Heal the Planet Programme

South Africa

Heal the Planet is a cross-cutting, systems-based programme catalyzing the transformation of food systems through agroecology while simultaneously addressing the interlinked water, waste, and energy nexus. Deeply rooted in the Agroecology Principles and aligned with “Organic 3.0”, the programme takes an integrated approach to food sovereignty, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and regenerative economics. Utilizing living systems design and biomimicry where possible, Heal the Planet is driven by the Rights of Mother Earth, local economic development, and contributing meaningfully to the SDGs.

Lead organization
  • SAOSO Foundation – The national sector body for organic agriculture in South Africa, driving the agroecology and PGS movement. 
  • Project Biome – A strategic partner committed to rewilding, regeneration, and reconnecting humans to nature through decentralized systems transformation and bioregional ecosystem design.
Countries
 Primarily South Africa, with regional outreach through Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) knowledge-sharing into Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, in partnership with the Knowledge Hub for Southern Africa (KHSA).
Timeline
  • Pilot Phase: 2022–2024
  • Scaling Phase: 2025–2030
Funding
 Supported by WWF and other partners through blended financing models focused on scaling locally-led regenerative economies.
Mission
To develop an enabling environment for agroecology in Southern Africa by investing in community-led food systems, scaling Participatory Guarantee Systems, restoring ecosystems, and aligning implementation with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to hunger, poverty, gender equality, climate action, sustainable communities, and life on land.
Context
South Africa’s dualistic food system is among the most unequal globally. The dominance of GMOs, lack of agroecology policy recognition, and state-supported industrial agriculture marginalize smallholder and organic farmers. Heal the Planet addresses this by shifting the narrative toward sustainable food systems rooted in rights-based, nature-positive approaches. PGS has emerged as a key mechanism for farmer recognition and integrity assurance, bridging organic and agroecology in a way that reflects African realities. Since the GIZ-supported KHSA program, PGS uptake has grown rapidly, setting the foundation for further regional adoption.
Main beneficiaries
  • Grassroots communities
  • Smallholder and emerging farmers
  • Youth and women
  • Cooperative micro-enterprises
  • Local governance structures

Strategy

Heal the Planet builds decentralized bioregional nodes as platforms for change, starting with household-level food sovereignty and expanding to district and regional systems. Through AgriHubs, EcoHubs, and Centers of Experience, the strategy connects food, restoration, and livelihoods. Each node is a site of convergence—offering training, access to inputs, cooperative facilitation, and project incubation. Drones and digital tools support natural resource mapping and PGS verification.

Objectives

  • Enable a Just Transition in the food system through agroecology and PGS. 
  • Regenerate ecosystems while supporting sustainable livelihoods. 
  • Strengthen regional solidarity and farmer-to-farmer systems for knowledge exchange. 

Amplify the voices and innovations of rural communities and youth.

Activities

  • Establishment of household gardens and local food initiatives in partnership. 
  • PGS implementation with over 500 certified farmers in the pilot phase with Backstory/Prove platform. 
  • Youth engagement at schools, including 10 youth-focused agroecology workshops. 
  • Support of micro-businesses focused on food systems, processing, and local green economy services. 
  • Development of Centers of Experience as regional training and policy incubation hubs. 
  • Creation of AgriHubs to manage cooperatives, facilitate operations, and distribute inputs. 
  • Launching of EcoHubs for landscape restoration, biodiversity support, and youth mobilization. 
  • Use of drone-based mapping to assess natural resources and plan ecological restoration.
  • Use of Tool kits to facilitate Landscape Partnerships and regional food system development with partners such as 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People and Amped.

Effects and Impacts

  • 2400 household gardens improving local food security in 4 provinces in South Africa
  • Evidence of improved soil health, increased biodiversity, and restored community cohesion with 500 PGS farms.
  • Economic empowerment through agroecological micro-business development.
  • Youth leadership pathways emerging through training and PGS mentorship and the Biome Fellowship.
  • Landscape partnerships facilitating landscape restoration at scale. 
  • Regional food system mapping and supply chain development for territorial markets.
  • Trained youth extension officers and Heal the Planet champions.

Evaluation methods

A robust MEL framework has been developed in partnership with Project Biome and the SAOSO Foundation. KPIs include:

  • Number of certified farmers in the PGS system
  • Youth engaged in training or incubation
  • Biodiversity indicators (flora/fauna return)
  • Household food security metrics
  • Regenerative business success rates
  • Ecosystem service recovery based on drone mapping and land use change tracking
  • Regional food system mapping 
  • Landscape partnerships
  • Establishment of territorial markets

Lessons learned and results

  • Decentralized systems outperform centralized models in fragile rural economies.
  • Community ownership of standards (via PGS) builds trust and improves compliance.
  • Youth are eager for meaningful, land-based opportunities when supported with vision and mentorship.
  • Systems thinking is essential for addressing the interlinked challenges of food, energy, water, and waste.
  • Collaboration takes consistent effort and human interactions to foster trust and transparency within the movement.

Relevant links

Contact

Colleen Anderson: SAOSO  – colleen@saoso.org
 Matthew Purkis: Project Biome – mattp@projectbiome.earth

Collaborators:

  • Project Biome
  • WWF
  • Sustainability Institute
  • IFOAM
  • GIZ 
  • 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People
  • Backstory
  • Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain
  • Knowledge Hub for Southern Africa (KHSA)
  • Tamazight Creative Collective
  • Local municipalities and traditional leadership structures
  • South African Food Lab

Picture credits: Greg Jones