While interest is generated over new and emerging technologies, there is a diversity of knowledge, technologies and practices in agriculture, health care, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystem management. Many of these support the livelihoods of small farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples and local entrepreneurs affecting millions of people and communities across the world, especially in developing countries. In many cases, national industries have developed from traditional knowledge and endogenous technologies.There are thus vast potential and promises in these sustainable systems and practices, requiring investment and mainstreaming into development policies at the national, regional and international level. A holistic approach to technology assessment and choice would develop sophisticated principles, criteria and indicators that enable countries to benefit from sustainable production and conservation systems.

The Environmental, Socio-Cultural, Economic and Political Principles of Agroecology

This publication discusses the principles of agroecology under four dimensions of sustainability – environmental, socio-cultural, economic and political – to strengthen the narrative and advocacy on agroecology. […]

Agroecology Taking Root as Momentum Builds for Transformation in Agriculture

A transformative vision for agriculture that is based on agroecology and that is resilient, equitable and socially just, is gaining ground, including in international policy processes. […]

Recommendations for Agroecological Transitions

Based on its regional seminars on agroecology held from 2015-2017, the FAO has released reports giving recommendations and key elements to guide countries in making the transition to agroecological systems. […]

Women Farmers Bring Healthy Meals to Local Schools

In Peru’s north coast, agroecology has enabled women to provide healthy and nutritious foods for their children, while ensuring farms are resilient to the impacts of climate change. […]

Regenerative Farms Provide More Ecosystem Functions and Profitability Than Conventional Farms

Regenerative corn farms in the US outperform their conventional counterparts in terms of pest management, soil health and profitability. […]

How Food Democracy Can Transform Food Systems For The Better

This article calls for Food Democracy where bottom-up citizen-led initiatives replace failing industrial food systems with genuinely sustainable ones. […]

Organic Hotspots in the US Found to Benefit Local Economies

Organic hotspots in the US have a positive impact on local economic indicators, while hotspots of general agriculture show no such pattern, providing grounds for policymakers to focus on organic development to promote economic growth in rural areas. […]

Questioning the Food and Farming Research Agenda

This collection of articles addresses key questions about how the research agenda is set in food and farming, unmasking and challenging the dominant research paradigm, and highlighting inclusive alternatives to deliver public good. […]

Organic Agriculture Yields Several Health Benefits

There are several human health benefits associated with organic food production. The wider use of organic methods in conventional agriculture would therefore benefit human health, especially in reducing the levels of exposure to pesticides and antibiotic- […]

Agroecology and Women’s Empowerment Essential to End Malnutrition

Key recommendations to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030: promote agroecology as the main food system, promote women’s empowerment and right to land, regulate agri-food transnational corporations, and democratise food systems governance. […]