On the occasion of the EWA-BELT General Assembly, held on September 24th, 2024, at Spazio Cairoli in Milan, Giovanni Sartor, a practitioner in international cooperation and project management, presented the project Azione TerrÆ Coalition and its key elements.
As Giovanni Sartor states, tradition, especially the local knowledge of the people, is an important value for agricultural activities and everything related to environmental management. In addition to this, innovation is also a key element in agroecology, which is not only limited to ICT but also involves the capacity to adapt practices to changing environments and climates. Therefore, it is important to combine these two elements in order to overcome and dwell on the obstacles of climate change and urbanisation.
The Azione TerrÆ Coalition was founded in 2019, it unites NGOs, farmers’ representatives, and academics with the common aim of addressing food insecurity in West Africa. For this coalition, agroecology is the answer to tackle systemic crises such as climate change, violence, poverty, demographic pressures, and resource degradation. The core focus areas of Azione TerrÆ Coalition include: advocacy, research, training, and coordination.
One notable initiative is the Challenge Project, supported by Italian Cooperation and other partners such as Carrefour Foundation, and Compagnia di San Paolo. It involves developing a dynamic platform for sharing agroecological best practices globally, with a focus on West Africa. Unlike static platforms, this one promotes continuous knowledge exchange and supports practitioners in meeting agroecological criteria. The platform key emphasizes local participation in all phases of planning and implementation, creating engagement with smallholders, women and youth. Furthermore, because of its systemic and transformative approach, it is replicable to facilitate widespread adoption and is sustainable across social, economic, and environmental dimensions.
Another successful example is the Green Belt Project in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It was initiated in partnership with local authorities and it has the aim of revitalizing degraded land around the city for agricultural production. The key elements of the projects are:
Rehabilitation of 2,100 hectares with agroecological techniques.
Solar-powered irrigation, organic fertilizers, and local seeds.
Support for farmers to form cooperatives.
Connecting farmers with schools and demand-supply platforms to encourage local food consumption.
Agroecology provides the best option for tackling Africa's food crisis through integrated, long-term solutions. By bridging tradition and innovation, it transforms food systems, supports local communities, and builds resilience.
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