The EAC Agroecology bill is now before EALA. The one of its kind

History is being made! CEFROHT, working with regional CSOs, formally presented the EAC Agroecology bill before the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources (ATNR), and the region’s agri-food systems will never be the same. This milestone marks a significant shift from years of advocacy to concrete legislative action aimed at reshaping the region’s agri-food systems.

The presentation is the result of sustained efforts of advocacy led by the Center for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT), working closely with regional civil society organizations. Through strategic engagement, coalition-building, and capacity strengthening, these actors have successfully positioned agroecology as a regional priority, evidenced by earlier resolutions and motions by EALA calling for its institutionalization. The tabling of the agroecology Bill now signals that East Africa is ready to move from commitment to action.

Why does this matter? Because the EAC region is at a breaking point. Widespread food insecurity, accelerating environmental degradation, and deepening climate vulnerability demand nothing short of a systematic reset. The EAC agroecology bill delivers exactly that! It integrates ecological principles with traditional and Indigenous knowledge to build agri-food systems that are resilient, equitable, sustainable, and work for both people and the environment.

Anchored in the EAC Treaty and aligned with regional and global frameworks, the Bill provides a binding instrument to harmonize policies across Partner States, guided by principles of human rights, sustainability, and accountability

It proposes a transition toward safer alternatives by phasing out highly hazardous pesticides while recognizing and protecting the rights of smallholder farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk, women, and youth, placing them at the center of decision-making processes. It also strengthens farmer-managed seed systems, promotes biodiversity, and supports local markets and sustainable agri-food value chains.

The EALA-ATNR Committee session delivered more than a technical review; it secured political commitment to fast-track the process, with urgency to enact the law before 2027. The next phase focuses on technical validation and alignment with key EAC institutions for effective implementation.

Once enacted, this law will replace fragmented national agroecology approaches with a unified regional law, setting a precedent for food systems transformation not just in East Africa, but across the entire continent and the world.

This moment is bigger than legislation. It is a declaration that the future of East Africa’s food systems will be grounded in justice, accountability, sustainability, and resilience. The region is not just imagining a better food system; it is writing it into law.