Maria Tekülve, the Deputy Head of Division and Focal Point for Rural Development and Agroecology at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) reflects on the role of agroecological approaches in international cooperation in an interview with Silvia Richter for the International Journal for Rural Development. The material reflects Maria Tekülve's personal opinion.

''A significantly growing consensus has developed both worldwide, in the European Union and in Germany that agroecological approaches can make important contributions to creating sustainable agricultural and food systems and rural areas with acceptable living standards. Furthermore, it is clear that contemporary systems oriented on capital and, primarily, production are neither economically nor ecologically sustainable and have in addition caused society high costs.

Spatially based and cross-sector approaches in rural development, such as “territorial concepts”, appear to be closely related to agroecological elements like diversification and regionality. “Rural regional development”, which for some time had fallen out of view in international development cooperation, is there once again, as are “holistic approaches”. Here are a few examples:

• The BMZ is actively involved in international agenda-setting. Examples here include the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the Global Landscapes Forum or the UN World Food Systems Summit, where BMZ supports agroecological approaches. These are important global, structure-forming debates, even though many controversies exist.
• In Germany, BMZ conducts departmental talks and round tables. BMZ regularly communicates with civil society and the organic food companies.
• The new BMZ strategy “A World without Hunger – within the Planetary Boundaries” contains detailed sections on agroecology and rural development.
• Funding of agroecological approaches is constantly on the increase. This applies to projects by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and KfW Entwicklungsbank, for example on five knowledge centres for organic agriculture in Africa, developing a focal area addressing agroecology with India or collaborative schemes with the EU and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. This also includes the considerable engagement of a large number of church and private organisations. Misereor, to name but one example, is working on the “True Costs” project.
• BMZ has good relations with research and teaching, internationally (e.g. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), CGIAR), consulting services in partner countries and in Germany, including the Centre for Rural Development (SLE) at Humboldt University Berlin, where a postgraduate project on agroecological approaches in the Global North is currently underway. This changes mindsets and adapts curricula in the long term.''

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