AIBIS BENEFITS FROM AUSTRALIAN AWARDS FELLOWSHIP ON AGROECOLOGY
By Mellon Akankunda
The African Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (AIBIS) in the last quarter of 2023 benefited from Australian Awards Fellowship under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The followship covered participants Uganda, India, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands and Australia drawn from Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and academic institutions.
AIBIS was represented by its Executive Director Allan Kalangi at the fellowship hosted by Monash University from 30th November to 17th December 2023. The course was aimed at building the capacity of fellows in climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable food systems.
The other Ugandan representatives at the fellowship were Precious Naturinda of NAPE’s Community Green Radio and David Ssemwogerere from Suubi Centre in Masaka.
DFAT fellows at Monash University, Australia on their first day of the fellowship
Associate Professor, Jagjit Plahe from Monash University and Professor Kristen Lyons from University of Queensland in Australia led the fellows through workshops both on-line and face-to-face aimed at knowledge sharing and onsite visits to gain practical agro-ecology farming skills in Victoria and Queensland regions. The fellowship was titled, ‘Building Climate –Resilient Agri-food futures: Reducing Emissions and Improving Food Security through Agro-ecology.
The Ugandan team explaining the challenges faceing Uganda’s food systems and possible solutions during a workshop at University of Queensland. Left is Allan Kalangi of AIBIS
Some of the sites visited included Centre for Education and Research for Environmental strategies (CERES); an environmental park to learn innovative practices in sustainable chemical-free organic food systems, regenerative farms in, community bush food gardens used for food and medicine in Minak reserve, permaculture villages with sustainable agricultural and land management systems, markets with local chemical free produce among others.
Field visit at CERES in Melbourne
Allan Kalangi said the fellowship was very welcome and timely and was fitting well in AIBIS Programme areas like Food Sovereignty, Campaign Against Agrochemicals and revival and protection of indigenous herbal medicine.
“What we learnt in that course in Australia will greatly help us to plan our campaigns better and it boosts our energies knowing that out there, there other people also passionate about agroecology and permaculture just like us,” Kalangi told the AIBIS team upon arrival in Uganda.
Kalangi explains his vision of a Uganda with sustainable farming practices.
