Used successfully by peasant farmers worldwide, agro ecology applies
ecology to agriculture in order to optimize long-term food production, requiring few purchased inputs and increasing soil quality, carbon sequestration and biodiversity over time.
Agroecology also values traditional and indigenous farming methods, studying the scientific principals underpinning them instead of merely seeking to replace them with new technologies. As such, agroecology is grounded in local (material, cultural and intellectual) resources.
A new report, presented today before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, makes several important points along with its recommendation of agroecology. For example, it says, “We won’t solve hunger and stop climate change with industrial farming on large plantations.” Instead, it says the solution lies w
ith smallholder farmers.
The majority of the world’s hungry are smallholder farmers, capable of growing food but currently not growing enough food to feed their families each year.
A net global increase
in food production alone will not guarantee the end of hunger (as the poor cannot access food even when it is available), an increase in productivity for poor farmers will make a dent in global hunger.
Potentially, ga ins
in productivity by smallholder farmers will provide an income to farmers as well, if they grow a surplus of food that they can sell.
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I’ve long believed that we must promote sustainable agriculture, not push for big business and the latest trends. Read fascinating article.