Most smallholder farmers rely on locally available technologies and on-farm inputs to improve food production,food security and raise income at family level. For farmers to use available resources efficiently and to be productive and sustainable, they need to have knowledge as well as access to markets and appropriate institutions (e.g. land security, rule of law and sound policies). Access to information on appropriate technologies and sustainable practices to improve farm productivity and its transformation into knowledge and skills appears to be  key to their adoption.

The overall objective of the African Organic Agriculture Training Manual is to increase the options for farmers through knowledge and empowerment. Until now, no comprehensive and farmer-oriented training resource materials have been developed on organic agriculture in Africa. This circumstance prompted the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), together with African partner organisations, to develop a set of organic farming and training resource materials for African conditions.