Battle For African Agriculture Podcast

THEY WANT TO CONTROL AFRICA’S FOOD — AFRICA IS FIGHTING BACK

Wanjira Mathai on carrying her mother's Legacy through Food, Climate justice & the Environment.

Can social movements transform agriculture? In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay sits down with renowned agroecologist Dr. Peter Rosset to explore how organized peasant movements in Cuba and across Latin America helped build one of the world's largest agroecology movements. Together, they examine why agroecology is more than a farming practice it is a science, a social movement, and a pathway to food sovereignty. Drawing on Cuba's remarkable transition during its food crisis, Peter shares powerful lessons on farmer-to-farmer learning, the limitations of industrial agriculture, and what Africa can learn from Latin America's experience in building resilient, people-centred food systems.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay sits down with Professor Miguel Altieri, one of the world's foremost pioneers of agroecology, to explore why biodiversity is the foundation of resilient farming and why the future of agriculture depends on working with nature not against it. Drawing on more than four decades of research and collaboration with farmers and social movements across Latin America and beyond, Professor Altieri explains how agroecology strengthens food systems through biodiversity, healthy soils, traditional knowledge, and ecological resilience. He also reflects on the origins of agroecology, challenges the Green Revolution model, and shares practical lessons from his own agroecological farm in Colombia. They examine some of the biggest questions facing global agriculture today: Can agroecology feed the world? Why are monocultures becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change? What role do seed sovereignty, food sovereignty, and farmer knowledge play in securing our future? This conversation offers valuable insights for farmers, policymakers, researchers, students, and anyone interested in building sustainable, just, and resilient food systems.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with renowned agricultural biodiversity scientist Dr. Awegechew Teshome, whose work across Africa, Asia, and Latin America reveals why seeds are the foundation of food security, biodiversity, and sovereignty. Drawing on more than three decades of research, he explains how farmers have been the original innovators, developing resilient crops through generations of knowledge, selection, and conservation. Together, they unpack the hidden battle over seed ownership, the impacts of the Green Revolution, the rise of seed patents and biotechnology, and why Africa's rich agricultural diversity is key to building resilient food systems. This conversation is a powerful call to protect farmers' knowledge, embrace biodiversity, and secure Africa's food future through agroecology and food sovereignty.

In this episode, Million Belay, together with Professor Stephen Gliessman explore why agroecology is far more than ecological farming it is a political, cultural, and social movement that challenges the structures shaping our food systems. For over five decades, Professor Stephen Gliessman has been at the forefront of agroecology, helping transform it into one of the world’s most influential approaches to sustainable food systems. Drawing on 50 years of research and collaboration with farmers, he reflects on the failures of industrial agriculture, the power of Indigenous and local knowledge, the importance of seed sovereignty and youth leadership, and why genuine transformation requires shifting power rather than simply improving farming techniques. They also unpack the famous Five Levels of Agroecology, showing how the biggest change happens when communities reclaim control over food, markets, knowledge, and governance. The conversation also highlights Africa’s unique contribution to global agroecology, examines the risks of corporate capture through concepts like “climate-smart agriculture,” and points to the growing evidence supporting agroecological systems. The conversation emphasizes why culture remains one of the most overlooked yet essential pillars of sustainable agriculture.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, host Dr. Million Belay sits down with Ugandan lawyer, policy advocate, and food systems activist Dr. David Kabanda to unpack one of the most overlooked dimensions of African agriculture: law and governance. From food sovereignty and corporate concentration to the East African Agroecology Bill and the urgent need for legal frameworks that protect farmers, biodiversity, and indigenous food systems, Dr. Kabanda argues that agriculture is far more than food production—it is about power, justice, and the future of Africa itself. Together, they explore why agroecology remains contested, how industrial agriculture shapes policy and narratives, the role of accountability in food governance, and why reclaiming African food systems is essential for health, sovereignty, and resilience. This conversation offers a compelling vision for an Africa where food systems are built on agroecology, farmers' rights, and democratic control.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture Million Belay sits down with Hon. Françoise Uwumukiza, Member of the East African Legislative Assembly and Deputy Secretary-General of the African Food Systems Parliamentary Network, for a candid conversation about the future of African food systems. From climate change and the struggles of smallholder farmers to agroecology, women's cross-border trade, corporate influence, ultra-processed foods, and the loss of indigenous food knowledge, Hon. Uwumukiza argues that Africa's greatest challenge is not a lack of policies, but the failure to implement them. She calls for stronger support for farmers, protection from hazardous chemicals, and a return to food systems rooted in African cultures, traditions, and food sovereignty.

Are we witnessing a new, silent colonization of Africa through its food and data? In this eye-opening episode of the Battle for African Agriculture Podcast, host Million Belay sits down with Hon. Gideon Gatpan, Chairperson for the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism, and Natural Resources at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). Together, they pull back the curtain on the hidden corporate battles taking over African soil. From foreign-backed "Green Revolutions" pushing banned chemical fertilizers to the dangerous rise of GMOs and corporate seed monopolies, Gatpan delivers a chilling warning: If Africans do not own their seed systems, they face a terrifying vulnerability. But the threat isn't just in the soil it's in the sky. Gatpan exposes how global tech giants like Elon Musk's Starlink are quietly mapping and extracting rural data, stripping African nations of digital sovereignty. "Power is in the data. Money is in the data," he warns. Watch until the end to understand how local farmers, civil societies like AFSA, and regional policymakers are fighting head-on back to reclaim African Food Sovereignty before it's too late. 🌾 Support the movement for African Food Sovereignty. Drop your thoughts in the comments below: Is technology helping African farmers, or exploiting them? #AfricanAgriculture #FoodSovereignty #DataGovernance #AFSA #Agroecology #EastAfrica #Starlink #CorporateColonization 00:00 - The Battle for African Agriculture 01:31 - Laws vs. Corporate Power: Why Policy Matters 02:45 - From Humanitarian to Politician: Gideon Gatpan’s Journey 04:36 - The Warning: Is This A "Third Colonization"? 05:52 - Small Farmers vs. Massive Corporations 08:33 - How Laws Are Actually Made in East Africa 10:14 - The Truth About Unimplemented Policies 12:16 - Border Controls & The Realities of Regional Trade 14:26 - The Push for Agroecology & The Seed Bill 2025 17:15 - Are Western Corporations Funding African Laws? 20:54 - Top-Down Danger: Do Farmers Actually Have A Voice? 24:23 - The Dark Side of the "Green Revolution" 28:02 - The GMO Struggle & The Court Battles 30:08 - Bio-Digitalization:The Next Threat to Farming 33:23 - Starlink & The Mass Extraction of African Data 37:00 - Reclaiming Power: A Vision for African Food Sovereignty

In this episode of The 3-Part Conversation on The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast with, Pat Mooney, we explore the deepening crisis in the global food system and the opportunities embedded within it, unpacking how corporate control of seeds and food systems continues to reshape agriculture, while also examining the future of agroecology, multilateral institutions, and Global South solidarity. The discussion reveals why food is ultimately about power and justice, and why agroecology must be understood not only as a science but also as a movement, with African actors holding more influence than is often recognized. It further reflects on corporate power and fragile global supply chains, the evolving role of UN food agencies, the importance of territorial food systems, and the need to connect food struggles with broader movements around climate, labor, health, and biodiversity, alongside the strategic role of African governments and civil society

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay sits down once again with Pat Mooney, founder of the ETC Group and long-time mentor in global struggles for food sovereignty. They unpack the hidden dangers of gene editing, synthetic biology, and AI in agriculture technologies promoted as “solutions” but often deepening dependency and corporate control. Pat reflects on Africa’s biodiversity, the scramble for seeds, and the role of Big Tech in reshaping farming. He also shares a powerful story of resistance: how global civil society defeated “Terminator seeds.” This conversation is a call to vigilance and collective action to defend African agency in food systems.

In this opening episode of a 3-part series, Million Belay sits down with legendary activist, ETC Group co-founder Pat Mooney to uncover the hidden history of corporate control over agriculture. From the 1960s to today, Pat traces how seeds once shared by farmers across the world became privatized, patented, and concentrated in the hands of a few powerful corporations. He reveals how the Global South supplied the genetic foundation of global agriculture, only to lose control over it through systems of intellectual property, policy shifts, and what he famously called “biopiracy.” This conversation breaks down the key turning points that reshaped food systems from global policy battles to the rise of seed monopolies and asks a critical question: who really controls our food? This is Part 1 of a 3-part series. In the next episodes, we go deeper into biotechnology, digital agriculture, and the future of corporate power.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay sits down with food systems scholar and activist Professor Molly Anderson to unpack the hidden power structures shaping global agriculture. She draws out linkages from colonial legacies and corporate influence to donor-driven agendas and the politics of food sovereignty. Molly also exposes how dominant narratives continue to shape who controls food, land, and agricultural policy across Africa and beyond. They also explore why the Green Revolution model continues to dominate despite mounting evidence of its failures, how institutions like the World Bank and IMF influence agricultural policy through debt and structural adjustment, and why agroecology is a political struggle for justice, dignity, and power.

In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay talks with Christopher Wali Magala, the Team Leader at Alwana Natural Farms, a veteran farmer and former government Agricultural Extension officer, about his shift from conventional farming to agroecology. He shares how biodiversity, intercropping, and local knowledge transformed his farm in Mukono, restoring soil and ensuring food security. He also boldly challenges the dominant narratives around GMOs and monoculture.

In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with Jennifer Clapp, Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability and Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems. She explains how a handful of corporations came to dominate seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and farm machinery, locking farmers into industrial systems built on monocultures. The conversation examines the technological and policy “lock-ins” shaping farming choices, the financialization of food and its impact on price volatility, and trade rules that disadvantage African farmers. Clapp argues that confronting corporate concentration is key to advancing food sovereignty and creating space for agroecology and territorial markets.

In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with researcher and global policy expert Lim Li Ching about the rapid rise of digital agriculture. Drawing from the IPES-Food report “Head in the Cloud,” they explore how alliances between Big Tech and agribusiness are reshaping farming through data platforms, AI, and cloud computing. They examine data extractivism, farmer autonomy, seed sovereignty, and the political nature of innovation.

In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with ETC Group researcher Jim Thomas about the powerful shift from GMOs to digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and biodigital technologies. As corporations move from selling inputs to harvesting data, African farmers risk being locked into new systems of dependency disguised as innovation.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with tech critic and journalist Edward Ongweso Jr. about biodigitalisation, data extraction, and corporate power in food systems. They unpack how “smart agriculture” can lock farmers into platforms, shift control to corporations, and threaten food sovereignty unless Africa charts its own path.

In this episode of the Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with Tunisian executive chef and writer Wafik Belaid on food, culture, and sovereignty in North Africa. They explore how the Sahara, spice traditions, and deep regional influences of the Ottoman, Andalusian, Berber, Jewish, and Roman shape Tunisian food. He challenges colonial narratives, urging schools, youth, chefs, and governments to centre local cuisine, support farmers, and preserve authenticity for generations.

In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture podcast, Million Belay speaks with renowned Kenyan chef Njathi Kabui about African food as culture, resistance, and power. Drawing from his upbringing on a subsistence farm near Mount Kenya and his work across Africa and activism in the United States, Chef Kabui explains how African cuisine shapes identity, health, and sovereignty. He challenges ultra-processed and “programmed” foods, explores food justice and statecraft, and argues that reclaiming African food systems is essential for Africa’s future.