Nairobi to host 2025 Africa women in Agroecology learning exchange and expo

Vihiga Community Agroecology seed bank in Vihiga County

Nairobi is gearing up to host a major continental convening, the Africa Women in Agroecology Learning Exchange and Expo 2025, scheduled for 2nd–3rd December 2025 at the Desmond Tutu Conference Centre in Westlands.

The event, themed “Bold Voices: Championing African Women’s Leadership in Food Sovereignty through Land Rights, Agroecological Entrepreneurship and Territorial Markets,” is expected to bring together more than 100 participants from across Africa, including rural women, agro-preneurs, territorial market actors, policymakers, youth leaders, male allies, civil society organizations, and private-sector actors in Agroecology.

Women remain the backbone of food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, producing between 60 and 80 percent of the region’s food, yet they control less than 15 percent of productive resources, including land, capital, and access to agricultural markets.  

This persistent imbalance limits their ability to invest in land, grow agroecological enterprises, and influence decision-making processes. Although some countries have made progress in adopting land policies that strengthen women’s rights, weak implementation, coupled with entrenched cultural norms, continues to undermine land tenure security for millions of women across the continent.

Despite these barriers, women play an indispensable role in agroecology as seed custodians, drivers of agrobiodiversity conservation, managers of natural resources, and key actors in local markets that sustain households and communities.

Their contributions are central to achieving food sovereignty, community well-being, and climate resilience.  However, limited access to resources and underrepresentation in leadership spaces continue to restrict their full potential.

The event aims to elevate women’s agency in shaping sustainable food systems, deepen cross-country collaboration, and inspire a shared agenda for policy advocacy across Africa.

The gathering will build on ongoing initiatives such as PELUM Association’s Capacity Enhancement for Women Change Agents Project; the Africa Women Leaders in Agroecology (AWOLA) programme implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania, the APP-YALTA youth Agroecology business learning track and AFSA’s work on Agroecological entrepreneurship and territorial markets.

These initiatives have collectively nurtured a strong pipeline of women leaders who are redefining food systems in their communities. The Expo’s key purpose is to advance dialogue on women’s land rights, leadership, and agroecological entrepreneurship while strengthening networks that advocate for equitable access to resources.

Through structured interactions, the event seeks to provide a platform for women leaders and practitioners to share best practices, strengthen solidarity, and co-design joint strategies that promote women’s participation in food sovereignty. It will further support the establishment of a continental platform to amplify women’s voices in decision-making spaces and mobilize collective action for policy change.

Expected outputs include a compilation of case studies and success stories from women across Africa, improved awareness of innovative approaches that enhance women’s rights and agroecological enterprises, strengthened partnerships, a directory of participating organizations, and a roadmap for establishing or strengthening the continental platform.

Participants are also expected to develop clear policy recommendations targeting national, regional, and continental governance structures. The 2025 Learning Exchange and Expo will adopt a hybrid format, allowing both physical attendance and virtual engagement through Zoom.

A dedicated digital team will support seamless participation for online attendees. The event’s highlights include interactive learning sessions, exhibitions of women-led agroecological enterprises, high-level panel discussions, and side events exploring policy gaps, market access, and leadership pathways for women.