Focus on Pastoralism
This month’s InFocus theme is Rethinking Pastoralism: Tradition and Transformation. Too often overlooked, livestock and pastoral knowledge are vital for resilient food systems and agroecological transitions. From Maasai communities in Kenya organizing for justice, to farmer–pastoralist synergies in Tanzania and Burkina Faso, and Mediterranean innovations linking crops, trees, and livestock—discover how pastoralism is shaping sustainable futures.
In the Germinate! guest column, they feature Colin Anderson from the UVM Institute for Agroecology, who reflects on “Reimagining resilience: Building just and equitable food systems”. Originally published in Rooted Magazine (Issue 3), the article draws on his contribution to the HLPE report “Building Resilient Food Systems” (2025) for the Committee on World Food Security.
Highlights from this month’s Digest include:
🌱Voices from the Ground: Youth-led market gardening in Benin; women restoring land in Senegal; and Kenya’s consumer and policy challenges for agroecology…
📰In the News: Brazil revives pro-farmer policies; Zambia pioneers agroecology radio; Sri Lanka scales natural farming; new debates on AGRA in Africa; and a proposed agroecology bill in the DRC…
🔬From the Research World: Insights on ancestral Mexica farming; urban agroecology in Mozambique; agroecology indicators for East Africa; women farmers’ potential in sub-Saharan Africa; and socio-ecological approaches to restoration…
📑Policy Briefs & Reports: Key findings on Africa–EU research collaboration; farmer-managed seed systems; biofertilisers; agroforestry for resilience; and national agroecology strategies…
🎥Multimedia & Learning: Inspiring stories—from Sicilian farmers reclaiming land from the Mafia to Kenyan seed savers—plus resources on regenerative farming across Europe…
📅 Upcoming Events: The Agroecology Europe Forum 2025 (Malmö, Sweden), the International Forum on Agroecosystem Living Labs, and the launch of the FO-RI Capitalization Report
New Feature
In this issue the FAO also introduce a new feature—Partner’s Corner—which shines a spotlight on organizations making a difference. This month, they highlight Access Agriculture, with new videos on alley cropping, pest management, microgreens, and community knowledge centres.
