Welcome to the AFSA annual report 2021-2022.
In many ways, the year 2021/2022 was a watershed moment. It was a year when members’ participation was at an all-time high. AFSA, as we always say, works with two hands. On the one hand, we fight against forces that seek to seize our land, seeds, forests, water, and other aspects of our lives. We fought against the regionalization of seed and biosafety regulations on this front. On the other hand, we suggest solutions. The solutions are the result of our research and the research of others. We also rely on African citizens’ experiences. We are pleased to see that the solution we are proposing, and which is central to our work, the transition to agroecology, is being widely and increasingly recognized.
Five key accomplishments from 2021-22
The progress on food policy for Africa that we began with the African Union has been very encouraging. The 23 countries that participated in the food system dialogue have done a great job of mobilizing actors in their countries. Some countries, such as Rwanda and Kenya, are considering a food policy. Regionally, food experts from all over Africa supported the initiative and helped improve the document that will guide policy development. We also decided to start a campaign called my Food is African as part of the effort to work on food policy as well as educating the public on good food.
Agroecological entrepreneurship is another exciting initiative. Through this initiative, AFSA and its partners are investigating the question: How can we use market forces to transition to agroecology? Following a study of 17 African countries, AFSA convened a huge event in May 2022 for agroecological entrepreneurs and territorial market leaders. We are now organizing ourselves to implement the outcome of the conference.
Another critical area in which we have begun to work is tracking the money that flows to Africa in support of the green revolution agenda. On this front, we have written a letter to AGRA’s funders urging them to defund it and increase their investment in agroecology. We have also begun case studies in two countries to better understand the scope of influence of these money flows.
Another project in which AFSA was involved is called Our Land Our Life. We are collaborating with faith-based institutions in Africa and Europe to influence the Africa-Europe agreement to include land ownership, agroecology, and civil society participation.
The Secretariat is growing; we now have 12 staff members and a very active board of directors. The four Working Groups are led by committed members and meet regularly to coordinate activities. Our funding has also increased, and we anticipate that the network will be much stronger as a result.
Have a pleasant reading experience and stay healthy.
