New AFSA study calls on African policymakers to embrace agroecology in climate action
By Sihlobo Bulala
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) officially launched its new report titled “Integrating Agroecology with National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in Africa” in a virtual meeting yesterday, calling on African policymakers to embrace agroecology as a cornerstone of climate action.
Agroecology is an integrated approach that focuses on the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment with agricultural systems. It aims to create sustainable and resilient food systems by optimizing ecological interactions and minimizing external inputs. The practice promotes ecosystem-based adaptation which leverages biodiversity and ecosystem services to help communities adapt to climate change.
The AFSA study, based on a review of policy documents from 53 countries and insights from 56 experts across 24 nations, reveals that only 22% of African NDCs and 19% of NAPs explicitly mention agroecology despite its proven role in building climate resilience, ensuring food sovereignty, and restoring ecosystems. The study also reveals that only 22 out of 53 countries in Africa, including Zimbabwe, have submitted their NAPs to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reflecting deeper structural, economic, and geopolitical challenges in global climate governance.
AFSA General Coordinator, Dr. Million Belay, highlighted that conversations around climate adaptation and mitigation in Africa cannot occur without talking about agroecology, calling on stakeholders to not treat it as an afterthought.
“Agroecology is not just a farming method- It is a bold climate solution rooted in African realities. This study exposes a critical gap in policy integration and calls on all stakeholders to act with urgency,” he said.
Apart from calling for African policy makers to explicitly include agroecology in NDCs and NAPs, aligning agricultural policies with agroecological principles, the study further recommends capacity building for extension services and farmer networks for knowledge dissemination and practice adoption. It calls for initiation of comprehensive studies that will highlight the multidimensional benefits of agroecology and foster stakeholder engagement.
Simon Bukenya, Lead of AFSA’s Climate Change Working Group, additionally shared that the report offers a blueprint for how stakeholders can integrate agroecology in climate action frameworks and deliver on both adaptation and mitigation goals.
“As the impacts of climate change become more severe, African countries must look inward – to our cultures, ecosystems, and indigenous knowledge for solutions,” he said.
The release of the report comes at a critical time, as countries prepare to update and submit their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement with AFSA urging policymakers, development partners, and financial institutions to seize the moment and embed agroecology in the heart of Africa’s climate agenda.
In 2024, Zimbabwe implemented its Agroecology Promotion Policy and Strategy aiming to strengthen the nation’s agricultural resilience while addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and food insecurity, an acknowledgement of agroecological principles as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The initiative is set to run until 2030.
