Agroecology is a farming approach that’s inspired by natural ecosystems, combines local and scientific knowledge, and focuses on the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment. Given the outsize contributions of conventional agriculture to climate change and biodiversity loss, there’s growing recognition the global food system needs a paradigm...

This publication provides an answer to these questions, which were at the heart of strategic conversations initiated by IFOAM EU to foster the further development of the organic movement. One result of these conversations is a shared vision of the European organic movement to 2030 and beyond, described in Part...

Food systems need to meet food security, nutrition and environmental goals, especially in a world with growing demand and a changing climate. There is now broad consensus on the need to transform current food systems towards more sustainable models. Agroecology is increasingly seen as a framework to transform food systems...

Based on surveys and on extensive stakeholder consultation process over four years in 21 European countries, the current increase in production and use of organic seed in Europe seems too slow to reach the goal of 100% organic seed in 2036. • Seed companies need reliable data on the actual demand...

The LIVESEED project investigated how crop breeders and seed producers can combine best practices from across the industry to increase the availability and quality of organic seeds. The results will help meet the EU’s ambitious targets for organic agriculture. Under the Farm to Fork strategy, the European Commission has set a...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

Certification in agriculture ensures compliance with tangible standards and should generate economic opportunities for farmers. This study quantifies the variable profit and efficiency impacts of organic certification in dairy farming across Europe, using farm-level FADN data from 25 countries while accounting for heterogeneity through a class splitting model. Four distinct...

The SWOT analysis accompanying the CAP Strategic Plan in Bulgaria identified this country as one of the Member States with the highest loss of HNV farmland in the EU. Unfortunately, it digs no further to analyse the reasons behind the loss, the types of HNV farmland that suffers most, or...

The Greater Mahale Ecosystem (GME) with its stunning views and fascinating wildlife along the shores of Lake Tanganyika – the world's longest freshwater lake – must be an exciting region to visit in western Tanzania.

By putting farmers at the heart of the learning and innovation process, FAO’s Farmer Field Schools (FFS) empower people, households and communities and help restore ecosystems. The discovery-learning process in FFS is ideal to support farmers’ learning and innovation on agroecology.

FAO Agroecology Newsletter #48 June 2021

12 European partners join forces in a coordination and support action to develop a framework for a European network of agroecological living labs, research infrastructure and learning spaces for farmers, research and civil society actors. European agriculture and food systems are strongly impacted by a large number of challenges such...

The initiative is located in the valley of Asni, at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains. In 2010, the family farms of the Tifawine cooperative decided to change their practices to improve the value of their orchards. Since this transition to agroecology, yields have increased by 27% and so...

A field robot autonomously hoed sugar beet for the first time in the canton of Thurgau. And FiBL filmmaker Thomas Alföldi was right there with his video camera. First he filmed the robot from all angles, sent up his drone and then interviewed the farmer about his the material into a...

The Organic Farm Knowledge Platform provides practical information for organic farmers and advisors. Initially, the platform was set up to cover tools and information on organic arable farming, addressing current bottlenecks. In the past two years, materials on the feeding of monogastrics and seeds/breeding were added. Now the platform has...

The initiative is taking place in the Rabat region. The Zirâa Al Hayate "Seed of Life" cooperative in the Rabat region distributes plant products from 10 farms with agroecology practices. The cooperative's farms started their activities with agroecology techniques in 2017.  The 10 participating farms of the cooperative are labeled Participatory...

Over the past decades, agriculture has become increasingly dependent on the use of herbicides and of pesticides. While they have contributed to boosting yields, herbicides can have negative effects on the environment, on biodiversity and also on human health. Therefore, the EU has more recently created policies which seek non-chemical...

The region of Europe and Central Asia is an economic and agricultural powerhouse that boasts diverse cultures, agri-food systems and climatic zones, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today. This diversity, he added, provides opportunities to share experience and good practices within the region and beyond, but to tap this potential...

Food is essential for our bodies, our economies and our communities—but the way we produce food right now isn’t always good for the planet. Feeding people doesn’t have to come at nature’s expense, though. Regenerative food systems actively restore nature while also ensuring we’re able to feed many generations to...

Back on Chiara Garini’s forest farm at the foot of the Italian Alps. Three years in, her mushroom farm and forest garden is at a crossroads: should she expand or diversify? In any case Chiara is determined to bring utopia into her business plan, and tells us about an exciting...