Will climate-smart agriculture (CSA) actually improve our climate? A new policy brief from Food First

  International institutions like the World Bank, Food, and Agriculture Organization(FAO) are increasingly turning to the guidelines of “climate-smart agriculture” to shape their policies. But what does climate-smart agriculture (CSA) actually entail? A new policy brief by Marcus Taylor from Food First outlines the three main components of CSA which include: increasing productivity, strengthening resilience, … Continue reading “Will climate-smart agriculture (CSA) actually improve our climate? A new policy brief from Food First”

New video from the Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme

In 2014, 7 NGO’s and farmer organizations came together to form the Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP). ZSSP raises awareness around seed-related laws that undermine food sovereignty while strengthening seed production and conservation practices across Zimbabwe. By facilitating seed fairs, it allows farmers to exchange seeds, learn about different local varieties, and have control over … Continue reading “New video from the Zimbabwe Seed Soveriegnty Programme”

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 … Continue reading “Revisiting the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa’s comprehensive report on Agroecology”

En La Lucha No Hay Fronteras (In the Struggle There Are No Borders)

By Kathia Ramirez, Organizer, CATA (Comite de Apoyo a Los Trabajadores Agricolas/ The Farmworkers’ Support Committee) Fifth in the South Africa-US Agroecology Exchange Article Series In October of 2017, I had the opportunity to travel with 7 other comrades on an Agroecology Exchange to South Africa. This Exchange was a continuation of a process that had … Continue reading “En La Lucha No Hay Fronteras (In the Struggle There Are No Borders)”

En La Lucha No Hay Fronteras (In the Struggle There Are No Borders)

By Kathia Ramirez, Organizer, CATA (Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas/ The Farmworkers’ Support Committee) Fifth in the South Africa-US Agroecology Exchange Article Series In October of 2017, I had the opportunity to travel with 7 other comrades on an Agroecology Exchange to South Africa. This Exchange was a continuation of a process that […]

Restoring my Indigeneity: Reflections on South Africa Agroecology Exchange by a Queer Black Urban Farmer, Dean Jackson

First in the South Africa-US Agroecology Exchange Article Series Dean Jackson is Executive Director of Hilltop Urban Gardens in Tacoma, Washington In October I was honored to join seven other delegates on a US-South Africa Agroecology and Food Sovereignty Learning Exchange. As a Black queer and non-binary person who is working to remember and restore my … Continue reading “Restoring my Indigeneity: Reflections on South Africa Agroecology Exchange by a Queer Black Urban Farmer, Dean Jackson”

Justina’s Reflections on the US-South Africa Agroecology Exchange

By Justina Ramirez, Farmworker Association of Florida community leader in Homestead, Florida  Fourth in the South Africa-US Agroecology Exchange Article Series In October 2017, I represented the Farmworker Association of Florida in a delegation of seven African American, Latinx, and Mexican farmers and farmworkers from the US arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa to participate in the … Continue reading “Justina’s Reflections on the US-South Africa Agroecology Exchange”

Thoughts on Intimacy with Food, Land, and Women from South Africa: “Where there are women you can never go wrong.”

By Alsie Parks, Field Organizer for Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON) Third in the South Africa-US Agroecology Exchange Article Series Black women possess knowledge that comes from a deep place of knowing and nurturing. “Innate agrarian artistry is the womanist praxis of using deep-rooted knowledge as a creatively healing, ancestrally honoring, and community self-determination … Continue reading “Thoughts on Intimacy with Food, Land, and Women from South Africa: “Where there are women you can never go wrong.””

Farmworkers Resist and Organize: Connected Struggles for Farmworker Justice in South Africa and the US

By Edgar Franks, Organizer with Community to Community Development in Bellingham, WA  Second in the South Africa-US Agroecology Exchange Article Series This past October I was part of the delegation sent by the US Food Sovereignty Alliance to South Africa.  The delegation is part of a process to connect with groups throughout Africa with US-based Food Sovereignty … Continue reading “Farmworkers Resist and Organize: Connected Struggles for Farmworker Justice in South Africa and the US”

Transnational Resistance to the Super Banana: How We Organized to Counter the Gates Foundation and Cornell Alliance for Science in Uganda

The battle over GMO’s is heating up in Africa, as several countries consider new laws to permit their production. As Uganda’s so-called Biosafety Law faces new challenges, AGRA Watch member Matt Canfield reflects on our transnational campaign to prevent the Super Banana from being grown in that country. By Matt Canfield, a member of AGRA … Continue reading “Transnational Resistance to the Super Banana: How We Organized to Counter the Gates Foundation and Cornell Alliance for Science in Uganda”