The role of agroecology in more resilient and fair food systems

Key findings

• Agroecology has the potential to make food systems environmentally sustainable and socially equitable
• Approximately 30% of farms around the world are estimated to have redesigned their production systems around agroecological principles, yielding many benefits
• In 57 nations, agroecological projects increased average crop yields by 79%
• Beyond yields, agroecology increases incomes, jobs and access to fresh and nutritious foods for communities, keeping local food cultures alive
• Agroecology increases resilience to climate change, improves soils, biodiversity and ecosystem services. In some instances, it can also help reduce emissions
• There is a need to change governance and finance systems that only support industrial agriculture 
• Increasing research and funding, plus inclusive governance and education, is key to agroecology’s expansion.

The global system of industrial food production today is largely unsustainable. It is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – accounting for up to 37% of total GHG emissions globally. Its processes erode soil nutrients and kill species, impacting biodiversity. Its structures allow power to be concentrated in the hands of a few corporations, contributing to the exploitation of workers and the impoverishment of small-scale farmers. The system also fails to feed the world, despite its claims and intentions – world hunger is on the rise, affecting 8.9% of the global population.

Many agricultural experts, scientists and activists agree that a radical transformation of our global food system is needed. In recent years, agroecology has emerged as a science-based set of practices and a social movement for a sustainable alternative to the global industrial food system. At its core, agroecology “centres on food production that makes the best use of nature’s goods and services while not damaging these resources”. It also involves the application of socioeconomic principles to build resilience and food system security.

Many experts, NGOs and multilateral agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE), and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Food, support agroecology. In addition, 12.5% of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) addressing climate change also include agroecology, with the governments of these countries considering it a valid approach to climate change.

This briefing maps out the key concepts and current thinking on agroecology. It is important to note that there are competing terminologies being pushed in agricultural sustainability debates, especially in corporate commitments. Beware of exaggerated claims and vague terms that do not align with agroecological principles and thus do not help in transforming the food production system.

The FAO’s 10 elements of agroecology/Gliessman’s five levels of food system transformation

Source: FAO, 2020

The numerous benefits of Agroecology

Across the world, farms and communities are transitioning to agroecology, often delivering impressive results, especially when solutions are tailored to the local context. Worldwide, it is estimated that nearly 30% of farms have “redesigned their production systems around agroecological principles”. A growing body of evidence shows there a number of benefits from agroecology, including: ^[1]The literature is quite heterogeneous, with some studies focusing solely on agroecological farming systems and others on other systems that  adopt agroecological principles, such as organic … Continue reading

Increased food security

Agroecology can increase yields and productivity, improving the availability and stability of food production (Box V, p.35-36). For example, yields can go up between 50%-100% (p.34) in certain settings, challenging the idea that ecological farming methods are less productive than conventional agriculture and, therefore, insufficient to feed the world. In 57 nations, agroecological projects covering 37 million hectares (equivalent to 3% of the total cultivated area in these countries) were shown to increase average crop yield by 79%, as well as land productivity on 12.6 million farms.^[2]his is one of the widest and systematic studies on agroecology. It included 286 projects in six regions of the world: Sub-Saharan Africa; Middle East and North Africa; Europe and Central Asia; South … Continue reading^[3]For example, average food production per household was up by 73% for 4.42 million small farmers growing cereals and roots. In Africa, farmers had even higher gains with average crop yields rising by 116%.^[4]A reanalysis of the previous studies. It included 114 agroecological organic projects.

Some low-input agroecological systems, such as organic agriculture, can decrease yields. In developed countries, organic farms produced 8% lower yields than conventional farms.^[5]Organic agriculture is included in literature reviews as a type of agroecological practice even though it is not as holistic as “agroecology”. However, higher yields and stability can be achieved when other practices that boost diversity are also in place, such as growing different crops in rotation or growing two or more crops simultaneously (i.e. intercropping).  

Agroecology improves health as well as food security by increasing access to food and diversifying diets.^[6]Hunger and malnutrition is not only a measure of food production, but of unequal access to food, inputs, markets, etc. Different agroecological systems can increase the level of beneficial nutrients in food, leading to more diverse and healthy diets. For example, organic milk and meat contain around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than conventional equivalents. Agroecology can also help to avert the negative health impacts of conventional agriculture, such as diseases caused by pesticide use. In many countries – from Mexico and Nicaragua to Ghana and Kenya – agroecology methods have improved diets, health and the nutritional value of crops.

Environmental and climate benefits

Agroecology improves soil health, biodiversity and ecosystem services, increasing climate adaptation and resilience. A recent literature review found that many practices improve soils and biodiversity (p.30-31), including soil organic carbon content, soil biodiversity and species richness.^[7]FAO conducted the widest literature review to date about agroecology potential in increasing climate resilience. The meta-analysis from 2020 consisted of peer-reviewed studies on agroecology (n=34 … Continue reading^[8]Examples are: the use of organic fertilisers, higher crop diversity, agroforestry, biodiversification, soil management, and water harvesting. These are central aspects of climate change adaptation, as they help farmers handle (p.467) climate extremes, particularly in the Global South. For example, in semi-arid and sub-humid areas in Africa and in 17 food-insecure countries, agroecological practices have been shown to help improve soil, crop and water management (p.15-20).^[9]Debray et al. (2019) focused on agropastoral land use in semiarid Africa and mixed-crop-livestock production in subhumid areas.

Given that industrial agriculture is the source of agricultural emissions, transitioning the current system to agroecology could significantly contribute to mitigation. A recent literature review found that some practices, like using organic fertilisers and maximising resource efficiency, help to reduce emissions. For example, small agroecology farms may be two to four times more energy efficient than large conventional farms. Similarly, agroecological farming is more efficient in storing carbon in soils than conventional systems. Agroecological practices that rebuild the organic matter in soils lost from industrial agriculture, for example, can store an equivalent to 20%–35% of current GHG emissions, according to GRAIN. Agroforestry – growing trees in or near croplands and pasture – can store 0.1 to 5.7 Gt of CO₂ a year globally (for reference, the higher estimate is nearly six times the aviation emissions in 2019), according to the IPCC.^[10]In Africa, agroforestry’s potential is high even in very dry grassland areas, as only 15% of farms currently have 30% tree cover. Across the continent, the practice of growing trees and crops in … Continue reading But the mitigation potential can vary, depending on the type of practice adopted (p.33). For example, practices that focus only on improving soils can reduce emissions locally, but not necessarily globally.^[11]Based on the current evidence, their potential has been overestimated. The World Resources Institute took a deep dive into the science and found it is “unlikely to achieve large-scale emissions … Continue reading More importantly, the mitigation potential of scaling up agroecology is achieved because it can reduce emissions of the industrialised food system as a whole. For example, by distributing food mainly through local markets instead of transnational food chains, total GHG emissions can be reduced by 10%–12%.

Improvements to farmers’ lives

Agroecology increases incomes and creates more stable jobs. A recent literature review found that profitability and labour productivity increased in 66% and 100% respectively compared to conventional agricultural practices. Case studies in European farms show that farmers’ incomes can rise by 10% to 110%. In India, a project transitioning six million farmers to agroecology increased household food autonomy, income and health, as well as reducing farm expenses and credit needs. In Mexico, the combination of traditional indigenous knowledge with agroecological practices enabled 31,000 coffee farmers to obtain higher profit margins than conventional farmers. 

A higher income reduces production costs and means farmers are less dependent on local retailers and moneylenders, and therefore less vulnerable to price volatility and debt. Agroecology also creates jobs at lower costs with work spread more evenly throughout the year, allowing for more full-time employment. 

The current limitations to agroecology research and application:

• Public investment in agroecological approaches is very limited – it accounts for just 1%-1.5% of total agricultural and aid budgets. Most education programmes and funding for researchers, for instance, only promote industrial agriculture. 
• There is less research on the social and economic aspects of agroecology (1,2) than on its environmental benefits.^[12]The literature is quite heterogeneous. There are many case studies that are judged agroecological by the authors while others analyse farms that strongly relate to agroecology or some of its key … Continue reading Two key knowledge gaps are how to effectively link agroecology to public policies, and how to identify its social and economic impacts in a range of socio-ecological conditions. There is also limited research on how to scale agroecology in ways that foster democratic processes and address the needs of marginalised groups. 
• Meta analysis (1,2,3) usually considers case studies on certain types of farms, such as organic (see mind map below), as agroecological. However, while these farms apply some agroecological practices that focus on the environment, they tend not to engage the social and economic practices.  

What will it take to scale up agroecology’s deployment?

Scale up is possible but requires the obstacles to transitioning away from industrial agriculture to be removed. Today, “the world spends at least USD 600 billion each year on agricultural subsidies. Roughly 70% of these funds provide direct income support, while only 5% support any kind of conservation or sustainability objective,” according to the World Resources Institute. 

Governments, donors and the agro-food industry are the primary hindrance to agroecology. Policymakers are concerned about profitability and scalability and believe, mistakenly, that agroecology is too complex. This reduces their capacity to enact laws that foster agroecology. Through trade and agricultural policies, governments tend to favour the interests of the existing agro-food industry, such as providing agricultural subsidies to support conventional farming.^[13]Subsidies have helped increase conventional farming productivity at lower costs, making products cheaper and distorting prices. All these make it harder for agroecological farmers to compete. The intensive lobby of large corporations also supports a legal and economic framework in favour of industrialised agriculture. 

Only a few public, bilateral donors and international organisations – France, Switzerland, Germany, the FAO and International Fund For Agricultural Development – specifically identify agroecology as a sustainable approach for achieving food security. Most donors endorse some principles of agroecology but in practice direct funding towards reinforcing and tweaking conventional agriculture methods, effectively locking out funding for agroecology. For example, 85% of projects funded by the Gates Foundation were for industrial agriculture and increasing its efficiency (e.g. improving pesticide practices or livestock vaccines). Agroecology is often reduced to the ecological dimension, with donors paying less attention to concerns like the circular economy or co-creation of knowledge with farmers and local communities. Furthermore, lack of finance plus insecure land tenure tend to discourage poor farmers to take up agroecology. Taken together, these obstacles reinforce the economic and political power currently held within the agro-food industry.

Long-term action is needed to scale up agroecology. Suggestions by FAO and experts include:

• Building a strong evidence base and convincing narrative in support of agroecology. Interdisciplinary research can help to raise awareness and disseminate key messages among policymakers and the public to challenge the misconceptions about agroecology that impede political recognition and support. Integrating agroecology in agricultural research and education, such as by focusing public agricultural research on agroecological innovations or supporting the development of farmer-led and community-driven research, enables the co-construction and dissemination of agroecological knowledge. This can motivate farmers to adopt new methods.
• Introduce favourable policies and reorient funding. Policy reforms will have a greater impact if governments provide support and incentives for moving away from industrial agriculture, such as reorienting public spending to fund  farmer-to-farmer networks  and improve their ability to access credit and product markets, or redesigning trade and agricultural policies in favour of agroecological approaches. Governments should also improve agricultural and food governance at local, national and international level, with a focus on increasing the participation of small-scale producers in decisions that affect them and shape agricultural and food systems. This is necessary to bring control of the food system to the local level. 

Wider stakeholder involvement. Civil society organisations (CSO) and research institutions could work with policymakers and farmers to provide technical expertise in support of agroecology. NGOs, for example, can also support efforts of agroecological farmers, farmer networks and organisations through collaboration with researchers to disseminate information among sceptical farmers on the benefits of agroecological farming and its increased resilience, including its economic profitability. CSO’s could also influence donors, policymakers and the private sector to improve funding and support for policies that democratise agricultural and food governance. In general, the voices of farmers, indigenous and local communities need to be amplified in policy development and knowledge sharing.

Appendix 1: Approaches and practices that are considered agroecological

Produced by researchers based on the meta-analyses: 1,2. These are a few of the most common examples. See studies for all.

Appendix 2: Key resources

• The potential of agroecology to build climate-resilient livelihoods and food systems. FAO, 2020
• Approaches to sustainable agriculture. IUCN, 2020
• Climate Change and Agroecology and case study of CCAFS. CCAFS, 2020. 
• The Ten Elements of Agroecology. FAO 2019
• The agroecological transition of agricultural systems in the Global South. AFD, CIRAD, 2019
• Agroecological and other innovative approaches. A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition. HLPE, 2019
• Beacons of Hope: Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Food Systems. GAFF, 2019
• Scaling up agroecology initiative. FAO 2018
• Breaking away from industrial food and farming systems: Seven case studies of agroecological transition. IPES-Food, 2018