Building a Slow Food ‘Earth Market’ in Central and Eastern Africa

Image credit: Courtesy of the Agroecology Fund

Building a Slow Food ‘Earth Market’ in Central and Eastern Africa

Organization
Bioregion Victoria Basin & Albertine Rift Forests (AT12)
Category Regenerative Agriculture

Our project categories represent one of three core solutions pathways to solving climate change. Energy Transition focuses on renewable energy access and energy efficiency. Nature Conservation includes wildlife habitat protection and ecosystem restoration, as well as Indigenous land rights. Regenerative Agriculture supports farmers, ranchers, and community agriculture.

Realm Afrotropics

The Project Marketplace is organized by the major terrestrial realms divided into 14 biogeographical regions – N. America, Subarctic America, C. America, S. America, Afrotropics, Indomalaya, Australasia, Oceania, Antarctica, and the Palearctic realm, which coincides with Eurasia and is divided into Subarctic, Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern regions.

Status active

Seed indicates an early stage project that needs some level of support to develop into a larger funding proposal. Active indicates any project that needs core programmatic funding. Urgent indicates a short-term project initiated in response to a natural disaster or other impending risk.

Funding Level $$

$$ indicates a project with a funding need between $50,000-$250,000.

Timeframe Ongoing
Partner Agroecology Fund

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100% of your donation will go directly to support this project. You can also give a gift in honor of a friend or family member. 100% of your donation will go directly to building a Slow Food Earth Market in Central and Eastern Africa. You can also give a gift in honor of a friend or family member.

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One Earth’s Project Marketplace funds on-the-ground climate solutions that are key to solving the climate crisis through three pillars of collective action — renewable energy, nature conservation, and regenerative agriculture.

Slow Food East Africa is seeking to strengthen community-led agroecology initiatives in East Africa, prioritizing women's leadership and entrepreneurship to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme climate events, such as floods and locust swarms. These threats are compounded by small-scale farmers' dependence on purchasing imported seeds and fertilizers, leading to debt, degraded soils, and crops unsuitable for the shifting climate.

Image credit: Courtesy of the Agroecology Fund

This project builds on previous work through which Slow Food East Africa strengthened small farmers’ agroecological knowledge through training at Food Academies and applied these lessons in production techniques.

Support will help Slow Food East Africa take the next step in tackling the challenge of commercialization by opening new local market opportunities and raising awareness among consumers of the importance of choosing culturally-appropriate and healthy foods.

Image credit: Courtesy of the Agroecology Fund

Collaborators in this work include Slow Food Uganda and Kenya, Women's Development for Science and Technology (Tanzania), and the Integrated Program for the Pygmy People (Democratic Republic of Congo). The project will include training on value-added product transformation and marketing.

On the financial level, women-led farmers’ groups will benefit from micro-credit support to invest in transport, production, and other activities necessary for substantial sales. Finally, the project will increase visibility for women farmers by developing communications products and holding marketing events dedicated to women in agroecology.

Image credit: Courtesy of the Agroecology Fund

Efforts will be carefully documented and presented as evidence to influence policymakers, consumers, and farmers. Expected outcomes include an increased proportion of women-led, agroecology-based enterprises in target geographies and improved family income. In parallel, the women active in this project will continue to advocate with small farmers, Indigenous and consumer allies for the local and regional transformation of food systems based on agroecological principles.

Secure payment. USD donations tax-deductible.

Provide a major gift

Your contribution will help ensure the long term success of this important project. Gifts can be made as a tribute to a friend or family member and are tax-deductible for U.S. residents. Please contact us!