Our national conference in Accra went about Transforming Food Systems in Ghana and the potential of agroecology in times of climate and biodiversity crisis.In the end of the day we had the opportunity to interview Bobo Silassi and Kojo Asiedu, engaged food sovereignty activista from the Mpese royal family , from the rastafarian council of Ghana,…
[ Video Interview] While we were in Ghana last October, and hosted a national conference in Accra, focused on the potential of Agroecology in times of climate and biodiversity crisis, we had a brief window of opportunity, during lunch time, to interview some very important people, active engaged ones on food systems strategies, such as Prof.…
[Français ci-dessous] In Nigeria, the fifth and last conference organized by the caravan team took place at the headquarters of IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) in Ibadan, with the participation of the ministry of agriculture, academics from IITA and universities, extensionists, farmers’ representatives and NGOs. We have also offered open classes in a high…
[Français ci-dessous] The students Abu Jambedu, Benjamin Dimongso and Rashida Shaibu, from the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary Studies in northern Ghana, propose the regeneration of degraded land in the Gambaga escarp with the use of trees. The area of Gambaga escarp has been severely affected by continuous tree logging, mainly for charcoal, with very high…
[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…