The report focuses on the role of markets in providing producers with incentives for adopting more sustainable agricultural practices that facilitate a transition towards sustainable agricultural systems. The publication describes 21 innovative initiatives from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands and the Near East, and summarizes the discussions held during the workshop. It emphasizes practitioners’ needs for information and research to reinforce these innovations, and makes recommendations on the public policies needed to promote them. The report highlights how market incentives can promote the development of innovative initiatives that strengthen food sovereignty while linking small producers to markets. It also recognizes the role of the promoters of these initiatives as social mediators who bring together scientific and traditional knowledge and mobilize other actors, promoting sustainable innovations. Finally, the document proposes various public policies for strengthening innovative initiatives, such as the creation of legislation and a legal framework to support agro-ecology and sustainable agriculture, and the recognition of local and indigenous knowledge and its integration into scientific knowledge through a formal framework for education and dissemination. The report (presentations, findings of working groups and conclusions) is available at: www.fao.org/3/a-az561s.pdf |