The Kilimo Tanzania Foundation (KTF) recently participated in the Regional Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Advancing Agroecological Trade in the East African Community (EAC), held from 27th to 31st October 2025 at Mada Hotel in Jinja, Uganda.
The five-day event, themed "Placing Agroecological and Resilient Food Systems Trade at the Heart of the East Africa Community Integration Agenda," brought together policymakers, farmers, civil society actors, women, and youth to explore how agroecology can drive sustainable trade, climate resilience, and regional integration.
KTF highlighted the importance of regional collaboration and policy harmonization in advancing agroecological trade.
Cross-border partnerships among smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and trade actors are vital for expanding markets and strengthening food sovereignty across East Africa.
Inclusive participation of women and youth was emphasized as a driver of innovation, ownership, and long-term success in agroecological transformation.
The conference featured workshops that empowered civil society actors, women, and youth, addressing challenges such as limited access to information, policy knowledge gaps, and inadequate representation in trade forums.
KTF reaffirmed its commitment to capacity building, ensuring smallholder farmers influence trade policies and participate fully in agroecological value chains.
KTF also deepened its understanding of the Agroecology Cycle, a holistic framework encompassing 13 interconnected principles, including soil and animal health, biodiversity, economic diversification, social value, co-creation of knowledge, participation, and land governance.
Field visits to Bush Fruit Forestry and Busia Border provided practical insights into cross-border agroecological trade, highlighting both opportunities and policy gaps.
Participants identified challenges such as low awareness of agroecology, inadequate storage and post-harvest facilities, policy inconsistencies, data gaps, gender-based barriers, and bureaucratic hurdles. Addressing these issues requires regional collaboration, standardized certification, and safe, gender-sensitive trade environments.
Experts at the conference emphasized that agroecology is a forward-looking approach combining traditional knowledge with scientific innovation, fostering sustainable, self-reliant agriculture.
Case studies like Ethiopia’s coffee sector and Busaino Farm in Uganda illustrated the importance of community-based approaches in promoting sustainability and equitable market participation.
KTF outlined strategic commitments to advance its mission, including policy alignment, capacity building, knowledge sharing, regional networking, and advocacy for inclusion of women and youth in decision-making.
The Foundation returns with a renewed focus on championing fair, inclusive, and sustainable agroecological trade, aligned with the broader EAC vision for food sovereignty, climate resilience, and green growth.
The Jinja conference demonstrated that agroecology is more than a farming method—it is a pathway to social justice, resilience, and regional economic sustainability.
KTF is committed to turning these lessons into action, building a future where farmers thrive, ecosystems regenerate, and trade drives sustainability across East Africa.
