WYAgroecology Hub

The Women and Youth Agroecology Hub, recognized by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition, focuses on supporting the agricultural sector, particularly in maintaining internal control systems nationally. These systems ensure that farms adhere to organic certification standards and guarantee the traceability of exported products. The hub conducts regular visits and document checks to monitor smallholder farmers' activities, with internal inspections occurring monthly. Farmers are educated on their shared responsibility for maintaining organic integrity, with the WYAgroecology School providing training on suitable organic production methods. Additionally, the hub offers organic project management through its planning services.

The hub also serves as a facilitator for organic agriculture technology, ensuring product quality assurance and certification for markets in the EU, US-NOP, and JAS.

Given the complexity of African agricultural markets, the hub plays a crucial role in facilitating smallholders' entry into the industry by providing agritechnology support, fostering market linkages, strengthening value chains through stakeholder engagement, supporting farmer organizations and associations, and facilitating information sharing and technology transfer.

The involvement of lead farmers, field officers, inspectors, and facilitators in agroecology practices represents a shift towards more sustainable agro-food value chains. The hub implements online planning tools and collaboration zones to enhance agricultural community engagement and project management.

The WYAgroecology School takes responsibility for edtech initiatives aimed at establishing certified organic value chains and training lead farmers, extension officers, and inspectors to uphold organic agriculture integrity in South Africa.