[Français ci-dessous] The caravan team visited the Dominican Centre for Human Resources Development in Ibadan, which is developing a 30 hectare eco-organic farm inspired by the Songhai project’s integrated agroecological model in Benin. A session about sustainable agriculture was organized in the centre, where members of the caravan team and invited guests gave short presentations…
[Français ci-dessous] Around 30 students from the Lead City International School in Jericho, Ibadan, participated in the open class organized by the caravan team, along with two of their teachers. The presentations focused on the need of changing our food systems and making them more sustainable through the application of agroecological principles and taking into…
[Français ci-dessous] Benin is a beautiful and laid back country and the hospitality of its people made it hard for us to leave! Our team was lucky to have the support of a great local team working at INRAB (Institut National de Recherche Agricole du Bénin). We were fascinated by the number of agroecology related…
The caravan team has met and interviewed Professor Jeanne Zoundjihekpon, leader of the ecological genetics laboratory at the Abomey-Calavi University and active member of Federation of Agroecology of Benin (FAEB). Professor Jeanne spoke of the importance of agro-biodiversity and the threats that the corporate promotion of GMO seeds represent for local food systems. Professor Jeanne…
[Français ci-dessous] The caravan visited the remarkable Songhai project, in Porto-Novo, Benin. Also referred as the Songhai movement by its founder and director, Godfrey Nzamujo, the project has become one of the main references in West Africa in what comes to the development of endogenous agroecological approaches adapted to local food systems, through merging modern…
[Français ci-dessous] The caravan passed in the communities of Aplahoe and Bohicon, in Benin, to visit farmers working with the project Insect as Feed for West Africa (IFWA). In the last five years, IFWA’s transdisciplinary team has developed, tested and disseminated sustainable techniques to produce insects to feed poultry and fish, such as the production…
[Français ci-dessous] The caravan team gave an open class about agroecology and the contributions of research for development to make food systems more sustainable at the University of Abomey-Calavi, in Cotonou, Benin. The class counted with the presence of around 45 students from agronomy and food sciences but also other disciplines such as engineering. Four…
[Français ci-dessous] The fourth conference organized by the food systems caravan and our local partners INRAB and the IFWA project was held in Cotonou, Benin. The event counted with the participation of around 80 academic and non-academic actors, such as representatives from NGOs, the private sector and public institutions. The title of the conference was…
[Français ci-dessous] The caravan visited the inspiring Obrobibini Peace Complex, nicely nested in the lush hills next to Busua, a coastal village in Ghana. The learning centre of the association is surrounded by a productive agroforestry system, designed according to the principles of dynamic/syntropic agroforestry and aims at setting an example for the region as…
[Français ci-dessous] The caravan’s period in Ghana was very inspiring! We crossed different climatic zones, from the drier savannah in the north to the rainforests in the South West, and many different cultures with their own architecture, food and traditions. Before we continue to Benin, we would like to briefly summarize our Ghana stage! On…