Onsite Learning Events

A Hands-On Approach

Onsite learning events bring participants directly into agroecological zones — working farms, community training centres, and university fields — where theory meets practice. These sessions emphasise experiential learning, peer exchange, and practical skill-building in real growing environments.

Events range from short workshops to multi-day courses, covering topics such as soil fertility management, organic agriculture, ecological pest control, and food sovereignty.

Past Onsite Events

IPAM and its partners have organised onsite learning events across Asia and Africa. Below is a selection of past gatherings.

Onsite learning events form the backbone of practical agroecological education, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. When participants step into working farms and training centres, they encounter living laboratories where soil health, biodiversity, and crop interactions can be observed firsthand. This immersive approach transforms abstract concepts into tangible understanding, allowing learners to touch, smell, and see the principles in action. The hands-on nature of these gatherings ensures that knowledge is not merely acquired but internalised through direct experience. Participants leave not only with new ideas but with the confidence and competence to apply them in their own contexts, making the learning both memorable and immediately useful.

The social dimension of onsite events is as valuable as the technical content they deliver. Farmers, researchers, students, and community leaders come together in shared spaces, exchanging perspectives that enrich everyone's understanding. These gatherings foster networks of mutual support that extend far beyond the event itself, creating lasting connections between people who might otherwise never meet. Peer-to-peer learning flourishes in such settings, as participants share what has worked in their fields and communities. The collective wisdom that emerges from these exchanges often proves more valuable than any single curriculum, demonstrating that agroecology advances most powerfully when people learn together in the places where food is actually grown.

Topics covered during onsite events span the full spectrum of agroecological practice and innovation. Soil fertility management receives particular attention, with participants learning to assess and improve their land using locally available materials and biological processes. Water harvesting techniques, integrated pest management, seed saving and selection, and crop rotation planning are all common subjects of study. Short workshops might focus on a single skill such as composting or grafting, while longer courses weave multiple practices into a coherent farming system approach. The curriculum remains flexible and responsive, shaped by the specific agroecological zone and the particular challenges and opportunities that participants face in their own farming contexts.

The variety of venues for onsite events reflects the diversity of agroecological practice itself. Smallholder farms serve as intimate classrooms where intimate knowledge of place guides the learning experience. Community training centres offer space for larger gatherings, with demonstration plots that showcase multiple techniques side by side. University fields connect academic research with grassroots practice, allowing scientists and farmers to collaborate in genuine partnership. Each venue brings distinct advantages, from the specialised equipment available at research stations to the authentic constraints and innovations found on working family farms. This range of settings ensures that participants encounter agroecology in all its forms, from subsistence plots to institutional demonstration sites.

The impact of onsite learning extends beyond individual skill development to strengthen the broader agroecological movement. Participants become ambassadors for sustainable farming practices in their home communities, spreading techniques and ideas through their daily work and informal networks. The documentation and sharing of local innovations that emerge from these events builds a collective knowledge base that benefits everyone. As more people gain confidence in agroecological methods, the foundation for food sovereignty and resilient landscapes grows stronger. Each onsite event contributes to a larger transformation, proving that meaningful change in food systems begins with people learning together in fields, under open skies, connected to the living soil.

Stay Informed

New onsite events are announced through the Learning platform and IPAM's social media channels. Check back regularly or follow us for updates on upcoming workshops and field training opportunities.