Agroecology

Colombia has adopted its first national policy on agroecology. With this clear commitment to agroecology, Colombia is heralding a comprehensive transformation of its agricultural systems and paving the way for more sustainable agriculture. SWISSAID has accompanied and supported this process.

14.10.2024 | The Sufosec Alliance, of which SWISSAID is a member, is publishing its new nutrition report «Sustainable nutrition starts locally» today. Based on data from around 125,000 households, it provides scientific evidence of the importance of agroecology in the fight against hunger. The results are promising, but many challenges remain. 

In Tanzania, smallholder farming families grapple daily with the repercussions of climate change. Hunger and poverty are widespread. Yet, amidst these challenges, there is hope: New research findings indicate that agroecological practices, supported by innovative apps, can make a significant difference. A glimpse into Tanzanian field research.

12.9.2024 | Crises, climate change and the concentration of markets are driving up food prices. In Chad, for example, a kilo of rice now costs twice as much as it did a year ago. The situation is similar in India and Myanmar. The way out of hunger is through local, sustainable agriculture.

In Tanzania, SWISSAID uses agroecological methods to improve the living conditions of smallholder farming families. Thanks to local materials and biopesticides, farmers have been able to improve their harvests and thus increase their income. Women benefit from greater recognition and economic advantages.

Climate change is having a major impact on the work of farmers in Colombia. Although agroecology is an effective solution to strengthen their resilience, it requires time and knowledge. A digital platform provides a remedy here: by sharing their experiences and advice, the farmers strengthen their agricultural skills. At the same time, the women learn to gain confidence in their central role within the communities.

Biodiversity is at risk: of the original 6,500 plant varieties, just 150 are still cultivated today. Both humans and the environment suffer from this loss. Smallholders, scientists and politicians are working with SWISSAID to bring the old varieties back to life. This is part of our approach to ensuring greater food security.

As an expert in the fields of agroecology and gender equality, SWISSAID works in nine countries. On the ground and in close cooperation with local partners, we promote initiatives by people who are independently seeking a way out of poverty.

26.04.2024 | Numerous people participated in our online discussion on the challenges and opportunities of agroecology. Although the contexts are different in every part of the world, the difficulties of the farming world and the effects of climate change are felt everywhere. A lively discussion, enriched by the experience of our speakers and the enthusiasm of the audience.

SWISSAID invites you to a discussion on April 25, 2024 at 12.30 p.m. about the challenges farmers face and the solutions offered by agroecology. A change of perspective and an exchange of experiences in Switzerland and the Global South will share how sustainable food systems can be developed.

Agroecology is at the heart of all our projects. It is the foundation of our work. The multi-layered approach of agroecology strengthens the natural cycles in the ecosystem, conserves resources such as soil and reduces dependence on external factors such as chemical fertilisers. In addition, the cultivation method strengthens the fields and thus the farming families against the effects of climate change.

Niger is particularly affected by climate change: heavy rainfall alternates with droughts. This fuels hunger. But not everywhere: one region has improved its living conditions with the help of SWISSAID. And in the long term.

SWISSAID strengthens the independence of indigenous women in Ecuador. Agroecology, leadership, basic rights: Thanks to training in these areas, women can improve their food security and economic independence. And they help to combat violence.

Goats are an important pillar of many SWISSAID projects in Chad. Not only do they provide smallholder families in the Global South with vitamin-rich food, their manure also improves the harvest. And thus independence for many.

16.10.23 | What means Agrobiodiversity? Warlier it is for the globale Food system increasingly important? And what is the effect it global warming? These and other questions are answered in the brochure «Agrobiodiversity on the plate» which was published on the occasion of World Food Day.

16.10.23 | Access to healthy and sustainable food is still far from being a given for all people. In an interview, Kavita Gandhi, head of the SWISSAID coordination office in India, explains why agrobiodiversity is particularly important in combating hunger in the face of climate change.

26.9.23 | Hunger, climate change and agroecology are our core issues. In October, we are taking a closer look at these in the form of events, forums, meetings and publications, and are campaigning for sustainable and social agriculture throughout Switzerland. Many events will take place as part of the “Days of Agroecology”. An overview.

The lack of agricultural knowledge, access to credit, and the ever-increasing cost of living keep rural families in southern Shan State, Myanmar, trapped in poverty. With the rise of violent conflicts and the effects of climate change, many people are forced to migrate. SWISSAID has initiated a project to enhance the value of crops through agroecology, enabling farmers to envision a dignified future.

How can we remain hopeful when our main means of survival requires constant adaptation and the knowledge to do so? This is the challenge facing the inhabitants of the Fabidji commune in Niger, whose crops are being affected by the disastrous effects of climate change. A project aims to strengthen their resilience.

Known as the lungs of our planet, forests are essential for biodiversity and the survival of all living beings, including humans. In Colombia, a project in the tropical region of Sucre aims to raise awareness among indigenous communities about their environment, in order to live in harmony with the forest and protect this vital space.

Chad has been devastated by the heaviest downpours in three decades, resulting in unimaginable suffering. The heavy rains have stripped the people of their homes, farmlands, and crops. Those afflicted with hunger are in dire need of new seeds to ensure the upcoming harvest is secure. SWISSAID has initiated an emergency relief initiative to distribute seeds and food packages.

With the Sustainable Tribal Livelihoods project, SWISSAID is improving life in small villages in India. Girjabai Baria and her family are benefiting from this: thanks to new farming methods and sources of income, their lives have taken a positive turn.

The Baiga tribe is a community living in central India. The loss of forest areas – their main resource for centuries – as well as the climate crisis, has made them very vulnerable. In recent years, learning agroecology has allowed them to develop new means of survival in harmony with nature and adapted to climate change.

The food report published by the Sufosec Alliance on the occasion of World Food Day on 16 October 2022 shows shocking results. It highlights the dramatic increase in hunger in the world with figures and testimonies from those affected in the South. But it also gives hope and shows a way out of the hunger crisis. For example, with agroecology.

3.10.2022 | In autumn 2021, we followed Yaya, Marceline and Esther, women farmers in Chad, who received support from SWISSAID through its Women’s Empowerment Project. One year later, the aid provided has enabled these women to improve their living conditions and those of their families, and to fight against hunger. In video and in pictures, they tell us about their situation one year later.

26.09.2022 | The war in Ukraine has drastic effects worldwide. Especially in our African partner countries, the consequences are worrying. People who were already threatened by hunger before are now facing food shortages and price increases for basic foodstuffs. On this page you will find news and developments in our partner countries.

6.9.2022 | What is agroecology? If you regularly read our articles, you probably know it. But this concept of ecological agriculture is not known by everyone. That’s why the association Agroecology works! is organizing for the second time in October the Agroecology Days. Events, forums and meetings are intended to reach a broad public. So that the transformation of food systems will soon be a reality!

02.09.2022 | January emergency aid in the south south of Niger is bearing fruit. The farmers in need in need have received food packages and have been able to plant fast-growing seeds for almost immediate consumption. Beyond the emergency, the project has allowed a conversion to more resistant and quality crops for fight against the climate change.

In recent years, poverty and inequality have been on the rise again in Nicaragua. In rural Terrabona, one of the poorest regions of the country, the food security is threatened. The challenges of adapting agriculture to climatic changes are great and the opportunities of the population are few. Agroecology shows smallholder families a way out of the impasse. 

The project launched by the Colombian alliance «Guardianas de los Páramos», of which SWISSAID is a member, aims to protect the ecosystems of six municipalities in the Boyacá region. The focus is on the rehabilitation of traditional agricultural varieties and techniques, the protection of biodiversity and the strengthening of the role of rural women. Fernando Chaves Valbuena, journalist for elcampesino.co, tells us about it through the women who carry this project.

05.05.2022 | A delegation of six Swiss parliamentarians and the director of Alliance Sud visited Tanzania in mid-April to learn about several SWISSAID projects, particularly in the extractive sector. They also visited a small agroecological farm and met with the authorities, partners and the local population.

28.04.2022 | In the Ecuadorian Andes, SWISSAID supports women farmers in producing in an agroecological way, as well as in marketing their products on the markets and raising awareness among the urban population. Paul Van Mele went to the province of Tungurahua in Ecuador and took part in a training course for women farmers on how to market their products. An amazing performance that he recounts in an article on agroinsight.com. Here is his story.   

21.2.22 | The emergency aid launched in December in the Dosso region of Niger is soon bearing its first fruit. Thanks to the rapid procurement of seeds, we have already been able to distribute 62 kilos of urgently needed plant seeds to the farmers. The first harvest is coming soon.

14.12.2021 | The fight against hunger is multi-faceted. It starts with women being able to inherit and own land. This is what Isabela, a farmer from Guinea-Bissau, is fighting for. With the help of SWISSAID, she has broken through the patriarchal traditions in her country.

15.11.2021 | Farm-saved seeds are diverse and well adapted to local conditions – they also form the basis for healthy yet affordable nutrition. Therefore, it fulfils all the requirements for making local food systems more independent and resilient. Especially in the context of the ongoing pandemic and the global climate crisis, this sows hope.

12.11.2021 | Today, COP26 in Glasgow comes to an end. While we wait for the outcome of the negotiations, Ibrahim Hamadou, a staff member of SWISSAID Niger, gives his perspective. He reports from an African country that has been suffering the consequences of climate change for many years.

26.10.21 | The network “Agroecology works!” has organized the “Agroecology Days”, a serie of events based on agroecology. These will take place from 1 to 6 November at various locations in Switzerland, as well as online. The programme includes 30 different events, which are co-sponsored by SWISSAID. The events aim to provide information about the many facets of agroecology and show how important it is for sustainable change in our food systems.

For many families in Chad, there is often only one meal a day – little enough for the hard work in the fields. But without work, there is no harvest. Women in particular suffer greatly; they are often responsible for the family’s survival and take care of the household chores and work. The famine also often leads to disputes among the farming families. SWISSAID helps families in Chad to fight hunger and prevent conflicts.

Millions of people in Chad – often the women – produce their own food while the men work in the city. Due to the difficult climatic conditions, growing their own crops is often not enough to feed the family, and many people suffer from hunger. This is also the case for Esther and her family. SWISSAID is working on the ground to help these people.

Water is central to the lives of people in rural communities in Niger. In these regions, we strive to raise awareness among the population for a sustainable and optimal management of this resource and to secure its access. To avoid tensions, accidents and exodus.

27.09.2021 | The United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 (UNFSS) took place from 23 to 24 September in New York. On this occasion, SWISSAID met with six women farmers from the South and from Switzerland. The aim was to give a voice to those who are in daily contact with the land and are working hard to feed the community. A report, which was handed over to Christian Hofer, Director of the Federal Office for Agriculture, on the eve of the Summit, describes their struggle and highlights the benefits of agroecology.

27.08.2021 | More than 70 people participated in the webinar on local markets and food sovereignty organized by SWISSAID on August 24. All speakers as well as the guests agreed: Many people in the South are dependent on local markets. They, especially women, deserve more help, remuneration and weight for their products.

24.08.21 | Local markets are an essential source of income for small-scale producers. Furthermore, they are a main source of food supplies in the South. The pandemic has highlighted their vital role in access to food and the advantages of short circuits. Local markets are thus key factors for food sovereignty. Nevertheless, they must face the pressures of international markets. On the eve of the United Nations Summit on Food Systems, the question of their future is more important than ever.

16.08.21 | In Gámeza y Mongua, Boyacá, five peasant organizations have strengthened their knowledge of territorial development by appropriating the environment and working collectively to generate positive changes in their communities. Achieving the recovery of 18 types of ancestral seeds and the expansion of the vegetation cover of 160 water sources.

30.6.21 | Hunger and malnutrition are still widespread in large parts of Africa and Asia. Heating climateand the loss of soil fertility are further exacerbating the problem. The new SWISSAID project CROPS4HD focuses on local, almost forgotten crops to improve the situation of people in the South.

11.05.2021 | In the shadow of the Corona and climate debate, the most existential challenge of our time is often forgotten: the biodiversity crisis. On 25 May, SWISSAID discussed the silent death of biodiversity and its impact on the spread of diseases, agriculture and the central role played by women farmers.

30.4.21 Not long ago, the Corona situation in India seemed under control. In February 2021, India’s government declared that it had defeated the pandemic. Now the situation is worse than ever. SWISSAID is following the situation with great concern. Kavita Ghandi, Head of the SWISSAID office, tells us what the situation is like on the ground and what impact the pandemic is having on our projects.

In the rural areas of Guinea-Bissau, the best way to provide sustainable and effective aid is to work directly with the farmers, grouped together in associations. But bringing these smallholder farmers together is only the first step.

In the north of Myanmar, the landscape is adorned with huge tracts of forest. Despite being the main resource for survival, the population has little access to it. Large industries are destroying the available land and replacing it with banana plantations. Thanks to the perseverance of the villagers and the help of SWISSAID, the village community is able to assert its rights.

Climate extremes, the loss of natural resources and pandemics are shaking up our food systems. What do practical solutions look like so that we can continue to nourish ourselves in the future? In the webinar on 9 March, SWISSAID discussed the urgently needed paradigm shift in our food systems.

The year 2020 was marked by uncertainty and concern – for Mariana Hortas as well. But despite the difficult circumstances, the Ecuadorian is optimistic about the future. Thanks to agroecology, she has reason for hope for herself and her family.

26.01.2021 | From sustainable fish farming on the coast to organic watermelon cultivation and responsible mining of raw materials in gold mines in the interior: SWISSAID is active in Tanzania in many different areas. Our new programme officer Christina Aebischer reports on her project visit.

Isolated from the rest of the world and without information: the inhabitants of the indigenous community of Jubal in Ecuador have been left on their own since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chains have collapsed, and farming families are threatened with malnutrition and financial hardship. Knowledge of agroecological farming methods promises salvation.

27.08.2020 | Two years ago, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants was created. Switzerland was very strongly committed to this process and successfully lobbied for its adoption. Despite this, a new study shows that its implementation is lacking both in Switzerland and abroad translated with DeepL

July 2020 | The Covid pandemic was a clear wake-up call: Only local agriculture can ensure healthy nutrition for the population. Farmer-owned seeds have a key role to play in this. SWISSAID organized a webinar on this topic in summer 2020 to enable an exchange and dissemination of knowledge between countries and experts.

01.04.2020 | The spread of the coronavirus raises tremendous challenges for the world. It reminds us of how fragile our system is, how abstract our boundaries are and how much a change is needed.

On March 4, a meeting was held in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, organized by the National Alliance “Semillas de Identidad“. This alliance was founded years ago by SWISSAID. The aim of the event was to exchange knowledge and experiences among producers of locally adapted seeds.

Earlier generations of Colombia’s indigenous people made necklaces of vanilla to bring happiness and love. Today, not only traditions but also a wealth of knowledge about this valuable plant have been lost. Now the indigenous people on the Pacific coast are reviving their heritage – and hoping it will help them find a way out of poverty at last.

10.03.2020 | In Tanzania, the demand for organic products is increasing – farmers are adapting by switching to agro-ecological cultivation methods. A win-win solution for producers, consumers and the entire country.

A centre of expertise which trains future experts in agroecological techniques – farmers, promoters, association leaders. Widespread dissemination at local level and lobbying at  national level: this is the ambitious project of SWISSAID Guinea-Bissau.

By demanding strict plant variety protection (UPOV91) in free trade agreements, Switzerland helps agribusiness to monopolize seeds and thus promotes hunger.

Weren’t things better before? Not in Ecuador, and not for Raul Upaya Romero. The courses in agroecology have obviously left their mark on him. The smallholder’s sparse, low-yield land in the Ecuadorian Andes now thrives with a variety of different vegetables.

In Myanmar today, many women farmers are also taking part confidently in discussions with groups of men. They have been on courses where they expanded their knowledge of agroecological cultivation methods and built up their self-confidence.

In Nicaragua, farmers’ lives are rules by the climate catastrophe. There is nothing they can do about drought and floods. But they can tackle their effects with the help of agroecological cultivation methods and the right local seeds. The farmers first step is to more CO2 in the soil.

October 2019 | SWISSAID has set itself the task of bringing experts from the global south into conversation with the Swiss public. We organize events with them or realize media appointments. In October 2019, Aissé Barry, from SWISSAID Guinea-Bissau, spent time in Switzerland for this purpose.

For the Embera people on the Colombian Pacific coast, the forest is both a place to live and a food security back-up. Deforestation has put the indigenous people in a precarious position. Now they are reforesting, switching to agroecology and looking for other ways to ensure their survival in the long term.

Despite a large-scale school dinner programme, many school children in India suffer from vitamin and iron deficiency. In school gardens they grow the vital crops themselves and so learn about agroecological farming.

Women feed the world – yet they often have few rights. This is why SWISSAID has been working for decades to empower women. One of them, the farmer Louise Ndodjita, is successfully asserting herself in the male-dominated society of Chad. This is thanks in part to a literacy course.