Gene Editing, AI & Synthetic Biology: Corporate Capture of African Agriculture

Can Agroecology Feed the World? Professor Miguel Altieri on the Future of 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.

Everything Starts with Seeds: The Truth About Africa's Agricultural Biodiversity | Dr. Awegechew Teshome

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.

Can Agroecology Transform Global Food Systems? Professor Stephen Gliessman Explains the Five Levels

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.

The Missing Link in African Agriculture: Law, Accountability and Governance| Dr. David Kabanda

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.

Can Parliament Save Africa's Food Systems? | Hon. Françoise Uwumukiza

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.