U.S. Mission to The African Union (USAU Project)
Project Summary
The Agroecology for Increased Nutrition and Food Security in Eastern Africa (ANFEA) Project, jointly led by Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) and the Millennium Institute (MI), is a strategic initiative aimed at addressing the pressing challenges of nutrition and food security in the region. Aligned with the African Union’s 2022 “Year of Nutrition” theme, which emphasizes strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security, the project focuses on fostering agroecology as a transformative approach.
Project Goal
The Goal for the project is to create awareness and better understanding among policymakers (and practitioners, technocrats, and development partners) on Agroecology in contributing to nutrition and food security and stimulate discussion and debate among them about its benefits.
Project Objectives
The project is framed around 2 objectives that contribute to:
- Enhancing awareness on the contribution of agroecology on nutrition and food security through undertaking a rapid assessment study and report results dissemination in targeted countries in eastern Africa.
- Creating a multi stakeholder platform for learning, networking, and knowledge sharing (with the aim of positioning agroecology as a transformative approach to achieving nutrition and food security in East Africa.
It leverages on the already existing EOA structures of implementation that include farmers involved in organic farming, Universities for research and knowledge generation, National Organic Agriculture Movements involved with advocacy and networking, regional economic communities (RECs) specifically the East Africa Community (EAC) as well as the African Union Commission’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) which Chairs the Continental Steering Committee (CSC) of the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I) that provides oversight and guidance on the implementation of the AU Decision on Organic Farming.
Expected Outcomes
Overall, this project is expected to achieve the following results:
- Increased awareness and understanding among policy makers and relevant stakeholders on benefits of Agroecology/EOA on food nutrition and security, which will then lead to development and enactment of policies, plans, regulatory frameworks, and programmes that support Agroecology/EOA in Eastern Africa geared towards contributing to improved nutrition and food security.
- Increased engagement of a critical mass of policy makers, technocrats, and other relevant stakeholders in dialogues supportive of Agroecology; these engagements will facilitate achievement of coordinated lobbying and advocacy efforts for additional investments, commitments and mainstreaming of agroecology at national and regional levels
Dr David Amudavi
Executive Director Biovision Africa Trust
Ms Venancia Wambua
Head of Programmes (EOA_I & KCOA)
Alex Mutungi
EOA Continental Secretariat Coordinator
