Using Agroecology for Greener, More Resilient Food Systems

Agroecology. Creative Commons.

Besides the severe health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the global economy to contract at a rate not seen since the Second World War and has led to a severe increase of poor and food insecure people as well as a sharp projected decrease of production of agricultural goods. A recent paper from FAO uses its ‘10 elements of Agroecology’ framework to provide examples of how agroecological approaches can contribute to transforming food systems and developing a greener, more resilient and more inclusive “new normal”, focusing on the Asia-Pacific region.
Agroecology can be seen as a key part of the global response to this climate of instability, having the capacity to reconcile the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. Agroecological principles can help to increase the resilience of food systems by increasing the diversity within production systems, replacing external inputs with ecological processes, and efficient use and recycling of the resources in the system. Moreover, sale and distribution of products in agroecological systems is based on strong farmers’ organizations and direct connections between producers and consumers. These short and established supply chains ensure stable markets for both sellers and buyers during times of disruption, such as a pandemic.
Agroecology also provides the framework needed to build back a greener and more sustainable agricultural system after a crisis. The reduction of external inputs, the movement of production closer to consumers, and the increase of agro-biodiversity can contribute to reducing and reversing the environmental degradation caused by current food systems. Moreover, by creating decent jobs and protecting the wellbeing and livelihoods of people working in the agricultural sector, agroecology also contributes to strengthening the social systems supporting food production and the wellbeing of producers.
Therefore, FAO recommends that investments need to be made in two major areas to up- and out-scale the use of agroecology and support a greener future for post-pandemic agriculture: (1) Education and research (at all levels including universities, vocational schools and farmer field schools) on well-integrated sustainable agricultural practices and agroecology in order to create a new generation of professionals in the agricultural sector who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and competences required to support and lead to a “systems thinking” that enhances the agroecological transition; and (2) The development and expansion of schemes that allow for the fair compensation for positive externalities (and penalties for negative ones) associated with agricultural production, including fair market access.
Source: http://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1379484/