The NICE Kenya team recently had the honor of participating in the 2nd Eastern Africa Agroecology Conference held from March 25–28, 2025, at the Argyle Grand Hotel in Nairobi. This significant event brought together over 600 stakeholders, highlighting agroecology as a vital pillar for transforming food systems across the region.
Under the theme “Strengthening Agri-Food System Transformation for Resilience, Sustainability, and Socioeconomic Development,” the conference focused on key strategies to enhance agricultural practices. The NICE Project proudly showcased a booth featuring a variety of agroecological farming practices, including composting, cover cropping, vermiculture, and indigenous seed preservation.
Our participation also included two insightful poster presentations:
Sophie van den Berg presented her research titled “Strengthening Agroecological Midstream Networks: Enhancing Food Flow and Quality from Rural and Peri-Urban Areas to Consumers in Secondary Cities.” This poster underscored the significance of urban agroecology in bolstering local food systems by connecting rural producers with urban consumers, thus reducing reliance on distant markets. The study focused on Dinajpur and Rangpur, two secondary cities in Northwestern Bangladesh, where the NICE project aims to align the demand and supply of locally produced safe and nutritious foods through agroecological practices.
In addition, Sophie contributed to a parallel session on “Agroecology for Resilience, Livelihoods, and Food Security,” where she shed light on the role of Urban Agroecology in improving nutrition in secondary cities.
Dr. Charles Chigemezu Nwokoro also made a valuable contribution by presenting our poster titled “The Nutrition in City Ecosystems Project: Improving Agroecology Adaptation in Kenya.” This research emphasizes how integrating agroecological practices into food value chains can significantly transform sustainable food systems in Kenya. The poster highlighted the importance of aligning farming practices with agroecological principles to mitigate the adverse effects of industrial agriculture, such as soil degradation and biodiversity loss. By reinstating Agroecological Farming Practices (AFP), we can rejuvenate our ecosystems and create resilient food systems.
The conference emphasized several key points, including:
– A call to action for mainstreaming agroecology into national policies and regional food strategies.
– Recognition of women and youth as essential drivers of transformation.
– Engaging discussions on soil health, farmer-managed seed systems, and market linkages.
– Deliberations on financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and digital tools to scale up agroecology.
– Field excursions that highlighted successful agroecological models in practice.
Building on the momentum from the inaugural event in 2023, this year’s conference aligned with global and continental declarations like the Kampala Declaration and the African Union Decision on Organic Farming. It served as a powerful platform to promote agroecological practices as viable solutions to biodiversity loss, climate change, and rising food insecurity.
Together, we can champion a sustainable future through agroecology, fostering resilience in food systems while uplifting communities across the region.