APOPO will participate in the 4th National Ecological Organic Agriculture Conference (NEOAC), taking place from 3–5 March in Dodoma, Tanzania.
NEOAC brings together those working in ecological and organic agriculture to share practical experience, present new approaches, and discuss how to strengthen sustainable farming in Tanzania and across Africa.
At the conference, APOPO will host a booth and deliver a presentation on syntropic agroforestry as part of its HeroTREEs program and Syntropic Agroforestry Innovation Accelerator (SAIA) framework. HeroTREEs Officer, Aron Katosho, will represent APOPO at the booth, engaging with participants and sharing insights from ongoing restoration and training activities.
Over two days, the conference will include keynote talks, panel discussions, exhibitions, and opportunities to connect. Farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers will come together to explore how to produce healthy food in ways that protect the environment and support communities.
The conference will also explore several key themes. These include food and nutrition security, with attention to biodiversity, soil health, water conservation, and more diverse diets. Sessions will address resilience to climate change through practices such as crop rotation, intercropping, and regenerative organic approaches. Discussions will also focus on inclusive economic benefits, particularly how reducing costly external inputs can improve profitability for smallholder farmers. Finally, participants will examine policy and implementation, highlighting the partnerships and supportive frameworks needed to expand adoption of agroecological practices.
Showcasing Syntropic Agroforestry at NEOAC
At NEOAC, discussions on regenerative and organic farming will provide an opportunity to highlight syntropic agroforestry as a practical, field-tested approach. Syntropic agroforestry integrates trees, crops, and soil restoration into dynamic systems designed to mimic natural forest processes. By combining biodiversity with structured planting and pruning techniques, the method supports soil regeneration, improves productivity, enhances biodiversity, and strengthens climate resilience.
Through HeroTREEs and the Syntropic Agroforestry Innovation Accelerator (SAIA), APOPO works with partners and farming communities to restore degraded landscapes while strengthening local capacity. The conference provides a platform to share lessons learned from implementation in Tanzania and to exchange experience with others working to scale agroecological practices across the region.
Presenting with Key Partners
APOPO will present alongside two partners:
- Forests4Farming, a technical partner supporting syntropic agroforestry training and system design
- Mgeta Livelihood Development Foundation (MLDF), with whom APOPO has reached the implementation stage under the SAIA framework
Contributing to Regional Dialogue
By participating in NEOAC, APOPO aims to contribute to broader regional dialogue on scaling agroecology, strengthening farmer-led innovation, and advancing sustainable food systems across Africa.