Sacau: Farmers and leaders call for inclusive agroecology

The transition to agroecology in Southern Africa is not a simple shift but a complex, multi-layered journey. It calls for deliberate scaling strategies, sensitivity to different stages of change, and approaches that respond to the diversity of farming systems across the region.

That was the key message from a high-level panel on policy, research, and innovation at the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions’ (Sacau) Conference on the Development of Agroecology in Southern Africa. The conference, which took place in Johannesburg, Gauteng, last week, was attended by farmers, researchers and policymakers from around the world.

Dr Tshilidzi Madzivhandila, CEO and head of mission at the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), urged delegates to think carefully about how progress in the transition towards agroecology should be measured.

Bridging the gap

Drawing on the image of a butterfly in metamorphosis, he explained that each stage of transition carries its own requirements. “If we use the analogy of a butterfly in metamorphosis in terms of the transition of agroecology, the question is, where are we at? We need to think through the treatments, the requirements for each stage, and the environment in which this butterfly is living,” he said.

He further emphasised the need to bridge the gap between research, policy, and technological innovation. While acknowledging progress made, he noted that research must shift its focus.

“We need to move from publishing to usable knowledge,” he said, underscoring that farmers must be better served by the outputs generated from agricultural research.

An opportunity for young farmers

Meanwhile, Katja Vuori, CEO of Agricord, reflected on what she believes has been missing in the conversation on agroecology. She stressed the importance of recognising the diversity of production systems across the region.

“There is large-scale commercial farming, there is very small-scale subsistence farming, and everything in between,” she said, noting that the transition towards agroecology will look very different depending on the type of farming system in question.

She welcomed the fact that farmer organisations have begun to articulate these differences more clearly, highlighting that each system requires a tailored approach.

Vuori also praised Sacau’s efforts to bring young people to the centre of the conversation. “My main takeaway is that Sacau is doing a great job with the youth,” she said.

Having met several youth farmer leaders, she described them as “very inspiring,” adding that the region’s demographics point to vast opportunities in agriculture. “When I hear these young agripreneurs, I start feeling really excited about what the future will bring and what these youngsters are going to show us,” Vuori said.

Scaling out, scaling deep, and scaling up

During the panel, Prof. Cliff Dlamini, executive director of the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), underscored the need to ensure that farmers remain at the centre of shaping the sector’s future.

“The farmers have to inform the research agenda, especially for agricultural research,” he said, warning that policies that are overly scientific without grounding in farmers’ lived experiences can be counterproductive.

Dlamini stressed the importance of the science–policy interface, noting that research must balance scientific rigour with practical realities on the ground. He added that agroecology and other innovations will only thrive if they are backed by clear scaling strategies.

This, he explained, requires scaling out through dissemination and education, scaling deep by transforming cultures and traditions, and scaling up through supportive policy, institutions, and legislation.

Dlamini argued that such a multidimensional approach is essential for developing a vibrant and thriving agricultural sector that is both sustainable and inclusive.