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Conference on agroecological transition of food systems in Africa held in Brussels

Six people are sitting on a stage in front of an audience.

The conference featured numerous sessions, such as "Climate resilient production systems: Agroecology for enhanced productivity, soil and livestock" moderated by Markus Arbenz. (Photo: FiBL, Eva Föller)

Logo of the event.

On 6 May 2025, the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels welcomed stakeholders from across Africa and Europe for the science-policy conference "Agroecological Transition of Food Systems in Africa: Evidence for Research and Development Policies in Africa-EU Collaboration". The event was co-organised by FiBL and project partners, and brought together around 90 participants to discuss how agroecology can foster more resilient and sustainable food systems.

Building on this collaborative spirit, the conference featured contributions from nine research projects funded by the EU's research programme Horizon 2020, the DeSIRA initiative (Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). These projects included EWA-BELT, FairSahel, HealthyFoodAfrica, Soils4Africa, SustainSAHEL, SustInAfrica, SysCom, CROPS4HD, and UPSCALE. Each project shared cutting-edge scientific evidence and practical insights from diverse agroecological initiatives across the African continent.

The event opened with two keynote speeches that set a powerful tone for the day. Beate Huber (Vice-chairwoman of the Management Board and Head of the Department of International Cooperation at FiBL Switzerland) and Abebe Haile-Gabriel (Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations FAO) shared strategic insights on the role of agroecology in tackling urgent food system challenges. The rest of the conference was guided by the two moderators Markus Arbenz (FiBL) and Mila Sell (University of Helsinki), who facilitated engaging panel discussions and fostered dynamic exchanges between panellists and the audience.

Diverse discussions

Throughout the day, participants engaged in dynamic sessions that tackled key themes such as:

  • Climate-resilient production systems
  • Agrobiodiversity strategies for nutrition and food security
  • Inclusive growth and sustainable job creation
  • Agroecological transition and adoption
  • EU-Africa research and innovation priorities for resilient livelihoods

These discussions underscored the strong momentum behind agroecology, highlighting its ability to strengthen climate resilience, enhance food diversity, and stimulate local economies.

Policy briefing with recommendations

To support the conference outcomes, FiBL Europe compiled a conference briefing summarizing key findings and recommendations from the nine featured projects. The document positions agroecology and organic farming as scalable solutions to climate and food security challenges – with the potential to restore ecosystems, improve productivity, and support inclusive development. It calls for greater investment and policy support to scale up agroecological practices across Africa for long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.

A summary of the conference and inspiring interviews with participants are available in video form on YouTube.

Further information

Contacts

Links and downloads