Towards UNEA-7 — Shaping the Future of Agroecology through Collective Action

A Digital Caravan for Agroecology and Organic for All

Facilitated by: CORD Ghana, AbibiNsroma Foundation, FIDEP Foundation, with allied partners in the Africa Agroecology Movement, youth networks, and research coalitions

Date: 26 November 2025

Held in the lead-up to the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), this digital caravan brought together youth leaders, researchers, community organisers, agroecology practitioners, and civil society networks from across West and East Africa to advance a unified voice on ecological transformation. The event—“Towards UNEA-7: Shaping the Future of Agroecology through Collective Action”—provided a vibrant political and intellectual space to reaffirm agroecology as a foundation for food sovereignty, climate justice, and community resilience.

At a moment when global food systems face intensifying climate shocks, biodiversity collapse, and volatile markets, the dialogue underscored agroecology not merely as a technical set of practices, but as a justice-driven and culturally rooted pathway for transforming livelihoods. The caravan was designed to influence ongoing UNEA-7 and Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR) deliberations, while strengthening the voice of the Youth Major Group, NGO Major Groups, and Global South youth constituencies, ensuring that grassroots evidence informs global policy debates.

Purpose and Objectives

The convening pursued four strategic ambitions. First, to articulate a coherent African narrative on agroecology as a transformative policy agenda for UNEA-7, one that links climate adaptation, biodiversity stewardship, economic dignity, and community governance. Second, to spotlight youth-led and community innovations already driving agroecological change across diverse ecological and political contexts. Third, to consolidate actionable policy messages to channel into UNEA-7’s formal and informal negotiation pathways, including OECPR consultations and Global South policy platforms. And finally, to deepen coordination among civil society, academia, farmer organisations, and government actors committed to agroecological transitions across the continent.

 

Regional Knowledge Exchange Across West and East Africa

The caravan created a rare and politically meaningful platform for cross-border learning among agroecology practitioners from Ghana, Togo, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kenya. These exchanges brought to light shared challenges and diverse strategies used by communities to safeguard food systems under growing ecological strain.

Participants from West Africa highlighted the centrality of local seed preservation, community-managed seed banks, and farmer-to-farmer seed-sharing networks as pillars of sovereignty and resilience. Speakers from Togo—especially grassroots actors such as CJE-Togo—emphasised the political importance of protecting farmer rights, securing land for women and youth, and resisting corporate seed regimes that undermine local autonomy. Contributors from The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire shared models for strengthening short, direct farmer–consumer markets, which reduce dependency on global commodity chains and increase income stability for rural producers.

Participants reflected on the role of youth-led agroecology hubs, community composting systems, and integrated farming models that demonstrate agroecology’s economic viability even in resource-constrained settings. Across all countries, a common message emerged: agroecology thrives where communities, youth, and grassroots organisations are recognised as knowledge holders, not beneficiaries.

 

Showcasing CIRAWA’s Work in Ghana

A major highlight of the caravan was the presentation by FIDEP Foundation on the ongoing “CIRAWA Project,” being implemented in the Nabdam (Upper East Region) and Central Gonja (Savannah Region) districts of Ghana. FIDEP provided compelling evidence of how youth-led agroecological experimentation, community-based ecological monitoring, and farmer-designed innovations are restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening local climate adaptation. The presentation illustrated how community actors—not outside experts—are leading transformations in soil health, crop diversity, and ecosystem stewardship, rooted in local knowledge and intergenerational engagement.

CIRAWA’s initiatives—such as youth-farmer innovation trials, regenerative soil restoration techniques, participatory seed-saving and seed-bank establishment, and community-managed value chains—embody a holistic vision of food sovereignty and ecological resilience. These efforts not only restore degraded land and improve livelihoods, but also produce credible, ground-level data that can inform district-level planning and national food-system policy. By linking field-level evidence to broader food-system governance debates, FIDEP demonstrated how grassroots agroecology can shape policy pathways that honour farmer rights, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability.

This presentation resonated strongly with participants because it aligned directly with global environmental governance processes — in particular, the commitments detailed in the UNEP/EA.6 Resolution on promoting synergies across environmental, biodiversity and climate objectives. By showcasing CIRAWA’s work, the caravan illustrated how community-driven agroecology and youth-led innovation are not just local practices, but concrete contributions to global agendas on sustainable food systems, land restoration, and ecosystem recovery. In doing so, it reaffirmed the critical role of grassroots civil society in advancing the transformative potential of agroecology within UNEA and beyond.

Key Outcomes and Strategic Reflections

The digital caravan generated a set of concrete, forward-looking insights that can meaningfully shape continental and global advocacy as UNEA-7 approaches. Across contributions from Ghana, Togo, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and allied networks, participants converged on a shared understanding: agroecology is not a marginal alternative, but a foundational pathway for resilient societies and just ecological transitions.

1. Agroecology must be recognised as a cross-cutting pillar within UNEA-7 deliberations. Participants reiterated that agroecology delivers multiple benefits simultaneously—strengthening climate adaptation, driving biodiversity recovery, enhancing food sovereignty, and supporting dignified livelihoods. There was a collective call for UNEA-7 processes to move beyond pilot-scale rhetoric and adopt agroecology as a central organising principle for sustainable food and land-use governance.

2. Seed sovereignty emerged as a political and ecological priority. The dialogue underscored that local seeds, community seed banks, and farmer-managed seed exchange networks are the backbone of resilience for smallholders across West and East Africa. Participants stressed that these systems must be protected from restrictive intellectual property regimes, commercial seed monopolies, and policy frameworks that fail to recognise farmers’ rights.

3. Strengthening direct farmer–consumer linkages is essential for equitable food systems. The caravan highlighted the urgency of expanding short food supply chains that ensure fair pricing, reduce post-harvest losses, and keep value within local communities. Participants argued that policies supporting farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture, and local procurement are critical for rural transformation and youth economic inclusion.

4. Grassroots civil society organisations play an irreplaceable role. Speakers affirmed that community-based CSOs (such as CJE-Togo, CORD Ghana, Abibinsroma Foundation) provide early warning, policy monitoring, local knowledge generation, and mobilisation capacities that are essential for scaling agroecology. Their contributions must be formally recognised and adequately resourced within national, regional, and global processes.

5. UNEP OECPR, Youth Major Groups, and NGO constituencies should integrate agroecology into their negotiation architecture. The caravan strengthened alignment with global youth, women, and civil society platforms preparing for UNEA-7. Participants emphasised that agroecology must feature prominently in joint statements, ministerial inputs, and negotiation strategies led through UNEP’s OECPR, the Youth Major Group, the NGO Major Group, and Global South youth coalitions.

Taken together, these outcomes reflect a maturing continental consensus: agroecology is central to Africa’s contribution to UNEA-7, and its adoption will be decisive for achieving environmental restoration, climate justice, and resilient rural economies.

 

Conclusion

The digital caravan reaffirmed a powerful continental message: Agroecology is Africa’s pathway to ecological stability, food sovereignty, and a just transition. By bringing together youth, farmers, researchers, and civil society from five countries, the dialogue strengthened cross-regional solidarity and articulated actionable priorities for UNEA-7.

As the world moves toward UNEA-7, the insights captured here will continue to inform advocacy, intergenerational leadership, and the collective agenda for elevating agroecology within global and national policy spaces.

 

Acknowledgements

The organisers express deep appreciation to all partners and participants for their active contributions. This event was made possible through the leadership of CORD Ghana, AbibiNsroma Foundation, and FIDEP Foundation, working alongside allied partners in the Africa Agroecology Movement, youth networks, community organisations, research coalitions, and grassroots CSOs including CJE-Togo. We acknowledge the contributions of practitioners and advocates from Ghana, Togo, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kenya, whose insights enriched this collective effort.