Brazil launches the Agroecology Plan and Organic Production. It was announced by the President Dilma Rousseff the 17 October, during the Second National  Conference on Sustainable Rural Development, in Brasilia.  The Plan aims to coordinate policies and actions for an environmental-friendly agriculture and the organic food production, with an initial investment of 8.8 billion allocated to 125 initiatives all over the country.

This is the result of an intense  dialogue  between the government and civil society representatives gathered in the national committee that was established by presidential decree in 2012 in order to develop the Plan.

Just one day prior to the announcement, the Ministry of Agriculture, in Brasilia was occupied by  the protest of the Brazilian farmers demanding “global action on food sovereignty” as part of World Food Day celebrations.
Although civil society proposals have not been fully included in the final version of the document,  there is a general consensus on the fact that the Plan marks an historic moment, an important step foward in the direction of a more sustainable peasant agriculture, especially in a country such as Brazil where the agribusiness model still keeps on maintining a great influence on government policies, due to its economic importance.

 See also:

• http://aspta.org.br/2013/10/dilma-lanca-plano-nacional-de-agroecologia-e-producao-organica/
  (article in Portuguese)
• The Agroecology Plan: Brasil Agroecológico Plano Nacional de Agroecologia e Produção Orgânica
  (PDF in Portuguese)
• The official presentation (PDF in Portuguese)

Brasil Agroecológico. A video produced by the Brazilian governemnt for the launching of the Plan.

The Superfarmer fights for a brighter food future by using sustainable farming methods and techniques. He is a small farmer but also the tomorrow’s superhero. The video is produced by the Development Fund Norway in cooperation with Spire. Find out more on  www.superbonden.no.

The report Wake up before it is too late. Make agriculture truly sustainable now for food security in a changing climate has been just released from UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development).  Among the key messages, this report clearly states the need for a shift from conventional, monoculture based agriculture towards ecological food production systems.

A ONG Ação Nascente Maquiné (ANAMA), do Rio Grande do Sul, disponibiliza no seu site o manual “Práticas Agroecológicas na Agricultura Familiar”. Read more

We are pleased to share Important elements for consideration: Food Security and Nutrition, and Sustainable Agriculture, an excellent brief prepared by Third World Network as contribution to the setting up of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of the major agreed actions from the June 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Read more

A recent wave of large-scale land acquisitions and other commercial investment in agriculture has raised concerns that small-scale producers are being marginalized. This report takes a new look at the role of public policy and market governance in ensuring inclusive sustainable development. It also foucses on elements that can contribute to gender-equitable results. Four country case studies, conducted in Guatemala, Nigeria, Tanzania and the Philippines supports this work.

This study, published in 2001 by IIED, is the outcome of a participatory action research carried out in cooperation with the Campesino a Campesino, a farmer-led sustainable agriculture movement in Latin America. It compares the sustainability of conventional to agroecological farms after Hurricane Mitch, covering  360 communities of smallholders from southern Nicaragua to eastern Guatemala.

The paper contains 12 different case studies and chapters on agroecology; other sustainable farming methods;  agroecology and resilience to climatic changes; evidence of the food security potential of agroecological systems; the scaling up of agroecological innovations, with challenges and opportunities; the approaches that can be used for scaling up agroecology ; conclusions and way forward.

Sustainable agriculture in dry and degraded areas is about the resilience of farmers and ecosystems. With examples from different parts of the world, the latest issue of Farming Matters, shows the importance of local knowledge and appropriate policies. Farming Matters is published by ILEIA quarterly and reaches readers in 172 countries.

A new 30-minute film produced by The Gaia Foundation and the Africa Biodiversity Network, in collaboration with MELCA Ethiopia, Navdanya International and GRAIN.
Narrated by actor Jeremy Irons, Seeds of Freedom is set to explode pervasive myths about agriculture, development and Africa’s ability to feed herself. At the heart of the film the story of seed and its transformation from the basis of farming communities’ agri-culture, to the property of agri-business.