Designing from within ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

How the traditional Àáro cooperative farming model and modern sci tech can fulfill the potential of African agriculture

Designing from within

How the traditional Àáro cooperative farming model and modern sci tech can fulfill the potential of African agriculture

John Adeolu

The answers we seek are often buried within us like deep waters; only those with understanding can draw them out and turn them into solutions.

In pre-19th century West Africa, one of the most powerful indigenous systems among farmers was Àáro, a traditional Yoruba cooperative labor system that existed long before colonial rule. It was widely practiced among agrarian Yoruba communities in what is now southwestern Nigeria. In this system, farmers came together to work on one person’s farm and rotated across farms, sharing labor, knowledge, and productivity.

Egbe Àáro originally functioned as a mutual-aid farming guild. Members pooled their labor to clear dense forests, plant crops, and harvest fields for one another. This collective system guaranteed food security, boosted the agricultural economy, ensured that no single family fell into poverty due to a shortage of farmhands, and strengthened friendship.

However, the Egba people lived under the oppressive Oyo Empire, whose ruthless collectors demanded “tributes” of crops, livestock, money and labor. The breaking point arrived when these collectors launched an attack on a local wedding, resulting in the deaths of a young farmer named Oshokenu and his bride. Oshokenu's desperate final stand, in which he fought back and killed several tribute collectors before succumbing to his injuries, served as the ultimate catalyst for his friend, Lisabi.

Inspired by Oshokenu’s sacrifice, the warrior Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala brilliantly transformed the Egbe Àáro from a peaceful agricultural network into a unified resistance movement around 1780. Under the guise of innocent farming meetings, Lisabi secretly drilled the farmers in combat, stockpiled weapons, and established a command structure.

Because Oyo rulers viewed the Egbe Àáro purely as a social labor group, the Egba built an army completely undetected. When Lisabi gave the signal, the army executed a synchronized uprising, eliminating Oyo's imperial tax collectors and fighting off retaliatory forces to secure Egba independence. 

The rebellion was successful, demonstrating how agricultural cooperation laid the foundation for liberation from injustice.

This historic story has also been brought to life in contemporary times through film here. Nigerian actor Lateef Adedimeji portrays Lisabi Agbongbo Akala in the epic movie Lisabi: The Uprising, offering a vivid dramatization of how the Egbe Àáro system evolved from a cooperative farming structure into a powerful resistance movement. 

This system is human-centered, and it reflects a deep understanding of cooperation and sustainability. When we look closely, we see that it already contains the principles of modern collaboration and shared economies.

 A Yoruba adage says, “What you are looking for in Sokoto is already in the pocket of your ṣòkòtò (trouser).” The solution we are searching for elsewhere is already within us. In the same way, the answers to many of Africa’s development challenges are not far away, they are already working within our systems, cultures, communities, and resourceful adaptation of external influences in ways that work to our advantage. 

For too long, we have focused on critiquing Western development models, and rightly so, because these global systems often extort (I don’t want to say steal) more than they give. They take resources, labor, and value from Africa while returning little in comparison. But critique alone is not enough. We must also recognize, and intentionally strengthen what is already working.

According to IFAD, Nigerian agriculture consists of 70% smallholder farmers. We produce 90% of our food crops, but we lose far too much after harvest. This waste, along with the rise of imported processed foods in our diet, and other factors (noted below) greatly holds back the potential of Nigerian farming.

Now remember, the Egba did not depend on external solutions. They did not import foreign systems. Instead, they looked inward, into their own culture, their own structures, their own way of life and found within it the tools they needed to solve a completely different kind of problem.

So, I’m inquiring into what systems already exist among us today that we have failed to recognize, develop, or adapt? At the same time, I’m looking outward to contemporary practices in the world at large.

When Àáro is combined with modern technology and agronomy, it becomes even more powerful.

If we want to transform agriculture in Nigeria, we have to go back to the traditional cooperative systems of Àáro and combine that tradition with modern technology and innovation.

Post-harvest losses remain a major challenge in Nigeria and other African nations, where between 30%–50% of food produced is lost annually. Some perishable crops like fruits and vegetables, losses can reach up to 40–50% before reaching the market. These losses are largely driven by weak market access, poor coordination, limited storage, and labor inefficiencies.

The farmers cooperative model directly prevents or diminishes post-harvest losses in multiple ways. (See list of ways in sidebar)

In essence, the cooperative model transforms fragmented, inefficient production systems into coordinated value chains; reducing delays, improving market access, building strong offtake relationships, and aligning supply with demand. All of these are key levers in tackling post-harvest waste.

Solitary farmer in Nigerian rice paddy.

Photo: Nduati.githae - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org

Farmer cooperative start ups

To get underway, we could build an initiative that encourages farmers to form local clusters in Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, and Benue states using Àáro principles. Instead of struggling on our own to get labor, seeds, supplies, and tools, farmers would help each other acquire what they need and share key resources. We would handle land preparation, schedule planting, and harvest together with ease.

Through this collective effort, we could farm large areas efficiently and quickly without needing a fleet of expensive heavy machinery. We could also use cooperative financing like Àjọ(also known as Esusu or Adashe), where farmers pool their money and take turns collecting the payout. This gives each member direct financial strength to buy inputs when needed. Agricultural extension services would also be delivered to the group at once, making training more accessible.

Another big advantage for these cooperatives is using simple mobile money tools and digital platforms. Farmers can stay connected, share information instantly, and make better decisions using real-time data. At the same time, practical agronomy science can help improve crop yields through better soil management, plant nutrition, pest control, and sustainable practices.

When challenges pop up, these cooperatives won't have to face them alone. A group in Kano could check local weather forecasts on their phones to know the exact right time to plant. A group in Oyo could spot a pest threat early using shared digital alerts. And with transparent market prices, farmers know where and when to sell for the best return, protecting them from unfair middlemen.

This model builds up the smallholder farmer. Because each farmer still owns their own land, the system protects individual identity while creating a shared bond and opening up real opportunities to grow our agribusinesses.

This approach isn't just for Nigeria. Across Africa, where many countries share similar smallholder structures (like Ghana, Kenya, Benin, Cameroon and Tanzania), the Àáro-inspired cooperative model can be adapted to fit local conditions. By reducing the poverty and resource competition that so often fuel rural clashes, these organized networks can strengthen food security, build local peace, foster unity, and build self-reliant agricultural systems that change how the West views Africa.

The photos of the specialists below are all sourced from their institutional affiliation pages.

Ed Mabaya

Lisen Schultz

Vincent Aduramigba-Modupe

In the Àáro system, men and women farmers worked collectively in rotation to sustain community life. (Source: trailer promotion for “Lisabi” film from Netflix)

Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala, the cooperative farm leader, transformed cooperation into resistance of the oppressive Oyo empire. His hoe is of the traditional curved design. (Source: trailer promotion for “Lisabi” film from Netflix)

African and Africa diaspora researchers are among the specialists working on the front lines of research that could help inform cooperative empowerment. 

The team planning this farming collective model will reach out to specialists in agronomy, computing for community-based economies, digital agriculture and related fields. 

Dr. Ed Mabaya, a research professor and a development practitioner with more than two decades of experience working on development, agribusiness value chains and food security at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell, supports this idea through his work on digital agriculture, which shows that digital technologies can create enabling environments for agribusiness growth by improving access to information, markets, and services.

You must know that technology is not meant to replace farmers but to support them.

At the same time, there is a clear warning that technology must not become another form of external control. It must remain accessible, relevant, and supportive, helping farmers make better decisions rather than taking decisions away from them.

For example, the African markets are generally misunderstood, yet they function efficiently, sustainably, and at a large scale. Recent research by Lisen Schultz at the Stockholm University’s Resilience Centre makes it clear that the future of development is not about scaling extraction, but about scaling regeneration. This has made us change our thinking about food, health, and the environment as one interconnected system. You cannot design for food without designing for health, and you cannot improve health without improving food systems. In the same way, you cannot build sustainable cities without considering ecological realities.

Everything is connected. Solving food insecurity without addressing soil health is not a real solution, and improving healthcare without addressing nutrition and environmental conditions will not produce lasting results. Modern research in urban systems continues to emphasize localized systems, data-informed decisions, and community-driven development, moving away from centralized and top-down approaches.

The foundation: soil. African soils under stress

From the very beginning, the land (soil) has been the foundation of life. It is from the soil that creation is sustained, provision is made, and humanity is instructed to steward what has been entrusted to them. Before markets, before trade, and before cities, there is soil.

However, African soils today are under stress, losing nutrients and fertility. Dr. Vincent Aduramigba-Modupe, the Africa Centre Director of the International Nitrogen Initiative; and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, Nigeria explains that “phosphorus deficiency is a widespread fertility constraint of many tropical soils. Low available P in these soils has been associated with high contents of Fe and Al oxides.”

This is a reality across African agriculture. Aduramigba-Modupe explains, nutrient deficiencies, especially phosphorus, remain a major limitation to crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa, holding back the full potential of farmers and their yields. So, we should therefore know that without restoring soil fertility, no level of technology will sustainably increase output.

In the same way, Dr. Esther Yeboah, a scientist at the department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, also emphasizes the importance of restoring soil systems in her paper, Improving soil productivity through biochar amendments to soils.  “The use of biochar could allow the total soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestered in soils to be several magnitudes larger than is naturally possible,” she explains.

We should know that rebuilding our soil is not only improving yields today but strengthening the very foundation of agriculture for long-term productivity and climate resilience.

Growing up as a farmer, I saw how my smallholder farmer neighbors struggled with declining yields, often without understanding the cause. Rebuilding our soils is more than improving harvests; it requires securing the future of humanity itself. When soil is healthy, that quality is passed on to the plants, yields are stable, and farmers rely less on expensive chemical inputs that can later affect the health of humans while consuming. 

Many modern farming systems in Africa rely heavily on imported inputs, creating dependency, while traditional African crops were naturally resistant, adapted to local climates, and sustainable over time. The most effective agricultural development will only happen when we build from within, developing our own inputs and strengthening natural systems.

Rethinking the Real Problem

One of the biggest inefficiencies in African agriculture is not production but lack of demand coordination. Farmers often produce without clear knowledge of market demand, leading to waste, losses, and inefficiencies. This also leads to increased food processing and preservation methods that can negatively affect health.

A better approach is to move toward demand-driven production, where buyers signal their needs in advance and farmers produce accordingly. This reduces waste, improves efficiency, and ensures that resources are used effectively. It also reflects traditional systems of exchange while using modern tools to improve coordination.

Dr. Gumataw Abebe, associate professor at Dalhousie University, highlights the importance of improving systems from his agribusiness journal that data-driven logistics and supply chain optimization can significantly enhance agricultural market efficiency.

The idea that the solution is not to replace existing systems but to refine and enhance them.

Modern agriculture often promotes mechanization as the ultimate solution, but this approach must be questioned. Also Dr. Emmanuel Yiridoe from the Dalhousie University, the same University as Dr. Gumaraw Abebe questioned this idea: “the economic viability of agricultural mechanization depends on context, scale, and long-term returns on investment.” 

Technology must be adapted, not blindly adopted. 

At the same time, climate change is already affecting Africa. Dr. Terri Long, director of the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at NC State University, explains that “... plants respond to nutrient stress in complex ways, particularly under conditions of limited iron availability.” 

This shows the connection between soil health, climate, and agricultural productivity. So, solutions must be holistic, combining scientific knowledge with local understanding and sustainable practices.

The whole can be held together, and as every part fulfills its role, growth happens naturally and the system becomes stronger

To truly understand development, we must look at the full system, considering earth, people, environment, and culture as interconnected elements. And then, we can confidently say that we are not catching up but leading in the right direction that will not eliminate our cultures and general way of life as Africans.

John Adeolu is a farmer and agribusiness developer working to advance resilient ecosystems. 

The Àáro farmer warriors successfully resisted the assaults of the Oyo empire.

Source: trailer promotion for “Lisabi” film from Netflix.

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Advantages of farmers’ coops include minimizing waste

By pooling labor, cooperatives reduce harvesting delays, a key cause of spoilage. Crops are lost when farmers cannot harvest on time due to labor shortages. Faster, coordinated harvesting reduces exposure to weather damage and deterioration.

Limited access to markets is a major cause of post-harvest losses. Rural farmers in Africa often face long travel times and poor connectivity to markets, which contributes significantly to spoilage. Cooperatives create internal market systems and shared logistics, helping farmers move produce faster and more efficiently.

Individually, smallholder farmers produce volumes that are often too small to attract large buyers. However, as a cooperative, they can aggregate supply, making it easier for institutional buyers or processors to purchase in bulk. This reduces the time produce sits unsold, which is a key contributor to losses.

Lack of real-time price and demand information leads to poor decision-making and oversupply. Cooperatives enable shared intelligence, members can access trends, pricing data, and buyer demand, helping them sell faster and at the right time.

When farmers operate in isolation, production is often based on guesswork. Within a cooperative, shared data allows farmers to align production with actual market demand. This reduces gluts, which are a major cause of waste in African agricultural systems.

Cooperatives make it economically viable to invest in shared solutions such as storage, aggregation centers, and even cold-chain systems. This is critical because up to 40% of food losses in Africa are linked to poor storage and infrastructure.

This illustration is useful in visualizing applications of the digital tools and logistics optimization research of Ed Mabaya (right) and Gumataw Abebe (who is cited in the next section).‍ ‍

The diagram illustrates A feedback loop where real-time market demand signals travel back to smallholder farmers, replacing guesswork with data-informed crop planning.

Source: Data-Driven Logistics & Market Demand Coordination on researchgate.net

Phosphorus fixation and availability in tropical soils

How soluble phosphorus becomes chemically bound ("fixed") to iron and aluminum oxides in weathered tropical soils, rendering it unavailable to plant roots.

Source: researchgate.net