By: Sibandze Sikhona
MANZINI – Eswatini will host its first National Sustainable Agriculture Indaba on 23–24 September 2025 at the Mavuso Trade Centre in Manzini. The gathering comes at a time when the country’s agriculture sector faces mounting pressure from climate change, land degradation, and market constraints.
The Indaba, convened by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Eswatini and partners, will bring together over 300 participants, including farmers, policymakers, researchers, and civil society groups, with representation from at least 15 African countries
Why it Matters
Agriculture remains central to Eswatini’s economy and livelihoods, employing nearly 70% of the rural population and contributing around 7% to the national GDP. Yet, its performance has declined in recent years, with the sector’s share of GDP dropping from 12.3% in 2000 to 8.1% in 2023. Poverty levels remain high at nearly 59%, highlighting the urgency of reforms
Climate change has intensified droughts, floods, and unpredictable weather, threatening food production. Over-reliance on monocultures, biodiversity loss, and poor infrastructure continue to limit opportunities for farmers to benefit from agricultural value chains.
Indaba Focus
Themed “Agroecology for Sustainable Food Systems and Climate Justice”, the Indaba will explore solutions through five thematic areas:
- Agroecology for climate action and justice
- Farmer-managed seed systems for food sovereignty
- Youth, women, and indigenous communities in agroecology
- Policy and financing for agroecology
- Territorial markets for agroecological produce
