Title of document: Agroecology and the Search for a Truly Sustainable Agriculture - 1st edition Authors: Miguel A. Altieri and Clara I. Nicholls Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: UN; PNUMA; University of California Year of publication: 2005 Geographic focus: Global level Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Modern Agriculture: Ecological impacts and the alternatives to conventional farming; Agroecology: principles and strategies for designing sustainable farming systems; the ecological impacts of transgenic crops; an agroecological basis for insect pest management……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: There is increasing evidence that warns that the growing push toward industrialization and globalization of the world’s agriculture and food supply imperils the future of humanity and the natural world. Industrial agriculture which is corporate controlled, and promotes agrochemically based, monocultural, export-oriented systems are negatively impacting public health, ecosystem integrity, food quality and nourishment, traditional rural livelihoods, and indigenous and local cultures, while accelerating indebtedness among millions of farmers, and their separation from lands that have historically fed communities and families. This transition is increasing hunger, landlessness, homelessness, despair and suicides among farmers. Meanwhile, it is also degrading the planet’s life support systems, and increasing alienation of peoples from nature and the historic, cultural and natural connection of farmers and all other people to the sources of food and sustenance. Finally, it is also destroying the economic and cultural foundations of societies, undermines security and peace, and creates a context for social disintegration and violence. By confronting myth with reality, the objective of this book is to challenge the false promises made by the genetic engineering industry. The industry has promised that genetically engineered crops will move agriculture away from a dependence on chemical inputs, increase productivity, decrease input costs, and help reduce environmental problems (Office of Technology Assessment, 1992). Another agriculture is not only possible, it is already happening taking a multitude of expressions of alternative agriculture, from various variations of organic agriculture to more peasant based, subsistence oriented traditional agriculture. In this book we explore the extent, features and ecological, social and economic benefits of both forms of sustainable agriculture. In this report the agroecological features of organic agriculture as practiced in North America and Europe, and of traditional agriculture involving millions of small farmers and/or peasants in the developing world are described with emphasis on their contribution to food security, conservation/ regeneration of biodiversity and natural resources and economic viability. The book also depicts an agroecological path to reach a truly sustainable, biodiverse and socially just agriculture   Read More

Title of document: Agroecology as a Transdisciplinary, Participatory, and Action-Oriented Approach. Authors: V. Ernesto Méndez , Christopher M. Bacon & Roseann Cohen (2013) Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Agroecology and Rural Livelihoods Group (ARLG), Department of Plant and Soil Science & Environmental Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA; Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, USA; Community Agroecology Network, Santa Cruz, California, USA Year of publication: 2012 Geographic focus: Global level Summary: This article traces multiple directions in the evolution of agroecology, from its early emphasis on ecological processes in agricultural systems, to its emergence as a multidimensional approach focusing on broader agro-food systems. This review is timely, as agroecology is being increasingly applied within a diversity of scientific-, policy-, and farmer-based initiatives. We contrast different agroecological perspectives or “agroecologies” and discuss the characteristics of an agroecology characterized by a transdisciplinary, participatory and action-oriented approach. Our final discussion describes the contents of the special issue, and states our goal for this compilation, which is to encourage future work that embraces an agroecological approach grounded in transdisciplinarity, participation, and transformative action. Hence, the specific objectives of this introductory article and of this inaugural issue of Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems were to: 1) discuss the implications of the increasing use and adoption of agroecology in unprecedented scientific, social and political spaces; 2) examine the evolution of the field of agroecology into distinct perspectives, or agroecologies; and 3) present conceptual and applied contributions of an agroecological perspective grounded in transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented approaches. We finalize this article with a description of how the other contributions to the special issue complement each other to form a coherent and integrated agroecological approach.   Read More

Title of document: Journal de l'Agro-écologie, n°0 Authors: Mireille RAZAKA, Joachin RASOLOMANJAKA, Tahina RAHARISON, RAKOTONDRAMANANA Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: GSDM, Professionnels de l'Agroecologie Year of publication: Janvier à Mars 2017 Geographic focus: France, worldwide Summary: Ce bulletin d’information, intitulé « Journal de l’Agro-écologie » est un outil de communication, édité trimestriellement par le GSDM. Uniquement diffusé en version électronique, il s’adresse à toutes entités, acteurs de développement ou individus oeuvrant dans le développement durable, en particulier lié au secteur agricole. Le «Journal de l’Agro-écologie » propose aux lecteurs plusieurs rubriques, et parle essentiellement des dernières actualités, des problématiques, des solutions adaptées, ainsi que de la recherche en termes d’Agro-écologie au niveau national et international. Il offre également une large latitude de réflexion à travers les capitalisations, leçons apprises ou encore par les témoignages paysans issus de divers projets. Dans cette première édition, «numéro N°0», période janvier à mars 2017, le GSDM vous invite chaleureusement à découvrir le «Journal de l’Agro-écologie» et les rubriques qu’il propose.   Read More

Title of document: Innovative approaches: to linking sustainable and agroecological production with markets in developing countries Authors: Marcello Vicovaro, Allison Loconto, Emilie Vandecandelaere and Pilar Santacoloma Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: Worldwide   Summary: This document is the final report of a serie of workshops. This workshop is the result of two research projects: the first, on “Sustainable practices, sustainable markets? Exploring the institutional changes that link sustainable agricultural practices with markets in developing countries” and the second, on “An analysis of the marketing channels of agroecological produce.” Both projects attempted specifically to understand the ways in which sustainable agroecological production was linked to markets in developing countries. The workshop brought together specialists and researchers who shared innovative experiences about more productive and sustainable agricultural practices in the context of market integration. It is hoped that the experiences documented in the present workshop report will facilitate the spread of new experiences and create new awareness about the linkages between sustainable production and markets, contributing to the development of sustainable and fficient food systems.   Read More

Title of document: Landscapes for Agrobiodiversity. Agrobiodiversity perspectives in land-use decisions. Authors: Team of researchers Alberto Tarraza Rodríguez; Alejandro González Álvarez; Dunja Mijatovic; Epsha Palikhey; Ghanimat Azhdari; Helga Gruberg Cazón; Lal Kumara Wakkumbure; Maede Salimi; Natalia Estrada Carmona; Reuben Mendakor Shabong; Sajal Stapit; Sonthana Maneerattanachaiyong; Stanley Zira and Toby Hodgkin. Language editors: Loredana Maria and Kate Ferguson. Photo credits: Epsha Palikhey, Helga Gruberg Cazón, Maede Salimi and Dunja Mijatovic. Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Platform for agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) Year of publication: August 2016 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: The importance of agrobiodiversity and its custodians has been ignored in both conservation and agricultural development, as reflected in the debate about whether land “sparing” or land “sharing” is better for biodiversity and meeting future food needs.1 This debate has largely ignored the ways in which decisions on land use, cultivation practices, and crop and animal production choices affect the amount and distribution of agrobiodiversity in any production system and hence, ecosystem services, agro-ecosystem health and livelihoods. In this booklet, we present the results of an interdisciplinary research project in eight biocultural landscapes undertaken by the Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) in collaboration with local partners and communities from around the world. The aim of the project was to illustrate the importance of including agrobiodiversity in land-use decisions. The project brought together young researchers with different backgrounds, including sociologists, biologists and geographers, with expertise in various areas that were of relevance to this study such as participatory mapping, animal and crop diversity, agroecology and resilience. The tables presented over the following pages describe the eight landscapes in which the project team worked and summarise the findings.   Read More

Title of document: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food Authors: Special Rapporteur on the right to food Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: United Nations General Assembly Year of publication: 24 January 2017 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: The report was written in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. In the report, a clearer account is provided of global pesticide use in agriculture and its impact on human rights; the negative consequences that pesticide practices have had on human health, the environment and society, which are underreported and monitored in the shadow of a prevailing and narrow focus on “food security”, are described; and the environmental and human rights regimes are examined to determine whether the constituent rules are sufficient to protect farm workers, consumers and vulnerable groups, as well as the natural resources that are necessary to support sustainable food systems.   Read More

Title of document: The Future od Feed: Seeds of Resilience. A compendium of Perspectives on Agricultural Biodiversity from around the world. Authors: Emile Frison and Toby Hodgkin Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Global Alliance for the Future of Food Year of publication: September 2016 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: "Because of the centrality of resilient seed systems to our collective future of food, and because of the urgency to attend to the threats currently placed upon them, the Global Alliance commissioned an opportunities report, written by Emile Frison and Toby Hodgkin, and a dozen associated commentaries written by diverse leaders in the field from across the globe. The opportunities report and commentaries constitute The Future of Food: Seeds of Resilience, which we are excited to release to a broad array of stakeholders, from private enterprise to policy makers to farmers and funders. This compendium captures a rich diversity of perspectives related to seed systems and agricultural biodiversity, reflecting current research and firsthand experience in the field. This includes plant breeders, seed companies, farmers, academics, foundation staff, and many others with the associated disparities of opinion. Seed systems are a vast area of exploration and are dusted with strong beliefs and sometimes firmly held philosophies. We have encouraged— and look forward to further exploring—this diversity."   Read More

Title of document: Building, Defending and Strengthening Agroecology. A Global Struggle for Food Sovereignty Authors: Colin Anderson, Michel Pimbert and Csilla Kiss Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ILEIA, Centre for Learning on Sustainable Agriculture, the Netherlands & Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience. Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: “Agroecology is the answer to how to transform and repair our material reality in a food system and rural world that has been devastated by industrial food production and its so-called Green and Blue Revolutions. We see Agroecology as a key form of resistance to an economic system that puts profit before life. […] Our diverse forms of smallholder food production based on Agroecology generate local knowledge, promote social justice, nurture identity and culture, and strengthen the economic viability of rural areas. As smallholders, we defend our dignity when we choose to produce in an agroecological way.” – Declaration of the International Forum for Agroecology, 2015 This article is based on research about the meaning and politics of agroecology from social movement perspectives.   Read More

Title of document: Agroecology: Key Concepts, Principles and Practices. Main learning points from Training courses on Agroecology in Solo, Indonesia (5-9 June 2013) and Lusaka, Zambia (20-24 April 2015). Authors: compiled by Third World Network (TWN) and Sociedad Cientifica Latinoamericana de Agroeccologia (SOCLA) Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Third World Network (TWN) and Sociedad Cientifica Latinoamericana de Agroeccologia (SOCLA) Date: 2015 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: Recognizing the urgent need for capacity building on agroecology, the Third World Network (TWN) organized two training courses to equip key actors with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and concepts of agroecology and to provide evidence of success through illustrative examples. The first was a Southeast Asian Training Course on Agroecology, organized together with Aliansi Petani (API) in Solo, Indonesia from 5-9 June 2013. The second was a Southern and Eastern African Agroecology Knowledge and Skills Sharing, organized with the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), in collaboration with the Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre, in Lusaka, Zambia from 20-24 April 2015. The resource persons were Prf. Miguel Altieri and Dr. Clara Nicholls, from the University of California, Berkeley, USA and the Latin American Scientific Society of Agroecology (SOCLA). Participants at both courses included farmers and farmer’s leaders, representatives of farmer’s organisations and civil society organisations working on agroecology/ecological agriculture, as well as government officials. This documents is a summary compiled by TWN staff of the main learning points from the lectures given during the training courses, serving as a useful resource booklet on the key concepts, principles and practices of agroecology. Miguel Altieri provided valuable inputs.               Read More

Title of document: Farming Matters - Making the case for Agroecology Support: Magazine Issue: N° 32.3 Publisher: Farming Matters is published by ILEIA, the centre for learning on sustainable agriculture. ILEIA is a member of the AgriCultures Network, a global network of organisations that shares knowledge on agroecology and family farming. www.farmingmatters.org Date of publication: September 2016 Geographic focus: World wide Summary: Agroecology is ever more present in our food and farming system. In recent years, this approach to farming and food has gained visibility and recognition among food producers, scientists, citizens and policy makers alike. It is heartening that farmers increasingly take up agroecological practices, while both social movements and multilateral institutions such as the FAO develop policies on agroecology. However, the transition to a fundamentally different food system still has a long way to go. It cannot be stressed enough that the way our food system is currently organised is incompatible with principles of equity, peace, biodiversity conservation and economic and environmental sustainability. Perverse subsidies supporting input intensive production systems and production chains that benefit a few agro-input providers and retailers, in the context of an urgent need to address climate change, biodiversity loss and malnutrition, point to the need for radical change. Here lies the potential of agroecology as a food system that can contribute to solutions for many of these challenges. But, while many successful agroecological examples exist, it is generally not yet regarded as the most effective food system. This tension is partly explained by the way society looks at impact. The multifaceted benefits of agroecology cannot be measured  through the traditional ‘productionist’ lens. This issue of Farming Matters explores how to demonstrate the critical role agroecology can play in responding to the challenges of our time.   Read More