Agriculture in Action: Agroecology, Restoration & Regenerative Farming Across SAN's Global Network

A Week of Bold Action Across Five Continents

From digital learning platforms in West Africa to bioenterprise support in the Amazon, from forest certification forums in Morocco to traceability innovation in North America — SAN members spent this week turning sustainability commitments into measurable, on-the-ground impact. Here is everything that happened.

West Africa's Agricultural Research Powerhouse: CORAF Leads on Multiple Fronts

CORAF had an exceptionally active week. The organisation formally closed the ABEE project — an €8 million EU-funded initiative that strengthened agricultural resilience for producers across West Africa, reducing producer vulnerability while building a more climate-resilient agricultural system across the region.

Simultaneously, CORAF launched CORAF e-Learning, a regional online training platform designed to give stakeholders in national agricultural research systems (NARS) across West and Central Africa flexible access to quality capacity-building resources — wherever they are.

In Cameroon, CORAF's RMRN Radius project spotlighted the Okinawan purple sweet potato — a high-yield, nutrient-rich crop delivering up to 25.5 tons/ha, ready in just two weeks, and packed with antioxidants and vitamins A and C — a compelling demonstration of balancing productivity, nutrition, and environmental responsibility.

At the #AFSTACongress2026 in Cape Town, CORAF contributed to a key session reflecting on 15 years of harmonisation protocols, examining the gap between policy and practice.

Executive Director Dr. Moumini Savadogo also participated in an ACIAR-supported livestock research workshop in Accra, aligning regional priorities on feed, fodder, animal health, genetics, and water management.

Finally, CORAF launched the MITA 2026 call for agricultural technologies and innovations focused on animal production and integrated Agriculture–Livestock–Aquaculture systems.

Regenerative Cotton and Soil Health: CottonConnect's REEL Programme Delivers

CottonConnect shared two important updates this week. CEO Alison Ward highlighted the urgent need for a holistic, regenerative relationship between crop cultivation and soil health — one that promotes biodiversity, replenishes soil, and conserves water while keeping farming economically viable.

New data from CottonConnect's REEL Programme Impact Report 2024–25 show how strengthened regenerative farming practices are improving productivity, resource efficiency, and farmer economics across key sourcing regions — a concrete proof point for what responsible cotton looks like at scale.

Forest Knowledge, Restoration Science, and Wildlife Research: CIFOR-ICRAF's Wide-Ranging Week

CIFOR-ICRAF had one of the most wide-ranging weeks of any SAN member. In Grand-Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire, more than 30 participants from Lusophone, Francophone, and Anglophone countries gathered for training on the Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET), supporting stronger, evidence-based management of protected areas across Africa — funded by the EU as part of the Regional Centres of Excellence programme.

At the Africa Environmental Film Festival, CIFOR-ICRAF's Marie Del Marmol reflected on how films can help people understand and act on environmental issues in ways that data and words alone cannot.

On restoration education, CIFOR-ICRAF highlighted how 14 universities across 10 Asian countries are working together through the Restoration Education initiative — co-developing a shared, adaptable curriculum to close the gap between global restoration pledges and the professionals needed to deliver them.

A new study co-led by CIFOR-ICRAF and published in Nature explored the role of wild meat in food systems across the Amazon, drawing on data from hundreds of communities to show how healthy ecosystems underpin reliable food sources.

In Kisangani, DRC, CIFOR-ICRAF spotlighted intensive leadership training for 30 women from Farmer Field Schools in the Yangambi Engagement Landscape — strengthening women's participation in local decision-making.

The organisation also promoted the SHARED Toolkit, a science-policy-practice platform supporting inclusive, evidence-based decision-making on complex development challenges.

Tree Planting and Community Ownership: Chipembere Restores Ecosystems in Malawi

Chipembere is making steady progress on environmental restoration at Chimwabvi and Mphedzu Primary Schools in Thyolo District. So far, 1,200 tree seedlings have been planted — with a target of 2,000 by the end of the planting season. Learners, school staff, community members, and youth club members are all actively involved, ensuring a 100% survival rate through shared ownership and care.

Circular Economy and Agroecological Innovation: RAAA Perú Closes the Loop

Red de Acción en Agricultura Alternativa Perú (RAAA Perú) shared a compelling circular economy project in which students from the Gastronomy Programme at CENFOTUR are transforming kitchen waste into humus through earthworm cultivation and using it to grow organic vegetables — a practical, replicable model for closing the waste loop in food systems.

RAAA Perú also highlighted how agroecological technologies are being adopted in Huánuco through projects implemented by IDMA, demonstrating growing field-level uptake of sustainable farming practices across Peru.

Bioeconomy, Peacebuilding, and Conservation: Fundación Natura Colombia on Multiple Stages

Fundación Natura Colombia used the annual Green Race to spotlight the intersection of biodiversity, the bioeconomy, and sustainable community processes — with the decade-old Eco Fair serving as a platform for reflection on how sport, sustainability, and community engagement reinforce one another.

On the policy front, Fundación Natura Colombia invited stakeholders to the launch of the EnPAx Glossary of Environmental Peacebuilding in Spanish — a space to reflect on how Colombia and Latin America, with their ecological wealth and peacebuilding experience, can lead the way on environmental governance.

Fundación Natura Colombia also shared insights on biofertilizer research at the Encenillo Biological Reserve — demonstrating how the #EPM_FN Agreement is delivering sustainable solutions for native high-mountain plant conservation.

Indigenous Bioenterprises in the Amazon: Fundación Pachamama Champions Women-Led Livelihoods

Fundación Pachamama continued its Pacha Emprende initiative this week, supporting 15 women from the Daipare Esencias del Bosque bio-enterprise in Waorani territory — strengthening Amazonian businesses rooted in biodiversity and cultural heritage, in partnership with BID.

In a second update, Fundación Pachamama highlighted how Bolissa Bornativo is rescuing traditional Amazonian flavors through artisanal popsicles made with native fruits — a delicious example of how cultural identity and sustainable enterprise can go hand in hand.

Forest Certification and Ancestral Knowledge: Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association

Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association participated in the International Forum on Forest Certification, where attendees experienced a unique immersion in three iconic living territories — Tilouguite, Zaouiat Ahansal, and Aït M'hamed. Accompanied by community representatives, visitors discovered local forest species, traditional products, and the ancestral conservation practices that have sustained these landscapes for generations.

Ethical Sourcing and Traceability Innovation: Preferred by Nature Looks Ahead

Preferred by Nature announced that its Director of Sustainability Advisory for the US & Canada, Jennifer Mleczko, will speak at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit 2026 North America in New York, focusing on how biodiversity regulations are shaping ethical sourcing practices in the cosmetics sector.

Preferred by Nature also promoted the Traceability Tools Navigator — developed in partnership with WWF — a neutral platform providing clear, side-by-side comparisons of traceability tools to bring transparency to a fragmented market.

People, Planet, and the Power of Radical Collaboration

From CORAF's digital learning leap in West Africa and CottonConnect's regenerative cotton impact data, to CIFOR-ICRAF's restoration science and women's leadership work, Chipembere's school tree-planting in Malawi, RAAA Perú's circular kitchen gardens, Fundación Natura Colombia's environmental peacebuilding, Fundación Pachamama's Indigenous bioenterprises, Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association's forest certification engagement, and Preferred by Nature's traceability innovation — this week's updates show the extraordinary breadth and depth of SAN's Global Impact Network.

This is what radical collaboration looks like. Members spanning four continents are tackling the most pressing global challenges in agriculture, biodiversity, and climate resilience — not in isolation, but as part of a network built on shared purpose. Whether restoring ecosystems at a primary school in Malawi, training women leaders in the Congo Basin, or championing deforestation-free supply chains from New York to Côte d'Ivoire — every action moves us closer to food systems that truly work for people and planet.