cultivating black soldier fly larvae, which can be used as protein-rich feed for tilapia fish. They employ a participatory research approach involving practitioners, students, and stakeholders in research and knowledge exchange. Hoinkis highlighted, โA salient feature of the PrAEctiCe living labs is that it involves practitioners, we show them around, students can come we work together in research, it is not an ivory tower.โ
- Miguel Ribeiro from CIRAWA presented three agroforestry demonstration sites and three plant nurseries on Santo Antao Island, Cape Verde. These sites aim to explore horticultural and tree crop diversity, drip irrigation, forage production and processing, biomass production, ecosystem support services, rural extension and educational activities. He emphasised that the benefit of a living lab is that it has experimental freedom because there is no financial pressure to produce crops, and it only has to show people results, which they can adopt as practices. He explained that altering traditional farming culture is challenging because farming is predominantly a subsistence activity rather than for economic gain. Farmers only perceive a need to change their ways if they see what they will gain. As he puts it, โWhen they see that these farmersโ sweet potatoes are better and sweeter than mine, they might realise itโs because we put straw on their crops. We have to demonstrate the results to them.โ
- Mehretiab Tesfai, a representative of CANALLS, has stated that the organisation is currently implementing a project in several countries in Eastern Africa, including Cameroon, DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi. The projectโs primary objective is to establish agroecological living labs, which are physical spaces for collaborative workshops to identify and develop agroecological practices that can effectively address complex challenges. The solutions identified are then tested using a multimethod approach at experimental field sites on farmersโ fields. Tesfai said, โWe have proposed establishing eight living labs, 4 in DRC, 1 in Cameroon, 2 in Burundi, and 1 in Rwanda.โ The goal is to transform the agroecological farming systems in these areas from Level 1 to 3. Level 1 involves increasing the efficiency of inputs without climate impact, while level 3 involves redesigning agroecological farming systems across landscapes based on their ecological processes.
- Gerrie van de Ven defined the Agroecology Living Lab, according to NATAE, as โa self-organised place of structural exchange between food system actors, for identifying and testing combinations of agroecological practices while working towards a joint venture for the implementation of agroecological transition.โ The 6 NATAE living labs in North Africa are focused on developing and researching the basics of agroecological practices and working with stakeholders to develop systems. Additionally, they have seven replication labs to test and validate what they have learned, ensuring that it can be applied and expanded to other areas. Van de Ven emphasised that their approach focuses on innovation, co-learning, and systems thinking towards the sustainability of the farming system, with a holistic view of its impact on the entire system.
No comments:
Post a Comment