Agroecology for Food Sovereignty

To reduce rural poverty through the promotion of economically sustainable and ecologically sound livelihood strategies and agricultural production systems.

Programme Objective

Key Elements

The programme is concerned with exposing small-scale farmers, farm workers and dwellers to the impact of the agro-industrial regime of agriculture and the impact on poverty, food scarcity, unequal power relations, discrimination, and on the ecology. Small-scale farmers, farm workers and dwellers are provided with technical skills and knowledge around the use of agro-ecological farming techniques.

Another key element of this programme is providing information and knowledge on alternative farming and marketing strategies to small-scale farmers, farm workers and dwellers so that they can mobilise for alternative configurations of markets and value chains and change the disadvantageous positions that agricultural workers, dwellers and small-scale farmers find themselves in within the current agrarian landscape.

Some of the key results of this programme are:

One hundred and ninety-one farmers who were monitored in 2012 improved the quality and quantity of their crops, livestock and herbs through the use of agro-ecological farming methods.

Two hundred and eight farm workers and dwellers have improved their food security.

One hundred and six small-scale farmers, across eight farming sites have multiplied open pollinated seed. Twenty-two farm workers and dwellers have multiplied open pollinated seed. The varieties of open pollinated seed use range from beans, mielies, pumpkins, melons, peanuts and sweet potatoes.

Farmers on eight project sites have access to renewable water generation systems, animal traction equipment and trained oxen, and fencing material to manage their grazing camps for their livestock.

Get In Touch

(046) 622-5429

(046) 622-2617

admin@ecarp.org.za

4 Trollope Street, Grahamstown

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