AfrONet

Author: Joseph Masonda

  • 6TH AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE (6TH AOC)

    6TH AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE (6TH AOC)

    It is now official.

    Following the resounding success of the 5th African Organic Conference, held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 12th to 15th December 2023, the 6th African Organic Conference is set to take place from 1st to 4th December 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia.

    Mark your calendars, save the dates and plan to be part of this important continental event, which will bring together key stakeholders in the organic and agroecology sector across Africa and beyond.

    Keep an eye out and stay tuned for upcoming details and exciting updates ahead of the conference.

  • The Pearl of Organic: Why Uganda Remains a Pilot for Continental Success

    The Pearl of Organic: Why Uganda Remains a Pilot for Continental Success

    Uganda is often cited as the “cradle” of the African organic movement. From hosting the first-ever African Organic Conference in 2009 to serving as a critical pilot for the IIABA initiative, Uganda’s NOGAMU serves as a beacon for what is possible when farmers unite.

    A Pioneer in the Movement

    Uganda’s leadership in the sector is no accident. The country has consistently leveraged its National Organic Agricultural Movement (NOGAMU) to anchor standards into the very fabric of its rural economy. As a pilot country for the IIABA project, Uganda has been the testing ground for innovations in territorial markets and municipal composting.

    Scaling Through Local Certification

    While international exports remain high, the current focus in Uganda is the “local guarantee.” By utilizing Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS), Ugandan farmers are proving that trust-based, community-led certification can open doors to local supermarkets and school feeding programs—markets that were previously inaccessible.

    Challenges of the Global Landscape

    Despite its success, Uganda is not immune to global shocks. Recent reports highlight how geopolitical conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, have caused glass jar shortages and price hikes, impacting the value-addition sector for Ugandan organic honey and oils. This further underscores AfrONet’s mission: to build a resilient, self-sustaining African organic ecosystem that can withstand global volatility.

  • Beyond the Farm Gate: How IIABA is Reimagining Institutional Organic Growth

    Beyond the Farm Gate: How IIABA is Reimagining Institutional Organic Growth

    Agriculture in Africa has long been focused on “production augmentation”—simply growing more. But the IIABA initiative (2020–2023) proved that the real bottleneck isn’t the soil; it’s the institutions.

    The Three Pillars of Institutional Innovation

    The IIABA project, supported by the French Development Agency (AFD), focused on a holistic synergy between research and practice. By conducting over 20 roundtable discussions across Morocco, Tanzania, and Uganda, the project identified three areas where innovation is mandatory:

    1. Public Policy: Moving organic agriculture from a “voluntary practice” to a state-supported mandate with dedicated budgets.
    2. Market Dynamics: Transitioning from “hope-based marketing” to territorial markets and supply agreements for mass catering.
    3. Certification Systems: Implementing Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) to make “Organic” a label that every smallholder can afford.

    Bridging the Gap

    One of the most significant outcomes of the IIABA initiative was the synergy created between research institutions like CIRAD/INRAE and grassroots federations like NOGAMU and TOAM. This bridge ensures that academic findings are immediately translated into “specific manuals and tools” that farmers can use today.

    The Legacy of 1.5 Million Euros

    With a budget of 1.5 million euros, the mandate was clear: expedite the advancement of organic agriculture. As the project concludes its initial phase, the tools generated serve as a blueprint for the rest of the continent to follow.

  • The EU Trade Statement & Organic Equivalency

    The EU Trade Statement & Organic Equivalency

    As global markets tighten their standards, African organic producers stand at a crossroads. The recent shift in European Union organic regulations presents both a hurdle for certification and an unprecedented opportunity for African harmonized standards to take center stage.

    The Shift in Global Standards

    For over a decade, African organic trade has relied on a patchwork of equivalency agreements. However, as noted in recent policy dialogues, the push for more rigorous oversight from the EU means that “business as usual” is no longer an option. AfrONet, in collaboration with IFOAM – Organics International, is leading the charge to ensure that African National Organic Agriculture Movements (NOAMs) are not left behind.

    Why Equivalency Matters

    Without a unified continental standard, smallholder farmers face the “double-tax” of certifying for multiple international markets. AfrONet’s advocacy focuses on:

    • Harmonization: Creating a single African Organic Standard that the EU recognizes as equivalent.
    • Cost Reduction: Moving away from expensive third-party European certifiers toward local, African-led certification bodies.
    • Trade Facilitation: Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to ensure organic goods move as freely within Africa as they do to Europe.

    A Call for Policy Advocacy

    AfrONet has developed specialized resources targeted specifically at policy advocates. These tools are designed to help local governments understand that organic agriculture is not just a “niche market”—it is a strategic export sector that requires dedicated regulatory frameworks to thrive in the face of EU changes.