From 18 to 26 June, a team from the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), including President Mr. Shuichi Suzuki, HQ Advisor Prof. Itagaki, Strategic Partnerships Director Dr. Mel Oluoch, Ethiopia Country Director Dr. Fentahun Mengistu, and other guests, visited key project sites in Ethiopia to observe field-level interventions aimed at strengthening smallholder agriculture and climate resilience. This marked President Suzuki’s first visit to Ethiopia since assuming office.

In Turge Gallo Kebele, Negele Arsi District, the team received a heartfelt welcome from the local community, who prepared a special song in appreciation of SAA’s longstanding support. During the visit, the team observed a wide range of integrated agricultural interventions that are making a tangible impact on local farming communities and contributing to the development of a sustainable food system. These included community variety plots and permagardens designed to improve household nutrition and food security, as well as the promotion of agroforestry systems to enhance soil health and biodiversity.

The team also witnessed the implementation of Farmers’ Learning Production Clusters (FLPCs), which apply regenerative agriculture-based cluster farming approaches at the landscape level. In addition, they observed vermi-compost and vermi-wash production sites supporting organic farming and integrated pest management practices. The visit further showcased a water pond that facilitates water harvesting, irrigation, and climate resilience in crop production, alongside ongoing capacity-building activities at Farmer Training Centers (FTCs) to promote knowledge and technology transfer. The team also visited a productive avocado nursery that supports fruit tree diversification and income-generating opportunities for farmers, and a roof water harvesting system that improves household water access.

As part of the same mission, the team traveled to Gowadamo Kebele in Aleta Wondo District to visit the Irrigation Development and Soil Fertility Enhancement (ICRIS) project. Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Japan, the project is designed to strengthen climate resilience through the development of small-scale irrigation infrastructure. Once completed, the system will include 2.3 kilometers of right and left canals, enabling year-round farming in a region where rain-fed agriculture is still predominant. The initiative aims to improve water access, increase productivity, and support sustainable livelihoods, ultimately benefiting more than 34,100 people in the kebele.

President Suzuki’s visit underscored the importance of context-specific, farmer-centered innovations in advancing sustainable agriculture across Africa, and reaffirmed SAA’s commitment to empowering smallholder farmers through integrated and inclusive approaches.