The Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD) took part in the African Learning Exchange on Agroecological Economies from September 15 to 19, 2024 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Agro-ecological economies in their respective contexts” was the theme that brought together some fifty participants in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Participants included small-scale farmers, organizations, donors and allies from all over Africa. The five days of discussions aimed to create a space for sharing knowledge and experience, and to define common ground for collaboration.
The African Learning Exchange on Agroecological Economies was also an opportunity for Agroecology Fund, the main organizer, to share its strategy and obtain course corrections from the grant recipient community.
The rich exchanges enabled participants to gain first-hand knowledge first-hand knowledge of price volatility. In the case of farmers, for example, it was noted that “farm-gate sales are sometimes lower than market prices”. According to the experts, events that bring together large numbers of people should be multiplied, as “they enable farmers and consumers to obtain favorable prices on the bangs of market systems”.
First regional agroecology forum
In addition, the more than 20 players from the Congo Basin present had the opportunity to exchange views on the actions undertaken to develop agroecology in the region. SAILD also took the opportunity to present the first regional forum on agroecology, scheduled for November 18-20, 2024 in Cameroon. The forum is being organized in collaboration with the Cameroon Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), and the Network for the Promotion of Agroecology in Cameroon (NEPAC).
The head of SAILD‘s agro-ecology program made his presentation, emphasizing
the primary objective of the upcoming event. “The agroecology forum will help to raise the level of ownership among stakeholders of the importance of agroecology in building robust and healthy food systems, protecting biodiversity, improving resilience to climate crises and resolving environmental problems such as deforestation and pollution,” explained Rodrigue Kouang.
The African Learning Exchange on Agroecological Economies, held in Zimbabwe, was the first of three regional learning exchanges planned by the Agroecology Fund for 2024 and 2025.
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