AGROECOLOGY AND AGROBIODIVERSITY TRAINING COURSE (AATC)

AATC-2021

AATC is an intensive training course that exposes university students on Organic Agriculture which over the years has built a network of alumni from different Universities in four countries of focus – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Agroecology and Agrobiodiversity training course for undergraduates is a 3.5-week training course that exposes university students to the fundamentals of agroecology. It develops an in-depth understanding of the principles and practices of agroecology, and their applications, amongst students working with practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, among other actors in the Agriculture sector. The course borrows from and builds on the International Training Course on Organic Agriculture ITCOA, which has created a network of alumni from different Universities in 3 countries of focus – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Overall, partnerships have involved the University of Nairobi with four other Universities – Makerere University Kampala, Uganda Martyrs University, the Sokoine University of Agriculture, and Bahir Dar University. With the advent of COVID-19, centrally conducting the course with all partners has become a challenge. In 2020, it became necessary that each partner university conducts the course in their home country. This year, 2021, the ITCOA partners in Kenya (the University of Nairobi – Faculty of Agriculture, Manor House Agricultural Centre, NutriProduce, and the Intersectoral Forum on Agrobiodiversity and Agroecology (ISFAA) saw an opportunity for a joint engagement in the Agroecology and Agrobiodiversity Training Course AATC. Seventeen participants attended the training session to obtain knowledge and expertise in agroecology and agrobiodiversity – they were drawn from various departments. It seeks to strategically contribute to the value system of agrobiodiversity, agroecology, and organic agriculture in agricultural policy and practice in Kenya with direct inputs to injecting a mind shift in University students.