Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative

Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOAI) 2017 – 2019 funded by SIDA through the Swedish Society of Nature Conservation, (SSNC) and the (EOAI) 2015 – 2018 funded by Swiss Development Cooperation

Since the agrarian revolution, conventional agriculture has been seen as the solution to food security worldwide. Agriculture became commercialized and large-scale production systems emerged where farm mechanization and use of synthetic agrochemicals were the most effective means of controlling pests and diseases. The use of synthetic agrochemicals indeed boosts production in the short term but have significant negative impacts in the long run. As more research into the impact of synthetic agrochemicals comes in, it is more apparent that ecological agricultural production methods need to be mainstreamed if food security in Africa is to be attained.

The Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative is an African Union-led continental programme, started in 2011 and implemented under the guidance and oversight of the AU chaired Continental Steering Committee (CSC).  EOA aims at instituting an African organic farming platform based on available best practices; and developing sustainable organic farming systems and improved seed quality. The mission of the initiative is to promote ecologically sound strategies and practices among diverse stakeholders involved in the production, processing, marketing, and policy-making to safeguard the environment, improve livelihoods, alleviate poverty and guarantee food security among farmers in Africa. The goal is to contribute to mainstreaming of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) into national agricultural production systems by 2025 in order to improve agricultural productivity, food security, access to markets and sustainable development in Africa.