• Women, Agroecology & Gender Equality

    This booklet from Focus on the Global South, is intended to serve as a basic background resource for grassroots groups, to make links between gender and agroecology, and to understand agroecology’s potential to address gender inequalities.

    Investments in small-scale sustainable agriculture

    This 32 page report gives an overview of the global situation of investments in agriculture. It provides examples from several countries and present recommendations for future investments in small-scale sustainable agriculture.

    • The aim of the report is to:
      Increase knowledge, awareness and discussions about investments in small-scale sustainable agriculture among farmers’ organizations, NGOs, institutions and investors working in agriculture, especially in developing countries, as well as decision-makers and institutions in OECD-countries dealing with official development assistance (ODA).
    • Contribute to increased public and private investments in small-scale sustainable agriculture.

    Farming Matters: Building Food Sovereignty

    This issue of Farming Matters is about food sovereignty. Food sovereignty is a self-organised, grassroots response to today’s problematic food and farming system. Diverse people, such as producers, consumers, peasants, migrant farm workers and urban citizens, to name a few, are uniting around initiatives to regain control over their food and natural resources.

    Agroecology and Sustainable Development

    This report primarily focuses on agroecology projects and the views of Caritas France’s partners in the Global South. The wide range of practices is tailored to providing local solutions for sustainable agriculture in myriad different regions. All the initiatives are built on the principles of empowerment, action, resilience and integration of the social dimension.

    Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food

    The report was written by Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Hilal Elver, in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. In the report, a clearer account is provided of global pesticide use in agriculture and its impact on human rights; the negative consequences that pesticide practices have had on human health, the environment and society, which are underreported and monitored in the shadow of a prevailing and narrow focus on “food security”, are described; and the environmental and human rights regimes are examined to determine whether the constituent rules are sufficient to protect farm workers, consumers, and vulnerable groups, as well as the natural resources that are necessary to support sustainable food systems.

    The report concludes with a set of important recommendations, which include – among the others – a call  to the international community to work on a comprehensive binding treaty to regulate and reduce the use of hazardous pesticides  taking into account human rights principles, the promotion of agroecology, the development of national action plans that support alternative sustainable practices.

    Ending Hunger: What would it cost?

    The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) joined forces to estimate what it would cost to end hunger, and the contribution that donors need to make. We consider that a country has achieved this goal when the number of hungry people is less than 5 per cent of the population.

    Their findings show the goal is achievable and affordable. We found that it will cost USD 11 billion a year in additional public investment to largely end hunger in developing countries. Donors will need to provide USD 4 billion of the total—which is a 3 per cent increase on current aid levels.

    Download report and presentation.

    The future of food and agriculture: trends and challenges

    Are today’s food and agricultural systems capable of meeting the needs of a global population that is projected to reach more than nine billion by midcentury? Can we achieve the required production increases, even if this implies adding pressure to already dwindling land and water resources, and do so in a context of climate change? This publication tries to answer these questions.

    What will be needed to realize the vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition?After shedding light on the nature of the challenges that agriculture and food systems are facing now and throughout the 21st century, the study provides insights into what is at stake and what needs to be done. “Business as usual” is not an option. Major transformations in agricultural systems, rural economies and natural resources management are necessary. The present study was undertaken for the quadrennial review of FAO’s strategic framework and for the preparation of the Organization Medium-Term plan 2018-2021.

    Peasant farming. A Buffer for Human Societies

    This article by Angela Hilmi and Sara Burbi explores the importance of peasant farming worldwide, the debate about its disappearance and the way it is being impacted by differentiated policies. It takes two examples, Tunisia and Egypt, during post-colonial times. In both cases policies tended to favour the modernization of agriculture, ignoring the contribution of peasant farming to the national economies. But interestingly the data show a surprisingly significant importance and increase in the number of small farms in both countries. While theoretical debates continue about the disappearance of peasantries, reality demonstrates that peasant farming is a formidable and resilient buffer for human societies, which helps stabilize, balance and enrich them.

    Agroecology. The Bold Future of Farming in Africa

    A publication launched by the African Alliance for Food Sovereignty, showcasing the huge potential of Agroecology to feed Africa, fix broken food systems and repair damaged landscapes, providing abundant healthy and nutritious food sustainably while increasing incomes and improving climate resilience. The publication also illustrates 15 case studies.

    Taking agroecology to scale: the Zero Budget Natural Farming peasant movement in Karnataka, India

    This paper analyzes how peasant movements scale up agroecology. It specifically examines Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), a grassroots peasant agroecology movement in Karnataka, India. ZBNF ends reliance on purchased inputs and loans for farming, positioning itself as a solution to extreme indebtedness and suicides among Indian farmers. The ZBNF movement has achieved massive scale not only because of effective farming practices, but because of a social movement dynamic – motivating members through discourse, mobilizing resources from allies, self-organized pedagogical activities, charismatic and local leadership, and generating a spirit of volunteerism among its members. This paper was produced as part of a self-study process in La Via Campesina, the global peasant movement.

    Climate Adapted Villages – Ethiopia

    Climate adapted villages (CAV) is the Development Fund’s method for local climate adaptation. It if focused on food production and natural resource management. This report is a review of the CAV method and how it has been implemented in Ethiopia.

    Leisa- India: Agroecology- Measurable and sustainable

    There is an increasing recognition that sustainable resource management and sustainable livelihoods are inseparable. If neglected, everyone’s future is threatened.

    While farmer’s distress stories are shocking everyone’s conscience, first time celebrations like International Year of Family Farming, emerging health consciousness among consumers, is putting farmers production practices in the focus for right reasons. Also, the mainstream international agencies are voicing that agroecological approaches are the way forward.

    Farming Matters: Making the case for agroecology

    This issue of Farming Matters explores innovative ways to demonstrate that agroecology provides critical solutions to the challenges of our time.

    Agroecology is gaining recognition for its potential to address climate change, biodiversity loss and malnutrition, and many successful examples exist. However, to garner the necessary support in policy and practice, looking differently at ‘progress’, ‘performance’ or ‘success’ of farming and food systems is key. As agroecology can have impact at many levels, conventional indicators such as yield per hectare of a single crop no longer suffice. The experiences, opinions, and perspectives featured in this issue show how farmers, researchers, policy makers and consumers are using new lenses to track change.

    Wegel: healthy soil for healthy life

    n this first issue, an attempt has been made to discuss about soil in detail through the various topics focusing on soil. In his article entitled “You are from the soil and shall go back to the soil” Dr. Hailu Araya urges all to think of the soil, its contents invaluable uses. In a similar manner, Dr. Georg Deichert tells us we have to resonate of the soil in his article entitled “Rethinking the soil.”

    These days, the soil has become a topical issue. That is because soil is the basis for everything and any problem in the health of the soil affects everything, especially living things. The agricultural system is the most affected as agriculture is all about soil, plants, animals, microorganisms and biodiversity in general.

    Wegel: Agro-biodiversity The basis for food and nutrition security

    Agro-biodiversity is not only about the genetic make up of Crops and animals domesticated by humans, it is also about the knowledge that supports it.