A publication launched by the African Alliance for Food Sovereignty, showcasing the huge potential of Agroecology to feed Africa, fix broken food systems and repair damaged landscapes, providing abundant healthy and nutritious food sustainably while increasing incomes and improving climate resilience. The publication also illustrates 15 case studies.

n this first issue, an attempt has been made to discuss about soil in detail through the various topics focusing on soil. In his article entitled “You are from the soil and shall go back to the soil” Dr. Hailu Araya urges all to think of the soil, its contents invaluable uses. In a similar manner, Dr. Georg Deichert tells us we have to resonate of the soil in his article entitled “Rethinking the soil.”

These days, the soil has become a topical issue. That is because soil is the basis for everything and any problem in the health of the soil affects everything, especially living things. The agricultural system is the most affected as agriculture is all about soil, plants, animals, microorganisms and biodiversity in general.

Agro-biodiversity is not only about the genetic make up of Crops and animals domesticated by humans, it is also about the knowledge that supports it.

In this issue of Wegel we present views, opinions and research findings from different angles regarding the changes in the global agricultural system and its implications on the supply of healthy and balanced nutrition as well as the role of various stakeholders in putting the system back in to the right track.

The global food system is changing in line with the ever-increasing global population, technological advancements, scarcity of resources and the resultant scramble for the scarce resources.

Opinion by Million Belay.
We are told that high input agriculture will boost food production in Africa. A persistent worry for Million Belay is the loss of knowledge related to our nutritious, traditional crops if they succeed.

The principles that make up a System of Crop Intensification (SCI) are now spreading through the regions of Tigray and South Wollo for a range of crops. The use of finger millet seedlings has shown very positive results Read more

In Uganda’s Kabale district, too many people had been trying to make a living from too little land. Because of overpopulation and exhaustion of the soil by intense cultivation, the area had gone into decline. Then, researchers and farmers — supported by the International Development Research Centre — joined forces to revitalize the region.
See: http://hdl.handle.net/10625/34762

This report highlights some of the opportunities and challenges of establishing an organic farming movement that “can increase food security, reduce poverty and protect environmental resources” in the Southern hemisphere. Even though the report asserts that government policies are still needed to encourage the extension of organic farming, several positive trends are identified through a number of worldwide case studies.

Farmers’ knowledge is critical for conserving and using genetic diversity of farmers’ varieties (landraces) of sorghum in Ethiopia.

This paper describes factors that drive the sustainability of Hor/Arbore.