Three new members join the SAN family

New regions, new crops, new opportunities! At the Sustainable Agriculture Network, we aim to invite new members to join with a clear outlook on how they supplement our existing expertise, presence and reach to enhance our collective capacity. That is how we can work in ever more landscapes and rise to the challenge that we have set for ourselves: transforming agriculture for people and nature.

We are thrilled to welcome three new members who join from Argentina and Egypt, sharing their commitment to sustainability with a local footprint and a global outlook.

Founded in 1989, Asociación Argentina de Productores en Siembra Directa (Aapresid) is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture through its membership of nearly 1800 producers. The organization connects producers with companies, public institutions, universities, and scientists to foster collaborative innovation, knowledge dissemination, and the implementation of no-till farming and regenerative practices.

Agronomic field trip. Photo by Aapresid.

In welcoming Aapresid, SAN gains a valuable representative in the Southern Cone, and a solid structure already impacting 11 million hectares. While they operate primarily in Argentina, the organization has also developed initiatives in countries like Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Ghana, Guinea and South Africa, showing a global outlook that fits well into the SAN ethos.

SEKEM is an Egyptian social enterprise that produces, processes, and markets organic and biodynamic foods, textiles, and natural pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1977 with an approach that promoted biodynamic agricultural methods to revitalize arid land, it became the foundation for a business that sells internationally and works locally in 800 farms (mostly in Egypt, but also in Sudan and Uganda). Their work is holistic, combining ecology, economy, society and culture in an outlook that is already present in multistakeholder partnerships, and includes also a non-profit wing under the larger SEKEM Initiative.

Mahmoud Farouk, one of SEKEM's contracted farmers on his field in Fayoum. Photo: SEKEM.

Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is a non-profit academic and research institution based in El-Salam City, in the Greater Cairo metropolitan area (Egypt). It grew from the SEKEM Initiative, and though formally an independent entity, the original principles remain at its core. It is considered a pioneer institution in the Middle East and North Africa for higher education dedicated to sustainable development, and has a dedicated Faculty of Organic Agriculture, with expertise in areas like agroecology, sustainable farming practices to enhance yield and soil health, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, food security, and biotechnology.

The presence of a university will help SAN strengthen connection between research and practice, as well as engage with international academic and development partnerships. Together, both Egyptian members provide a link to a new community and open possibilities for the establishment of other projects in North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and the Middle East.

Activities of a workshop on organic plant breeding, hosted by Heliopolis University in February, 2026. Photo: Heliopolis University.

We are now 41 members. Our goal is to be the foremost global impact network making agriculture regenerative, resilient and equitable, and we are proud to have you join us in this journey.

Welcome!

Do you want to become a member? Click this link to fill out the interest form.