On October 8, representatives from the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), including Toussaint N’Guessan from Réseau Ivoirien pour l’Agriculture Durable (RIAD) in Côte d’Ivoire and Cesarie Kantarama from INGABO Syndicatein Rwanda, along with seven other farmers’ leaders from Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, gathered in Rome to take part in the Second Roundtable of African Farmers on “Improving Access to Technologies for Regenerative Agriculture.”
The event, a collaborative effort between the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV), Bayer Crop Science, WFO, Global Farmer Network (GFN), African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), was a platform for shared learning and discussion. The main topics of discussion included:
- Identifying technologies that can enable African farmers to implement regenerative agriculture.
- Identifying barriers that hinder the availability, accessibility, and adoption of such technologies at scale in the region, such as policies, laws, regulations, financing, infrastructure, and knowledge.
- Exploring actions to overcome these barriers.
The event also featured the participation of keynote speakers from Bayer Crop Science Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
During the roundtable, Cesarie Kantarama from INGABO Syndicate shared the experiences of Rwandan farmers, emphasizing: “Many farmers already adopt key regenerative practices like reducing tillage, maintaining soil cover, promoting crop diversity, and integrating livestock, which are essential for soil health and fertility. However, widespread adoption faces challenges due to the dominance of conventional agriculture, insufficient farmer education, and financial systems favouring short-term profits. To overcome these, we need political commitment, public-private partnerships, capacity-building, and financing solutions tailored to support the long-term benefits of regenerative agriculture. Our guiding principle: ‘Produce without destroying.'”
Photo credit: ©WFO
Her message resonated with the broader discussions at the event, as attendees shared similar challenges across the region. Toussaint N’Guessan from Côte d’Ivoire echoed this by highlighting: “Agroforestry plays a crucial role in maintaining a sustainable ecosystem for perennial crops and promoting biodiversity. Additionally, soil conservation techniques to prevent erosion, particularly in cocoa farms, are essential elements of regenerative agriculture technology. Practices like mulching and composting using crop residues help return vital nutrients to the soil, especially in cassava plantations used for processing and commercialization. However, challenges like inadequate knowledge transfer tools and the high cost of modern technologies like compost-making equipment limit large-scale adoption. To address these obstacles, public authorities must improve training tools and provide financial support to help small-scale producers access the equipment needed for regenerative agriculture.”
Photo credit: ©WFO
Despite the proven benefits of diverse farming approaches, African farmers continue to face significant barriers in accessing the tools needed to fully realise the potential of regenerative agriculture. They identified several key challenges, including low public and private R&D investments, high upfront costs for modern technologies, limited access to insurance and credit policies, and inadequate infrastructure. These barriers restrict their ability to adopt innovative agricultural solutions.
Farmers called for government policies that promote an outcome-driven, technology-neutral, and evidence-based approach to agriculture. Combining this with enhanced farmer training and support for regenerative practices could drive productivity and environmental benefits. Integrating modern and traditional tools tailored to each farmer’s specific needs is essential for success. Crucially, farmers emphasized that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in this process.