Represented by its Chairperson and Coordinator, ESAPN joined international social movements, small-scale food producers, and indigenous peoples at the 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum for Food Sovereignty held in Kandy, Sri Lanka, in September 2025. This global gathering was a critical moment for re-evaluating the global food system and reaffirming the principles of food sovereignty. ESAPN’s presence ensured that the specific challenges and contributions of African pastoralists were integrated into the global discourse on climate justice and food systems.
The forum culminated in the “Kandy Declaration,” a document to which ESAPN contributed, emphasizing the rights of pastoralists and the protection of their ancestral lands against the rising tide of land grabbing and extractive development. The discussions highlighted the intersectionality of food sovereignty, climate justice, and the rights of mobile communities. For ESAPN, the forum was an opportunity to build alliances with other global networks and to articulate a vision of a food system that respects the autonomy of local producers. The participation in the Nyéléni Forum reinforces the network’s commitment to an Afro-centric agenda that challenges unjust systems and promotes community-driven solutions. By engaging at this level, ESAPN ensures that the regional issues of Eastern and Southern Africa are connected to the broader global struggle for justice and equity in food and land governance.
