Revisiting the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa’s comprehensive report on Agroecology

Last year, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) published a full 88-page report on agroecology. The report provides a clear definition of agroecology and its effective application in various contexts across Africa. It features 15 case studies from farmers in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Togo, and Tanzania. Each provides evidence-based accounts of how using agroecology techniques has helped them increase yields, biodiversity, and climate resilience. In one case study, farmers in Pelungu, Ghana, had difficulty growing crops due to low soil fertility and high climate variability. However, a nonprofit introduced an orange-fleshed potato into the community which grew well even under tough conditions, helping to curb hunger and increase farmer incomes.

 

AE-Book-Zubeda-762x1024
Image Credit: Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa

 

By tying together strong ecological evidence as well as commentary from some of the world’s foremost experts on agroecology, this comprehensive report argues for a vision of Africa’s future based on community-driven, agroecology practices. AFSA’s Agroecology Working Group and Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement worked together to produce the book. Mariann Bassey Orovwuje, Chairperson of AFSA notes, “What is special about this project is that it brings together the experiences and voices of small-scale producers who actually feed Africa, for all the world to see, hear, and learn from”. The book calls for no less than a complete transformation of our agricultural and food systems. The book, Agroecology: The Bold Future of Farming in Africa, is available as a free download at http://afsafrica.org/agroecology-the-bold-future-of-farming-in-africa/ 

Posted in Uncategorized and tagged .