Members
University of Cape Town (UCT)
UCT is a founding member of RAENS and serves as the secretariat for the network. The Bio-economy Chair, located in the Department of Environmental and Geographic Science at the University of Cape Town (UCT), has sustainable agricultural futures as one of its key focus areas. Within this theme, the Chair has produced significant research on agroecology and food system transformation in Southern Africa.
Within RAENS, UCT is coordinating implementation of the project to expand the network. This includes serving as a liaison between implementers and CCARDESA; providing leadership on the formation of national and regional level research networks; and overseeing the policy-influencing dimension of the work. UCT also leads the community of practice (CoP) on biodiversity and landscape, as well as on the cross-cutting theme of traditional and indigenous knowledge.
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) is recognised as one of Malawi’s leading academic and research institutions. It hosts several African Centres of Excellence and participates in regional initiatives such as the Research for Agroecology Network Southern Africa (RAENS), of which it is a founding member.
LUANAR specialises in participatory, farmer-centred research and development, notably through its innovative Farmer Research Network (FRN) model. This approach emphasises collaborative inquiry and knowledge co-creation with smallholder farmers.
Within RAENS, LUANAR’s FRN is focusing on the multi-dimensional evaluation of soil health interventions, integrating agroecological practices including agroforestry, legume intercropping, and organic manure application. By adopting a systems-oriented framework, the research goes beyond biophysical analysis to assess the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of resilience.
LUANAR is leading the soil health community of practice (CoP) in RAENS, and also spearheading the development of agroecology curricula. Through its commitment to context-specific, inclusive research, LUANAR advances agroecological intensification and sustainable farming systems tailored to Malawi’s diverse socio-economic and ecological landscapes.
Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST)
Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST) is based near Harare in Zimbabwe. MUAST’s main areas of expertise within RAENS are: African indigenous vegetables, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions from livestock kept by smallholder farmers, soil health, policy advocacy, curriculum development and farmer-led research. MUAST boasts of an interdisciplinary team that will lead in its areas of focus as part of RAENS.
The University is conducting research with smallholder farmers in 4 districts, namely, Chimanimani and Nyanga in Manicaland Province and Mudzi and Marondera in Mashonaland East Province. MUAST also leads two communities of practice (CoPs), namely African indigenous vegetables and climate change. Finally, MUAST leads the Zimbabwe Agroecology Knowledge Network (Zim AEKN), a network of academics, researchers, policy makers, donors and UN agents working towards the advancement of agroecological knowledge in the country.
Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Established in 1984, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) is the leading public university in agricultural sciences and allied disciplines in Tanzania. Its vision is “to become a leading University in the provision of quality knowledge and skills in agriculture and allied sciences”. The key areas of its mission are training, research, and delivery of service.
Over the years, SUA has implemented various collaborative research programmes and projects which have enabled its researchers to build expertise in various thematic areas relevant to RAENS. Among others, these include soil health and management; pest management; crop cultivation and livestock breeding; and agroforestry. With respect to RAENS, SUA is leading the community of practice (CoP) on mixed livestock and crop biosystems.
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Zambia Agriculture Research Institute
The Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) is a department in the Ministry of Agriculture that conducts agricultural research to develop and adapt crop and soil technologies for increased productivity and diversification, focusing on crop improvement, soil and water management, plant protection, and farming systems. ZARI also hosts the National Plant Genetic Resources Centre which is party to international treaties and is a member of the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Network.
In terms of RAENS, ZARI’s focus includes:
- Convening the Zambia Agroecology Knowledge Network
- Leading the CoP on seed and participatory plant breeding
- Running three pilot research sites (Chipata, Choma and Mumbwa/Kaoma)
- Engaging with universities to support student research in agroecology
- Research linkages: Connecting farmer-led research with policy, extension, and training initiatives
- Translating technical research findings into appropriate knowledge products and dissemination of agroecology information to stakeholders, NGOs and policymakers
- Promoting participatory innovation and evidence-based policymaking
- Establishing linkages between RAENS and other similar initiatives within the country
CIFOR-ICRAF
Within RAENS, CIFOR-ICRAF is coordinating cross-site research through pilot sites in five countries, including through the development of protocols and data collection tools. CIFOR-ICRAF is also managing a RAENS knowledge hub for agroecology in Southern Africa. In addition, CIFOR-ICRAF leads two of the communities of practice, one on gender and agroecology and one on agroecological pest management.
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Switzerland
FiBL’s key roles in RAENS include the following:
- Implementing a pilot research site jointly with the Natural Resources College of LUANAR University (NRC) in Malawi, to build on existing comparative scientific demo plots on organic production which were initiated through the GIZ-Green Innovation Centres Project (2018 to 2022)
- Leading on studies and interventions on agroecology ‘value chains’ and markets
- Leading on studies and interventions on nutrition sensitive agriculture (NSA)
- Supporting curriculum scoping / development with a focus on participatory guarantee systems (PGS)
- Facilitating RAENS networking at continental and global levels – promoting linkages with other relevant programmes/ projects and networks
- Actively participating in the production and dissemination of knowledge products on agroecology
Young Professionals for Agricultural Develoment
Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) is an international youth-led movement that empowers young people to shape the future of agriculture. Within RAENS, YPARD leads on youth engagement, ensuring meaningful participation of young professionals across agroecology research, learning, and policy processes. With a strong presence across Africa, YPARD brings expertise in youth mobilization, intergenerational knowledge exchange, and accessible communication. It focuses on translating agroecological knowledge into youth-friendly formats and creating platforms like the YPARD Cafés to amplify youth voices.
Through RAENS, YPARD works across climate-resilient agroecology, food system transformation, gender and social inclusion, and youth policy advocacy. Its strategic role ensures youth are not only included but are central actors in shaping sustainable and inclusive agroecological transitions in Southern Africa.
