Thursday, July 2, 2026

CIRAWA Agroecology Conference

1–3 July 2026. Accra, Ghana. The CIRAWA Agroecology Conference – Agroecology and Nature-BasedSolutions for Sustainable Food Systems in Africa was structured around three thematic days that combined keynote addresses, scientific presentations, policy dialogues, workshops, poster sessions, and field visits. The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, farmers, civil society organizations, development partners, and private-sector actors to discuss how
agroecology and nature-based solutions can accelerate sustainable food systems across Africa.

Conference Programme

The conference opened with three keynote addresses that framed the scientific and policy discussions on agroecology in Africa:

Keynote 1: The IUCN Global Framework for the Design, Verification and Scaling-up of Nature-based Solutions – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Keynote 2: Harmonisation of Indigenous Knowledge and Transformative Education: Enabling Agroecology Transitions in Africa – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Opening Ceremony – Alex Percival Segbefia (picture), the Chief of Staff of the Vice President of Ghana

Mr. Segbefia reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming Ghana’s agricultural sector through the promotion of agroecological practices as part of the country’s broader agricultural transformation agenda. He said Ghana must move away from agricultural systems that are no longer delivering the desired results and embrace approaches that support sustainable food systems and long-term agricultural resilience. [02/07 West Africa charts path towards sustainable food systems at CIRAWA Agroecology Conference]
Remarks from representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA Ghana), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the European Union (EU), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Ghana (MoFA), the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology of Ghana (MESTI), the Minister of State for Climate Change, AMAATI Ltd., and other partners.
Keynote 3: The State and Potential of Agroecology in Africa – University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana

The first scientific sessions focused on two major themes:

Scientific Session 1: Nature-based Solutions – Chair: CARTIF (Centro Tecnológico CARTIF, Spain)
Scientific Session 2: Agroecology Transitions – Chair: Association pour le Développement des Populations du Mayo-Rey (ADPM), Cameroon

The second day 02/07 featured four keynote presentations followed by four thematic scientific sessions:

Keynote 4: Soil Health, Agro-Waste and Circularity – Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Keynote 5: Indicators and Monitoring & Evaluation – Raul Sanchez, CARTIF (Centro Tecnológico CARTIF, Spain); Discussants: Dr. Dileyini Lizza Diaz, University of Valladolid (UVA), Spain, and Prof. Charles Okyere, University of Ghana
Scientific Session 3: Soil Health, Agro-Waste and Circularity – Chair: Dr. Catherine Dembele, Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF); Discussant: Dr. Marina Paneque, University of Seville (USE), Spain
Scientific Session 4: Indicators and Monitoring & Evaluation – Chair: Jules Bayala, Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF); Discussant: Dr. Lamin Dibba, National Agricultural Research Institute of The Gambia (NARI)
Keynote 6: Agroecology Transitions – Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer, Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA Ghana)
Keynote 7: Policy, Upscaling and Gender: Agroecology & Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems at Scale in Africa – Critical Pathways to Adoption at Scale – Dr. Moumini Savadogo, West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF)
Scientific Session 5: Agroecology Transitions – Chair: Dr. Erin Anders, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, University of Nebraska, USA; Discussant: Richard Appoh, World Vision (WV)
Scientific Session 6: Policy, Upscaling & Gender – Chair: Dr. Demba B. Jallow, National Agricultural Research Institute of The Gambia (NARI); Discussant: Dorcas Owusuaa Agyei, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The final day 03/07 focused on policy dialogue and practical implementation:

Keynote 8: Policy, Governance and Way Forward – Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer, Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA Ghana).
Policy Briefs and Roundtable Policy Discussion – Moderator: Dr. Jacques Somda; Panelists: Dr. Moumini Savadogo (West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development – CORAF), Dr. Marc Corbeels (Climate Adaptation and Mitigation through Nature-based Solutions – CANALLS), Prof. Osman Tahidu Damba (Secretary-General, Ghana Commission for UNESCO), and Prof. Olowole Fatunbi (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa – FARA).

The conference concluded with five parallel workshops:

Workshop 1: Unlocking the Potential of Partnerships for Agroecology in Sub-Saharan Africa – Organised by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).
Workshop 2: Measuring What Matters: Participatory Monitoring for Farmers and Agroecology Practitioners Using the TRANSITIONS Metrics Meta Framework – Gloria Kukurije Adeyiga, Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG).
Workshop 3: CIRAWA DSS: An Agroecological Decision-Support System for Soil-Based Crop Planning in West Africa – Nicolas Minary and Nabil Boukala, Landfiles.
Workshop 4: Operationalising Agroecology at Scale: Insights from the Regreening Africa Project in Ghana – Organised by the Regreening Africa Project.
Workshop 5: Agroecological Farming and Biocircular Training Programme (AFBTP) – Organised by the Wuntira Agri Foundation (WAF).

Background:

The EU-funded project CIRAWA has been collaborating with farmers and stakeholders in four West African countries (Cape Verde, Ghana, Senegal, and The Gambia) since 2023, to develop and share agroecological and nature-based solutions that promote sustainable and resilient farming. The conference also receive support from other EU projects such as CANALLS, PrAEctiCe, and NATAE.

Project	Full project name	Implementation period	EU budget	Consortium
CIRAWA	Agro-ecological Strategies for Resilient Farming in West Africa	November 2022 – October 2026 (48 months)	€7.5 million	14 partners from 9 countries, coordinated by Fundación CARTIF (Spain). The consortium includes CARTIF, CIRAD, University for Development Studies (Ghana), FARA, University of Cape Verde, INIDA (Cape Verde), ISRA (Senegal), NARI (The Gambia), CIFOR-ICRAF, ADPM (Cameroon), and other European and African research and innovation organizations.
CANALLS	Climate Adaptation through Nature-based Solutions: Agroecology Living Labs in Sub-Saharan Africa	November 2022 – October 2026 (48 months)	Approximately €8 million	18 partners from Europe and Africa, coordinated by CIRAD (France). Partners include IITA, University of Hohenheim, NIBIO, Rikolto, IRAD, ISABU, Rwanda Agriculture Board, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), FARA and several national research organizations in Central and Eastern Africa.
PrAEctiCe	Potentials of Agroecological Practices in East Africa with a Focus on Circular Water-Energy-Nutrient Systems	November 2022 – April 2026 (42 months)	€6.9 million	16 partners from 9 countries, coordinated by Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (Germany). The consortium includes universities and research institutes from Germany, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia, Malta and Nigeria, working through Living Labs in East Africa.
NATAE	Fostering Agroecology Transition in North Africa through Multi-actor Approaches	November 2022 – October 2026 (48 months)	€7.4 million	23 partners from Europe and North Africa, coordinated by CIHEAM Montpellier (France). The consortium includes Wageningen University & Research, IUCN, ICARDA, CIHEAM Bari, CIHEAM Zaragoza, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie (INAT), Institut National du Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts (INGC), Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II (Morocco), and research institutes and NGOs from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Together, these four Horizon Europe projects represent a coordinated investment of approximately €30 million in agroecological research and innovation across West, Central, East and North Africa. They share a common emphasis on multi-actor innovation, Living Labs, nature-based solutions, knowledge co-creation, and evidence-based policy development, while each focuses on a distinct African region and agroecological context.