AFSA launches new policy brief calling for agroecology integration ahead of UN climate talks
The brief advocates for the full recognition and integration of agroecology as a people-centered solution for climate adaptation, resilience building, and mitigation in Africa
BONN, June 17, 2025 — As the 62nd Session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies [SB62 opened on Mondy in Bonn, Germany, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa [AFSA] officially launched its latest policy brief.
Dubbed “Adaptation, Resilience and Mitigation through Agroecology – A Policy Brief for Enhancing Climate Adaptation and Resilience through Agroecology as a Holistic Approach”, this timely brief
outlines AFSA’s strategic priorities on: Agriculture under the Sharm El Sheikh Joint Work on the Implementation of Climate Action on Agriculture and Food Security [SSJWA]; Adaptation, including the Global Goal on Adaptation [GGA] and National Adaptation Plans [NAPs]; Climate finance, including Loss and Damage; and Nationally Determined Contributions [NDCs]
The brief advocates for the full recognition and integration of agroecology as a people-centered solution for climate adaptation, resilience building, and mitigation in Africa.
“Africa’s climate future must be rooted in food systems that serve people and ecosystems, not corporations. Agroecology offers a pathway to rebuild resilience, reduce inequality, and nourish sovereignty,” said Dr. Million Belay, General Coordinator of AFSA.
According to the brief, climate change has already reduced agricultural productivity in Africa by 34 percent since 1961. Future warming is projected to shorten growing seasons, intensify water scarcity, and increase extreme weather events. Agroecology is presented as a vital, sustainable, and locally led response that improves livelihoods and strengthens resilience.
AFSA’s climate goal is to strengthen Africa’s resilience by embedding agroecology into national and global climate policies. The brief describes agroecology as an approach that diversifies farms, transitions from chemical to bio-inputs, optimizes biodiversity, and builds climate-resilient agroecosystems.
“Agroecology is not just a climate solution; it is a climate justice imperative. It puts power back in the hands of communities and offers a real pathway out of vulnerability, hunger, and systemic dependency,” said Karen Nekesa, Communication Officer at the Seed and Knowledge Initiative and Co-Chair of the AFSA Climate and Agroecology Working Group.
The policy brief is grounded in research conducted across more than ten African countries, over 100 documented agroecology case studies, and regional consultations. It highlights evidence of agroecology’s role in reducing input costs, restoring soil, improving nutrition, and enhancing community-based resilience to climate shocks.
Key recommendations
AFSA calls on Parties at SB62 to: Recognise and support agroecology as a central pathway under the SJWA; Fulfil climate finance pledges through grant-based, locally governed funding; ensure access to finance for frontline communities, including smallholder farmers; adopt GGA indicators that reflect holistic, inclusive adaptation approaches; institutionalise participation of marginalised groups, including women and Indigenous Peoples; and establish accountability and transparency mechanisms in climate finance delivery.
Download AFSA Policy Brief
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