Potentials for Agroecological practices in east Africa with a focus on Circular water-energy-nutrient system (PrAEtiCe) is an EU funded research project implemented by a consortium of 16 organizations and will provide a novel agro-ecology indicator set for east Africa, aiming at helping smallholder farmers in their agro-ecological transition.

‍

We are thrilled to announce our participation in PrAEctiCe, a Horizon Europe project funded by the European Commission. PrAEctiCe has a noble vision to assist smallholder farmers in their transition towards agroecological practices in East Africa. The project recognizes the critical importance of agroecology which combines ecological and social principles to agriculture and food systems, and its role in addressing issues of climate change and improving the economic viability of smallholder farms.

‍

PrAEctiCe's Vision and Goals

The central objective of PrAEctiCe is to provide a new agroecology indicator set focused on circular water-energy-nutrient systems of integrated aquaculture-agriculture. This approach keeps the smallholder farmer’s needs at the forefront, integrating livestock, annual and perennial crops, and aquatic animals in diversified systems.

The project is designed to identify and quantify the impacts of agroecological practices in a local context. The most promising agroecological strategies for existing farms will be identified, providing evidence that integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems can serve as a sustainable solution to environmental and economic challenges faced by farmers in East Africa.

Achieving Our Goals

PrAEctiCe is committed to a hands-on, cooperative approach to achieving its goals. Here's how:

Co-Creation Activities

We believe in the power of collective wisdom. Stakeholders will provide input for research activities and validate the developed conclusions and results through workshops, site visits, and surveys.

Decision Support Tool

We will create a decision support tool that provides agroecological guidelines for farmers, utilizing collected data and practical approaches to challenging situations.

Living Labs

We will operate three 'Living Labs', combining community knowledge with scientific expertise in action-based projects. These living labs will serve as real-time validation sites for the Decision Support Tool.

Training

Building local knowledge is paramount. We will support farmers through 'Train-the-Trainers' courses and practical training on integrated aqua-agriculture, facilitating knowledge exchange across continents and disciplines.

Our Role in PrAEctiCe

As partners, we will focus on training, helping farmers transition to sustainable food and agriculture practices. Our approach follows methods developed by NGOs that promote sustainable development.

We will host 'Train-the-Trainers' courses that empower advisors to train local farmer representatives, who then transfer their knowledge and methods to their communities.

Furthermore, on-site training for integrated aqua-agriculture will be provided, offering practical solutions for developing agroecological practices. This training process will be facilitated through our Living Labs in East Africa.

Living Labs

Our Living Labs will combine local community knowledge with scientific expertise to produce actionable, real-time data. These labs will optimize the use of water, energy, and nutrients in three different integrated aqua-agriculture systems.

As part of this initiative, we are proud to create Living Lab 3 at our Farmer Training Centre in Vianzi, Mvomero, Morogoro. This lab will focus on fish-poultry integration systems, gathering information to validate the PrAEctiCe decision support tool. It will also explore vegetable production by utilizing aquaculture sludge and poultry manure to improve soil health, and wastewater from fish ponds for irrigation.

These Living Labs are not just for us - we welcome the general public and other stakeholders to visit the sites during our open-door day, where they can witness our operations firsthand and enjoy the food grown on our farms.

We're excited to be part of the PrAEctiCe project and contribute to the advancement of sustainable agriculture in Tanzania. Together, we can create a better, more sustainable future for our farmers and our planet.

‍

Partner of the project

The project is kindly supported by the European Union

‍