Samuel Mbewe
The report by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) highlighted Zambia as a prime example of the disastrous outcomes of Green Revolution initiatives. Zambia’s food system is on the brink of collapse 6 million households are at risk of hunger after Zambia’s maize production fell by 50% following a devastating drought.
The report cites synthetic fertiliser use and monocultures as the main drivers of soil acidification, soil infertility and biodiversity loss, which increase vulnerability to climate shocks and pest attacks. This reflects the disturbing pattern across the continent where up to 80% of Africa’s cultivated land is already degraded, which will only worsen with Farm Input Subsidy Programmes (FISPs).
Mary Sakala, a Zambian farmer and chairperson of the Rural Women’s Assembly, shared her firsthand experience with the devastating impacts of these policies. “We used to grow diverse crops. But now governments and agribusiness have pushed farmers into monoculture that depends on inputs. Their programmes have made us all vulnerable.”
Instead of changing course, the Zambian government is following the lead of the Gates-funded AGRA by expanding its commitment to large-scale chemical-intensive farming, including possibly adopting UPOV standards (Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) which will further deteriorate farmer sovereignty.
In addition to these findings, African faith leaders publicized their letter to the Gates foundation, demanding reparations for the extensive damage caused by AGRA’s aggressive push for industrialized agriculture.
“AGRA and the Gates Foundation, as well as seed and agrochemical companies – they are false prophets of food security. They claim to be messiahs for the hungry but have failed to deliver. Their industrial approach degrades soils, destroys biodiversity, and places corporate profits over people. It is immoral. Gates and big agribusiness are playing God,” said Bishop Takalani Isaac Mufamadi, who endorsed the letter by the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI).
At the continental level, AGRA’s involvement extends to the Post-Malabo process, a key policy initiative led by the African Union (AU), aiming to shape Africa’s next decade of agriculture. This included funding critical meetings, such as the gathering in Lusaka, back in July.
“Throughout the meeting in Lusaka, the sway of these Western entities in driving the process was palpable, overshadowing the voices of African farmers, civil society, and grassroots organisations,” wrote Million Belay, General Coordinator for the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa in a recent article in African Arguments.
The letter calls on the Gates Foundation and other funders to immediately cease funding AGRA, and to provide reparations by resourcing agroecology initiatives and community-led efforts, namely: scaling up the organic input supply chain, participatory farmer-led research, and community seed banking.
Faith leaders concluded the letter: “It’s time for international funders to transition towards agroecology through respecting and supporting locally defined holistic approaches in Africa, by Africa.”
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa calls for urgent resistance against the corporate-driven agricultural model prioritising profit over people and the planet.
AFSA urges all stakeholders to ensure that policy decisions reflect Africa’s farmers’ needs, not the interests of multinational corporations.
The future of African agriculture must be guided by those who cultivate the land. Now is the time to act—our future depends on it.