By Asanda Magadla

Members of the Eastern Cape Agroecology Action Collective met in East London this week to evaluate South Africa’s National Agroecology Framework [NAFSA]. The two-day workshop took place in Westbank, KuGompo City, with 30 farmers from across the province attending to review the framework and propose a way forward for its implementation.

They also shared experiences from farm visits to other farmers in Zimbabwe and the Western Cape. Participants welcomed NAFSA as a policy that supports agroecological farming, food sovereignty and climate justice. However, they said the government must now provide funding, training and land for small-scale farmers to make it work.

Nobahle Ntsengiwe, a farmer from Rabula, called for increased support and funding for small-scale farmers.
“At this point, I welcome NAFSA and appreciate those who ensured these changes were made. The Department of Agriculture has never supported me as an agroecology farmer, despite the challenges I faced during climate-related disasters. I request that Agriculture officers support agroecology farmers, as we depend on farming to sustain our livelihoods.”
She also welcomed the progress colleges have made in integrating agroecology into their curriculum.
“We need more than policies on paper. Farmers need land, seeds, and support to grow healthy food for our communities. We need our government to support women in farming, who continue to face the climate crisis,” said Amanda Gcweka, a representative of the Rural Women’s Assembly.
The workshop proposed key actions: provincial roadshows to educate communities about NAFSA; engagement with the Department of Agriculture to secure budgetary allocations; and the establishment of local agroecology hubs to provide training and upskill young farmers. The participants pledged to link NAFSA to ongoing land struggles in the Eastern Cape.
The Eastern Cape Agroecology Collective will take the proposals back to the communities and reconvene in 3 months to review progress.