November 15–16, 2011: Conference "The Agricultural Alternative for Africa" in Nairobi, Kenya

The need for greater uptake of people centred ecological agriculture practices and systems are now widely recognised, but solutions proposed for increasing food security in Africa are still predominately based on the industrialisation of African agriculture and the intensification of economically and environmentally unsustainable imported input products.

This conference aims to re-address the balance and build awareness of accessible and resilient organic based production systems and position organic agriculture higher on the agenda of African governments, policy makers and the international donor community.

Specific objectives of the conference include:

• Provide African national and regional policy makers, media and funding agencies with evidence-based information on the multi-functional benefits of organic agriculture and their contributions to the challenges and needs in Africa.
• Present successful organic agriculture related projects and case studies from all over Africa including complimentary large scale agro-ecological systems.
• Explore how various systems can be mixed, matched and adapted to provide a potential suite of integrated food production options for African regions and challenges.
• Increase awareness of the opportunities presented by organic production and trade for contributing to the realisation of the Right to Food and poverty alleviation.
• Clarify the frequent misconceptions about organic agriculture in Africa.
  Provide a platform for discussions and strategic development on how the conclusions and recommendations of the IAASTD Report can be carried forward in Africa.
• Explore cooperation opportunities and build new partnerships for the implementation of the African Ecological Organic Agriculture Action Plan. 
  Organizers

The conference is convened by IFOAM – the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (www.ifoam.org) - that unites some 750 member organisations in more than 100 countries – in cooperation with the African Union, the Kenyan Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) and COLABORA. The conference is hosted by the United Nations Environment Piogramme (www.UNEP.org).

Main thematic focus points

• The Right to Food - affordability and accessibility of organic agriculture
  The relevance of organic agriculture for poverty alleviation and trade
  The significance of non-certified organic production and alternative guarantee systems
• The climate change adaptation potential and mitigation co-benefits of organic agriculture
• Alliance and capacity building for organic agriculture in Africa
  Participants

The conference will bring together technical practitioners, policy makers, funding agencies, NGOs, retailers and media. 

Source: The website of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)

Further information

Registration

The registration process will start early September. Attendees will then be chosen by a screening process. It is not foreseen to charge a registration fee in order to allow broadest possible participation.

Highlights

Social and cultural highlight of the conference will be the award ceremony honouring Prof. Wangari Matu Maathai with the One World Personality Award. Moreover, an exhibition area will be made available for organisations to present themselves and their products.

Contact

For further information and partnership opportunities, please contact
Hervé Bouagnimbeck (h.bouagnimbeck(at)ifoam.org).

Link

IFOAM.org: Conference info