What is an agroecological enterprise (AEE)
Agroecological enterprises (AEEs) aim to operate in line with the 13 principles of agroecology, seeking to regenerate rather than degrade soils, biodiversity, climate, water and health.
They also contribute to:
- local economies (incomes, job opportunities, tax revenue and value generation)
- healthy diets (availability and access to local, diverse, safe and nutritious food)
- territorial markets (that are local, resilient and circular)
- resilience and sustainability (of communities and economies).
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) uses the following criteria to select AEEs to work with:
- Adhering to at least six of agroecology’s 13 principles
- Conducting business for at least one year
- Some form of official registration, lowest village/sub-county/district level
- Annual revenue of at least USD 8,000 before tax.
An AFSA study from 2021 found that AEEs in Africa “have in common an approach to agricultural production that privileges natural processes, local knowledge, seeds and crops, and in which farming and the pursuit of food and nutrition security constitutes part of a larger socio-ecological process underpinned by a commitment to sustainability.”
Despite agroecological enterprises facing multiple challenges and disadvantages, research shows (see resources below) that there is a large and diverse set of AEEs all over Africa.
However, the environment for agroecological enterprises is still difficult (read more in the section on what support AEEs need) and therefore the reality is that many are not yet adhering to all 13 principles.
In 2023, as part of preparation for the launch of the Neycha Agroecology Accelerator & Fund, Ichuli Consulting conducted a market study on agroecology enterprises in Uganda and Kenya. The report analysed a total of 56 enterprises and presented the following major findings:
- There is a pool of high-potential AEEs across Uganda and Kenya and, even though not all are yet perfectly agroecological, most are in transition.
- The enabling policy environment and business conditions make it difficult for AEEs to operate in line with all 13 principles of agroecology.
- There is a need to strengthen AEEs’ wider influence on their value chains.
- There is suggestive evidence that the AEEs are profitable and scalable.
- AEEs still require capacity building in their business operations.
The full study will be published at a later date.
🔥 To see examples of AEEs have a look at the showcase section