Aid cuts spark a rethink of African food systems rooted in agroecology

With the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and decline of traditional foreign aid from many Western donors, Africa’s food system is at a crossroads — and activists see an opportunity to make it more sustainable.

Agroecology — a farming system that works in sync with nature to grow food that is healthy for people, animals, and the planet — is a big part of the rethink. Activists are also trying to push reform of agriculture subsidies to support local seed banks and indigenous crops; along with policies that strengthen local institutions and public-private partnerships, and emphasize nutritional quality rather than calorie production alone.

A reformed African food system, they argued, could encourage locally produced farm inputs, while more local financing would generate funds to support food production and marketing. Boosting intra-African trade would promote agricultural produce that is not dependent on foreign exchange.