The September 2026 issue of Organic News, the newsletter of the South African Organic Sector Organisation (SAOSO), highlights agroecology initiatives linking farmer training, regenerative land management, community food production and local markets. A central feature is the Heal the Planet Growing Agroecology Leaders training programme in Mpumalanga, where 25 emerging leaders from five organisations participated in a five-day practical course designed to equip them to train a further 450 farmers. At the Ratanang Colab AgriHub, participants worked with local communities to establish agroforestry systems, prepare healthy soils and build compost, creating a demonstration and learning site for small-scale producers.

The newsletter also documents the expansion of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in South Africa, including community activities in Fish Hoek and the launch of a new PGS group in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape. These farmer-led approaches bring producers, consumers and other local stakeholders together through farm visits, peer learning, seed exchanges and shared responsibility for organic assurance. Plans to introduce organic farming and PGS in Eastern Cape schools further connect agroecology with community gardens, farmer training and local food supply.

Other contributions explore food forests as a means of diversifying household food production and strengthening resilience to climate variability, as well as continental efforts to shape an Organic and Agroecological Research Agenda for Africa (OARAA 2036). The issue also reports on engagement with consumers and potential buyers at South African organic and natural product expos. Together, these updates offer practical examples of how agroecology, knowledge sharing and participatory approaches are being developed across farming communities, while highlighting ongoing work on research priorities, market access and food sovereignty.