A Ugandan farmer and former government agricultural extension officer has used one of Africa’s most prominent food sovereignty podcasts to argue that the continent’s farming future must be rebuilt around ecological knowledge and farmer independence, not purchased inputs.
Christopher Wali Magala, Team Leader at Alwana Natural Farms and a former agricultural officer in Mukono District, central Uganda, appeared as the guest on Episode 24 of The Battle for African Agriculture, the podcast hosted by Dr. Million Belay, General Coordinator of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA).
Wali Magala has practised agroecology on his seven-acre farm in Kisoga, along the Mukono-Katosi Road, having spent years working within Uganda’s formal agricultural extension system before questioning its foundations. That tension between institutional training and on-the-ground reality sits at the centre of his conversation with Dr. Belay.
Speaking from his own experience working alongside farming communities, Wali Magala described how conventional extension approaches drew farmers into systems heavily reliant on purchased chemical inputs, while steadily eroding local knowledge, soil health, and the long-term autonomy of smallholder producers. He argued that the damage extends beyond individual farms, weakening the ecological and economic resilience of entire communities.
At Alwana Natural Farms, named after his father, the family has chosen to work with nature, using agroecological principles to address climate challenges, food insecurity, and soil degradation common in their part of Uganda. Wali Magala has spoken previously about restoring soil fertility through compost and natural methods, arguing that unlike synthetic fertilisers that degrade the soil over time, nature-based approaches maintain long-term productivity.
In the podcast episode, he made the case that agroecology is not an ideological position but a practical response to failures that farmers have already experienced. He described it as an approach that restores farmer knowledge, supports ecological health, and helps communities reclaim greater control over their food systems.
The Battle for African Agriculture was launched by AFSA in August 2025, with Dr. Belay stating he started the series to challenge the colonial mindset that still shapes African food systems and to elevate voices building agriculture rooted in dignity, ecology, and African knowledge. AFSA represents the continental voice for food sovereignty and agroecology as the largest network of networks on the continent, with more than 30 network members and a combined potential reach of 200 million Africans.
Episode 24 is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and across AFSA’s social media platforms.
