Battle For African Agriculture Podcast
Battle For African Agriculture Podcast, hosted by Million Belay, explores the challenges and opportunities in African agriculture. The podcast aims to highlight the struggles and innovations of farmers and agricultural stakeholders across the continent. It provides a platform for discussing food sovereignty, sustainable farming, and the future of African food systems.
Episodes
Everything Starts with Seeds: The Truth About Africa's Agricultural Biodiversity | Dr. Awegechew Teshome
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with renowned agricultural biodiversity scientist Dr. Awegechew Teshome, whose work across Africa, Asia, and Latin America reveals why seeds are the foundation of food security, biodiversity, and sovereignty. Drawing on more than three decades of research, he explains how farmers have been the original innovators, developi
Can Agroecology Transform Global Food Systems? Professor Stephen Gliessman Explains the Five Levels
In this episode, Million Belay, together with Professor Stephen Gliessman explore why agroecology is far more than ecological farming it is a political, cultural, and social movement that challenges the structures shaping our food systems. For over five decades, Professor Stephen Gliessman has been at the forefront of agroecology, helping transform it into one of the world’s most influential appr
The Missing Link in African Agriculture: Law, Accountability and Governance| Dr. David Kabanda
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, host Dr. Million Belay sits down with Ugandan lawyer, policy advocate, and food systems activist Dr. David Kabanda to unpack one of the most overlooked dimensions of African agriculture: law and governance.From food sovereignty and corporate concentration to the East African Agroecology Bill and the urgent need for legal frameworks that protec
Can Parliament Save Africa's Food Systems? | Hon. Françoise Uwumukiza
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture Million Belay sits down with Hon. Françoise Uwumukiza, Member of the East African Legislative Assembly and Deputy Secretary-General of the African Food Systems Parliamentary Network, for a candid conversation about the future of African food systems. From climate change and the struggles of smallholder farmers to agroecology, women's cross-bord
Reclaiming Africa’s Food Future: Agroecology, Power & Resistance | Pat Mooney
In this episode of The 3-Part Conversation on The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast with, Pat Mooney, we explore the deepening crisis in the global food system and the opportunities embedded within it, unpacking how corporate control of seeds and food systems continues to reshape agriculture, while also examining the future of agroecology, multilateral institutions, and Global South solidarit
Gene Editing, AI & Synthetic Biology: Corporate Capture of African Agriculture
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay sits down once again with Pat Mooney, founder of the ETC Group and long-time mentor in global struggles for food sovereignty. They unpack the hidden dangers of gene editing, synthetic biology, and AI in agriculture technologies promoted as “solutions” but often deepening dependency and corporate control. Pat reflects on Africa’s
How the world lost control of seeds with Pat Mooney.
In this opening episode of a 3-part series, Million Belay sits down with legendary activist, ETC Group co-founder Pat Mooney to uncover the hidden history of corporate control over agriculture. From the 1960s to today, Pat traces how seeds once shared by farmers across the world became privatized, patented, and concentrated in the hands of a few powerful corporations. He reveals how the Global Sou
The battle of narratives and how it shapes African food systems today | Professor Molly Anderson
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay sits down with food systems scholar and activist Professor Molly Anderson to unpack the hidden power structures shaping global agriculture. She draws out linkages from colonial legacies and corporate influence to donor-driven agendas and the politics of food sovereignty. Molly also exposes how dominant narratives continue to shap
A farmer's answer to whether Africa can feed itself without high-input conventional agriculture.
In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay talks with Christopher Wali Magala, the Team Leader at Alwana Natural Farms, a veteran farmer and former government Agricultural Extension officer, about his shift from conventional farming to agroecology. He shares how biodiversity, intercropping, and local knowledge transformed his farm in Mukono, restoring soil and ensuring food s
How Corporations Captured Global Agriculture | Jennifer Clapp
In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with Jennifer Clapp, Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability and Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems. She explains how a handful of corporations came to
How big tech and big Ag are colliding to rob African farmers in the name of innovation.
In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with researcher and global policy expert Lim Li Ching about the rapid rise of digital agriculture. Drawing from the IPES-Food report “Head in the Cloud,” they explore how alliances between Big Tech and agribusiness are reshaping farming through data platforms, AI, and cloud computing. They examine data extractivism, farmer aut
Digital Colonialism: Is AI the New Frontier of the Battle for African Agriculture?
In this episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with ETC Group researcher Jim Thomas about the powerful shift from GMOs to digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and biodigital technologies. As corporations move from selling inputs to harvesting data, African farmers risk being locked into new systems of dependency disguised as innovation.
The Digital Battle for Africa’s Farms: Resistance vs Big Tech
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with tech critic and journalist Edward Ongweso Jr. about biodigitalisation, data extraction, and corporate power in food systems. They unpack how “smart agriculture” can lock farmers into platforms, shift control to corporations, and threaten food sovereignty unless Africa charts its own path.
Why Africa’s Future Depends on Its Traditional Food | Tunisian Chef Wafik Belaid
In this episode of the Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with Tunisian executive chef and writer Wafik Belaid on food, culture, and sovereignty in North Africa. They explore how the Sahara, spice traditions, and deep regional influences of the Ottoman, Andalusian, Berber, Jewish, and Roman shape Tunisian food. He challenges colonial narratives, urging schools, youth, chefs, and
Why Losing African Food Means Losing Africa | Chef Njathi Kabui
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture podcast, Million Belay speaks with renowned Kenyan chef Njathi Kabui about African food as culture, resistance, and power. Drawing from his upbringing on a subsistence farm near Mount Kenya and his work across Africa and activism in the United States, Chef Kabui explains how African cuisine shapes identity, health, and sovereignty. He challeng
Decolonizing the African Plate with Chef SKA Mirriam Moteane
In this episode of The Battle for African Culture, host Million Belay sits down with Chef Sekamotho Mirriam Moteane from Lesotho to explore food as memory, identity, and resistance. From childhood lessons in her mother’s kitchen to documenting disappearing Basotho recipes, Mariam reflects on sorghum, traditional grains, and the cultural knowledge passed down through elders, women, and community ri
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 16 Timothy A. Wise
In this episode of the podcast, Million Belay speaks with global food policy expert Timothy A Wise to unpack the failures of the Green Revolution, AGRA’s unfulfilled promises, and Mexico’s powerful stand against GMOs. Drawing on decades of research and his book Eating Tomorrow, Tim reveals how corporate and donor influence continue to shape African agriculture while small-scale farmers offer prov
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 15 Stacy Malkan
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with Stacy Malkan a journalist, public health advocate, and co-founder of U.S. Right to Know to uncover how agrochemical corporations have shaped global food systems through propaganda, scientific manipulation, and political influence. Drawing from years of investigative work, Stacy reveals the hidden tactics behind GMO pr
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 14 Micheal Antoniou
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay speaks with Professor Michael Antoniou, a molecular geneticist whose decades of work in medical biotechnology give him a rare insider view on the limits and dangers of applying genetic engineering to agriculture. Although he uses gene technologies in tightly controlled clinical settings, he explains why releasing genetically
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 13 Mariam Mayet
In this episode, Million Belay speaks with Mariam Mayet, founder of the African Centre for Biodiversity, about Africa’s decades-long resistance to GMOs and corporate control of food systems. They trace the history of anti-GMO activism, the rise of philanthrocapitalism, and the failures of industrial agriculture across the continent. Mariam shares powerful insights on protecting Africa’s seed sover
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 12 Anne Maina
In this episode of the Battle for African Agriculture podcast, Million Belay speaks with Anne Maina, the National Coordinator of the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA Kenya). Anne shares her journey into advocacy and the work BIBA does to promote biosafety and food sovereignty. She explains how the organization pushes back against the influence of GMOs in Kenya, which are often
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 11 Michael Hansen
In this sharp and thought-provoking episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay is joined by Dr. Michael Hansen—Senior Scientist at Consumer Reports and globally respected authority on genetic engineering and food safety. Drawing on over two decades of work in policy advocacy and international regulation, Dr. Hansen breaks down the science and politics behind genetic modification,
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 10 Micheal Tettey
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with theologian and activist Michael Tettey about how colonialism disrupted African spirituality, identity, and food systems. Tettey reflects on the deep ties between indigenous beliefs and traditional food practices, and how missionary churches altered these connections—labeling sacred foods as taboo and weakening communa
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 9 Raj Patel
In this hard-hitting episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay speaks with renowned activist and economist Raj Patel to unpack the deep-rooted structural forces that drive Africa’s dependency on food imports. From the legacy of colonial trade routes to the enduring grip of institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and WTO, Raj lays bare how global trade rules have been rigged to be
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 8 Nnimmo Bassey
Nnimmo Bassey is one of Africa’s most respected environmental defenders and a leading voice for ecological justice and food sovereignty. An architect, poet, and lifelong activist, he co-founded Environmental Rights Action in Nigeria, led Friends of the Earth International, and now directs the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). His fearless resistance to oil multinationals and his defense o
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 7 William G Mosley (Part 2)
In this second part of Battle for African Agriculture with Professor William G. Moseley, Dr. Million Belay continues a powerful exchange that began in their first conversation. Building on the themes introduced in Part One, Moseley dives deeper into the colonial legacies shaping African food systems and the urgent need to reclaim indigenous agronomy and agroecology. Together, they push the discuss
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 7 William G Mosley
In this thought-provoking episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay sits down with Professor William G. Moseley—geographer, author, and outspoken critic of colonial agricultural models—to unpack the urgent need to decolonize African food systems. Drawing from his landmark book Decolonizing African Agriculture, Moseley explains how the failures of food security efforts across Afr
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 6 Peter Gubbles
In this enlightening episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay is joined by Peter Gubbels, a veteran champion of agroecology and food sovereignty in West Africa. Drawing on decades of work across the Sahel with Groundswell International, Peter unpacks how colonial histories continue to shape the region’s agricultural policies, land use, and governance. From distorted food system
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 5 Mamadou Goita
In this deeply illuminating episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay speaks with Mamadou Goita—renowned economist and activist from Mali—about the enduring colonial roots of Africa’s food and farming crises. Together, they explore how colonial policies violently displaced communities from fertile lands, dismantled indigenous farming systems, and entrenched monoculture cash crop
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 4 with Mohamed Coulibaly
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay is joined by Professor Mohamed Coulibaly to unpack the political and legal complexities of seed sovereignty in Africa. With a background in banking and environmental law, Professor Coulibaly brings a deep understanding of how global frameworks particularly UPOV 1991—undermine traditional seed systems by prioritizing breeders’ rig
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 3 with Francòis Meienberg
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Million Belay speaks with seed law expert François Meinberg to unpack the complex issues surrounding Plant Variety Protection (PVP) laws and their impact on African farmers. The conversation explores how international frameworks like UPOV 1991 and the TRIPS Agreement often prioritize corporate interests, undermining farmers' rights to save, ex
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 2 with Dr. Carlos Marìa Correa
In this powerful episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay speaks with Dr. Carlos M. Correa—renowned legal scholar and Executive Director of the South Centre—about one of the most high-stakes battlegrounds in African agriculture: seed laws. Dr. Correa exposes how international agreements like UPOV 1991 were crafted without farmers and now threaten seed sovereignty across the Glo
The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast || Episode 1 with Dr. Titilayo Adebola
In this incisive episode of Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay is joined by Dr. Titilayo Adebola, a leading legal scholar whose work sits at the intersection of intellectual property, seed governance, and decolonization. Together, they unpack the deeply colonial roots of Africa’s current seed laws and the growing pressure on African governments to adopt UPOV 1991-style regimes—laws
The Governance Crisis Behind Africa’s Food System | Gideon Gatpan
Are we witnessing a new, silent colonization of Africa through its food and data? In this eye-opening episode of the Battle for African Agriculture Podcast, host Million Belay sits down with Hon. Gideon Gatpan, Chairperson for the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism, and Natural Resources at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). Together, they pull back the curtain on the hidden corporat
Introduction to the Battle for African Agriculture.
AFSA’s General Coordinator, Dr. Million Belay, invites audiences into The Battle for African Agriculture—a new podcast he hosts that goes beyond headlines to examine the deep, enduring forces shaping Africa’s food systems. The series will explore how colonial and neo-colonial legacies continue to influence what Africans grow, eat, and trade, often undermining food sovereignty, eroding biodiversity
Can Agroecology Feed the World? Professor Miguel Altieri on the Future of Food Systems
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture, Dr. Million Belay sits down with Professor Miguel Altieri, one of the world's foremost pioneers of agroecology, to explore why biodiversity is the foundation of resilient farming and why the future of agriculture depends on working with nature not against it. Drawing on more than four decades of research and collaboration with farmers and soci
