EALA moves to safeguard East Africa’s food future with push for regional agroecology law

MUKONO – East Africa’s agri-food systems stand at a critical turning point. Across the region, farmers and communities are grappling with the growing burden of climate shocks—prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, and shifting seasons that disrupt productivity and deepen food insecurity. Soil depletion, biodiversity loss, and rising dependence on costly synthetic inputs continue to strain the resilience of smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the region’s food production.

Yet, despite the scale of these challenges, the region’s policy and legal frameworks remain outdated and skewed toward industrial, input-heavy agricultural models. These systems, while commercially driven, leave farmer-managed seed systems, indigenous crop varieties, and ecological farming practices insufficiently protected. At the same time, East African households face rising food and input prices, shrinking dietary diversity, and increasing threats to food sovereignty.

The absence of a regional policy and legal framework for agroecology—despite earlier EALA resolutions—has led to fragmented approaches, weak governance, and inadequate protection for agroecological actors. The urgency is compounded by emerging legislative proposals such as the East African Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, 2025, which, if not aligned with agroecological principles, may undermine biodiversity, local seed systems, and the autonomy of smallholder farmers.

East Africa is at a decisive moment, and choices made now will shape the region’s agricultural future for generations.

Against this backdrop, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) on Friday convened in Mukono, Uganda, for a high-level capacity-building engagement aimed at accelerating the adoption of an agroecology policy and law within the East African Community (EAC). Organized by the Center for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT) in collaboration with regional agroecology networks, the session marks a significant milestone in the region’s journey toward more resilient and equitable food systems.

This engagement follows a series of formal decisions by EALA, including a landmark resolution recognizing agroecology as a strategic priority and a subsequent motion urging the EAC Council of Ministers and Partner States to champion agroecology-centered policy and legislative reforms. Today’s session transforms those political commitments into deeper understanding, practical learning, and forward momentum.

Among the highlights is an experiential learning visit to the CEFROHT Agroecology Learning Center, where legislators witnessed firsthand the ecological, economic, and social benefits of agroecology. The program also features a technical review of the East African Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, 2025, focusing on aligning seed governance with agroecological principles, safeguarding smallholder farmers, and protecting biodiversity.

The EAC stands at a crossroads: the region has made policy commitments to farmer-centered and biodiversity-friendly agriculture, but lacks a unified framework to implement them. Without such a framework, smallholder farmers, indigenous seed custodians, and community innovators are at risk of being overshadowed by industrial models that erode resilience and weaken food sovereignty.

Agroecology offers a proven path forward. It restores soil fertility, boosts productivity, enhances biodiversity, and strengthens rural livelihoods—all while reducing dependence on synthetic inputs that carry environmental and public health risks. As climate shocks intensify and food systems become more vulnerable, agroecology provides a sustainable and scientifically grounded alternative.

Today’s engagement sets the foundation for EALA to institutionalize agroecology across the region through strong, coordinated legislation.

The Mukono convening has drawn key stakeholders from across East Africa, including:

• EALA
• CEFROHT
• Seed Savers Network Kenya
• TABIO–Tanzania
• PELUM–Uganda
• ESAFF–Uganda
• AFSA
• Slow Food
• ACSA
• FIAN–Uganda
• CONSENT
• SEATINI
• Mukono District Local Government

Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
These partners reaffirm their shared conviction: agroecology is central to the region’s climate resilience, food sovereignty, and economic empowerment of rural communities.

Based on previous commitments and the outcomes of today’s session, stakeholders are urging the East African Legislative Assembly to take bold action:

Enact an Agroecology Policy and Law that institutionalizes agroecology across the EAC.

Such legislation will provide the governance structures, regulatory clarity, and accountability mechanisms necessary to anchor agroecology in national and regional development agendas.

As demonstrated at the CEFROHT Agroecology Learning Center, agroecology is not merely an alternative agricultural approach—it is a scientifically sound, socially equitable, and climate-resilient pathway that ensures farmers thrive, ecosystems regenerate, and communities enjoy healthy and dignified lives.