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AFSA AFRICA AGROECOLOGY AWARD GUIDELINESFor the first time, The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) is launching the AFSA Africa Agroecology Award. The fight for fundamental food systems reform and a swift transition to a more equitable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly system has never been more critical. This year will be crucial in determining the future of industrial food systems and their adverse impact on our food, health, and the environment.AFSA has long championed agroecology as a solution for a just, resilient, healthy, and sustainable food system that can feed the globe while also healing the planet. Our members in 50 African countries, working with 200 million small-scale food producers, have been at the forefront of the African Agroecology movement by demonstrating that it works. The grassroots movement and their scientific and tangible experience dispel the greatest myth perpetuated by the industrial food chain: that smallholder food producers and agroecology cannot feed the world. As a result, showcasing agroecology and promoting its beneficial influence on the lives of millions of Africans and rural people is the best approach to contradict their colonial narrative. That is the primary motivation for AFSA to host the first AFSA Africa Agroecology Award.The Award will honour great African individuals, organizations, and governments who inspire, guide, and develop an African narrative on the urgent need for food systems transformation and the transition to agroecology. The Award also aims to serve as a Pan-African resource centre for gathering, recording and disseminating excellence in agroecological practices and improving how we promote and champion agroecology in Africa.As a result, the AFSA Africa Agroecology Award will be given annually to individuals, groups, or organizations whose actions have had a significant impact on scaling up agroecological practices in Africa and advancing food sovereignty by influencing laws, policies, businesses, institutions, the media, and community practices.AWARD CATEGORIESBest Local Government in Agroecology This category seeks to acknowledge and honour excellence in local government leadership in crafting and enforcing initiatives that promote agroecology as a science, practice, and movement for a resilient and just future. This category will identify, recognize, and amplify the best initiatives that reflect the urgent need to defend agroecology in Africa and drives the call for supporting, resourcing, training and scaling up agroecology. The goal is to encourage government-led approaches that are positive, clear and accessible across many contexts and build a solid and proactive narrative that frames agroecology as a remedy to solve Africa's food, climate, and biodiversity crises. Organizations are invited to nominate a local government initiative for this award and submit an application form on their behalf.The winner will receive AFSA's honorary recognition certificate.Best Youth Agroecology Project Award While youth make up a majority of Africa's population, youth unemployment is high in many African countries. Connecting youth to agroecological development paradigms and practices can create additional opportunities to anchor their future careers and livelihoods. Hence, this particular category seeks to identify, recognize and celebrate the best Youth-led agroecological projects that effectively harnessed the deep connections between our food systems, climate future, and thriving livelihoods and local economies. This Award will champion excellence in youth leadership in community-supported projects in farming, fishing, pastoralism, and defending local ecosystems and wildlife. The winner will receive $5,000 USD, the second-place will receive $2,500 USD, and the third-place will receive $1,000 USD.Best Women-led Agroecology Project Award The movement for agroecology is essentially centred on building the power and defending the dignity of rural women. With Agroecology, female food producers are advancing gender equality in Africa by harnessing their power to make the best economic decisions to sustainably steward their lands, profitably produce and market diverse and nutritious foods, and support and feed their families. This category recognizes outstanding women leaders who have fostered impactful agroecological projects by enhancing the effectiveness of local communities and initiating creative and successful programs. The Award aims to champion women heroes who have been leading the transition to agroecology by sharing their knowledge through farmer-to-farmer networks, driving scientific innovation to meet the challenges of climate change, and advocating for agroecology in national and regional platforms. The winner will receive $5,000 USD, the second-place will receive $2,500 USD, and the third-place will receive $1,000 USD.Best Agroecology Entrepreneurship Award The surest way to scale up agroecology practices is to effectively link them with territorial, national and regional markets and spotlight a sustainable and formidable business. This category seeks to recognize and celebrate the best leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills by identifying the best agroecology-based business that creates markets, adds value and uplifts the quality of life in diverse ways. This category focuses on individual or community-based agroecological entrepreneurs and startups. The primary aim is to promote their work and inspire the next generation of agroecological food producers and entrepreneurs in Africa.The winner will be awarded $5,000 USD.Best Civil Society Organization for Agroecology CSOs in Africa have been at the forefront of mobilizing smallholder food producers and consumers to revive, shape, and manage their food systems to grow healthy and nutritious food for their communities, and develop resilient economies while preserving their diverse local ecosystems. This category recognizes this effort and encourages civil society actors to join, engage and learn from the innovative and research-based advocacy and activism work on agroecology and sustainable land use. Hence, this Award will recognize impactful institutional leadership on agroecology activism and policy advocacy work that builds knowledge and skillfully defend the rights and dignity of small-scale farmers, fisherfolk, rural women, and pastoralist communities in Africa.The winner will receive $5,000 USD, the second-best will receive $2,500 USD, and the third-best will receive $1,000 USD.Best Academic/Agricultural research institutes for agroecology. When discussing agroecology, we must recognize its traditional roots while also elevating the science and innovation involved. This category celebrates how agroecology blends and unites generations of cultural knowledge with appropriate, farmer-driven innovation. Recognizing that agroecology applies scientific thinking and innovation alongside indigenous knowledge is critical to centre food producers as drivers in the science of agroecology. Hence, the primary focus of this category is amplifying the scientific side of agroecology and celebrating the best institute that works in harmony with smallholder farmers and their profound knowledge about their land, environment and genetic resources. This Award aims to identify and recognize the best contribution in advancing agroecology in Africa from agricultural research institutes or academic institutions. The winner will be awarded $5,000 USD.GENERAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIAApplications are ONLY accepted from individuals and organizations in Africa who are AFSA members?OR?members of a network or organization within the AFSA anizations and individuals who apply must be advocates or practitioners of AgroecologyOrganizations and individuals can apply to only one category.Prizes will be awarded for ongoing work or work concluded within the last 3 years.No organization / individual will receive a prize two years in a row If successful, prize-winners agree to:Participate in the awards ceremonyPrepare information on the winning project for the awards ceremony.WEIGHTING OF JUDGING CRITERIA for AWARDS 1-6Application question Weighting %Q1: About project10%Q2: Agroecology10%Q3.1: Principles of agroecology 10%Q3.2: Organization activities10%Q3.3: Outcomes of activities10%Q3.4: Evidence10%Q4: Beneficiaries10%Q5: Networks10%Q6: Learning10%Q7: Prize aim10%Total100% ................
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