In February, together with the Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) and Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE), the ACB hosted a meeting in Suurbraak, Western Cape, bringing together a network of farmer and civil society organisations to discuss a strategy to approach government to support agroecology.

Through the lens of advocacy, and a focus on the challenges facing smallholder farmers, the meeting explored the opportunities agroecology provides as a means to shift away from the industrial farming framework. The meeting spilled outside, with a tour of the local organic hydroponics centre, displays by some of the farmers, and a live demonstration enlisting participants as volunteers, of one method to plant and grow vegetables.

Under the umbrella of Agroecology SA, this network is making policy recommendations to government.