Eswatini hosts TGM and Agroecology Symposium

… Event graced by the Hon. Minister of Agriculture

In the central part of Eswatini, at Esibayeni Lodge a two-day event was hosted by PELUM Association Regional Secretariat (R.S) in partnership with PELUM Eswatini. The Regional Secretariat arrived in the Kingdom of Eswatini for the Triennial General Meeting (TGM) and Agroecology Symposium from Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. On the 16th of September selected small-scale farmers from the different communities came to exhibit their fresh organic vegetables, preserves, and handmade products. The Agroecology Symposium was graced by the Hon. Minister of Agriculture Jabulani Mabuza was delivered his speech about that local legislators find the concept interesting and they would work towards having more policies that would support this initiative.

Fig1.1: Indigenous Chickens and Seeds, Fresh Organic Vegetables and Hand made products displayed by ACAT

Eight of our member organizations, namely COSPE, Green Living Movement (GLM), Tenvelo, ACAT, ERWA, Swaziland Homeopathy Project (SHP), and Du Green all came to exhibit their organic produce and hand-made products. Other Country chapters joined the proceedings via zoom due to the pandemic they couldn’t travel to Eswatini for the proceedings but thanks to technology they were able to participate via zoom. The exhibited products such as (Tilulu) indigenous Chickens, Indigenous Seeds, and trees. The honorable guest the Minister of Agriculture among the activities visited the different stalls and had one on one sessions with the farmers.

Fig1.2: The Hon. Minister of Agriculture visiting one of the stalls displayed by ERWA

 PELUM Eswatini displayed the different manuals that we have generated in partnership with different organizations including COSPE, and SNPAS to name a few, which are Indigenous tree planting manuals, introduction to Biosafety and GMO’s, Farmer Managed Seed Systems (FMSS), and The Basic Principles of Agroecology, Posters, and fresh organic vegetables from the printing materials, manure from Du green, and fresh organic vegetables from the PELUM Eswatini backyard garden.