Agroecology:
An idea and practice
coming of age
In February, at the International
Forum for Agroecology in Nyeleni, Mali, a turning point came in the
dissemination of ideas and practices of what is called ‘agro ecology’. Agro ecology is a holistic approach to
farming and food production that could shape how we feed the world in the 21st century.
It offers, at last, a means through which sustainable food sovereignty can be
achieved across the globe.
The conference followed last year’s
International Symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition,
organised in Rome by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United
Nations (UN). It further built on the momentum created by the 2014
International Year of Family Farming, another UN initiative. Both of these
events made important contributions to the thinking around agroecology but, as
Patrick Mulvany of the UK Food Group said, further discussion was still needed.
He felt that:
“The outcomes were not clearly
articulated in favour of a locally-controlled, ecological and biodiverse model
of production and harvesting that is more nutritious and better for the planet,
especially as a response to climate change. Nor were key issues on territory,
gender equity and the role of consumers fully considered. It was also felt to
be the right time to recapture the term ‘agroecology’ as an essential component
of food sovereignty, preventing its co-optation by the industrial agribusiness
lobby.”
As Mulvany infers, agroecology goes
far beyond the dichotomy of organic versus non-organic methods of farming. Its
holistic approach puts ecology at the centre of the food system. For Alfonso
Schneider of the Small Farmers Movement of Brazil (MPA),
“Agroecology is not merely a set of techniques or agricultural practices, nor a
science. It incorporates political, social, economic and cultural dimensions.”
Agroecology builds soil fertility
using compost or manure. It uses traditional family farming techniques such as intercropping, arboriculture and seed saving, and
minimises the use of external inputs. It fosters biodiversity and supports
ecosystem health. Socially and economically, it aims to support a fair wage for
the producer, provide access to affordable, local produce for communities and
encourages a sense of place through cultural traditions. Politically,
agroecology aims to ensure that the production of food is supported and
safeguarded at all policy levels, and that the voices of producers and
consumers are heard.
In order to prevent its co-optation,
a diverse mix of pastoralists, peasants, fisher folk, indigenous leaders and
young people came to Mali to make sure that agroecology was defined clearly but
also more broadly. As Peter Rosset of La Via Campesina said,
it is a “genuine alternative to industrial agriculture and not a way to make
industrial agriculture more sustainable”. I was at the conference representing Urgenci,
the global network of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
The task of those attending the
February conference was to draw up a declaration of shared values. The range of
experiences represented by such a diverse group made for fertile discussions.
Sipping tea made by a Uruguayan alongside an activist from Ghana while
listening to a speech by an Iranian, I was excited to see that people from
every corner of the world could see the potential for this new approach. The
declaration provides clarity of intent and truly defines the meaning of agroecology
by and for the small-scale producers who grow 70% of the world’s food.
The conference, organised by the
International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) and hosted by the Confédération
Nationale des Organisations Paysannes (CNOP), was a powerful
opportunity to show how agroecology can help realise the six pillars of food sovereignty outlined
by the IPC in the same village of Nyeleni, back in 2007.
A representative of ROPPA (Network
of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organisations of West Africa) set the
tone for the conference in his opening speech: “People are struggling every
day, all over the world, but we must not struggle alone, we must work
together.” One farmer’s voice is inconsequential in the face of the interests
of financial profit, but together we can be heard.
The declaration drafted at the
conference emphasises the political aspect of agroecology and the need for the
grassroots to unite to be sure of effective representation. It states:
“Agroecology is political; it
requires us to challenge and transform structures of power in society. We need
to put the control of seeds, biodiversity, land and territories, waters,
knowledge, culture and the commons in the hands of the people who feed the
world.”
One delegate spoke about how our
feelings are as important as the techniques we use in agroecology: “Without
feeling,” he said, “I cannot be a farmer.” We feel connected to the natural
environment in a spiritual way – not one quantifiable by financial returns.
Agroecology is not just a technique or a system, it’s a way of living that gives
people a strong cultural connection to the land.
The FAO was a key supporter of the
February conference, and this new declaration defining agroecology more clearly
has the power to influence FAO recommendations for the future of food
production. With the UN following suit, we hope that nation states will, in
turn, begin to look to agroecology to achieve genuine food security.
However, co-optation is a continuing
threat, diluting the power of agroecology’s ethos. The French government, for
instance, has created a central role for agroecology through the 2014Loi
d’Avenir (law for the future of
agriculture, food and the forest). This is ostensibly driven by
agroecological principles, but in its essence, it does not uphold the expanded
definition of agroecology. Reducing the use of pesticides and antibiotics, and
encouraging organic farming and the use of agroforestry, are steps in the right
direction but they do not, on their own, represent the holistic approach mapped
out in the new declaration.
Peter Crosskey has commented in the Sustainable Food Trust’s
coverage of the Loi d’Avenir, that:
“The members of the small-scale
farmer’s union, Confédération paysanne (Conf’), constantly accused Stéphane Le Foll of
using new catchphrases to embellish an old system – for example, exhorting
farmers to ‘Produisons autrement’ (produce differently) but allowing the
same industrial production alongside.”
The declaration was borne out of
sentiments such as these, showing the will of people across the planet to work
in ways that are healthy for us and the ecosystems on which we depend. The
document weaves together many strands. It emphasises the importance of women as
primary food producers, and the rights of indigenous peoples to access their
traditional territories. The declaration also recognises our dependence on the
health of ecosystems so that species extinction can be slowed and climate
change halted.
In order to maintain and develop
agroecological production, practical face-to-face exchanges and training between
producers is essential. Engagement between producers and consumers, also, needs
to be prioritised and traditional markets have a key role in this. The market
is, again, the ‘agora’ – a place to come and buy staples from the producers we
know and trust, but also the place we come for community exchange and cultural
sustenance.
Out of these strong local networks,
grassroots producers and consumers can make sure they are also represented in
local policy-making decisions. Once these local networks work together they can
link into national and international networks to ensure they are represented at
higher levels of policy making too. This is well demonstrated through the West
African networks of CNOP, which are members of ROPPA, which in turn works with Via
Campesina, which is represented on the IPC.
Perhaps most significantly, the
declaration,
“recognise[s] that as humans we are
but a part of nature and the cosmos. We share a spiritual connection with our
lands and with the web of life. We love our lands and our peoples, and without
that, we cannot defend our agroecology, fight for our rights, or feed the
world. We reject the commodification of all forms of life.”
This declaration can lead us into a
happier, more harmonious future, and towards viable food sovereignty. People
deserve to be able to live with dignity, pursuing time-honoured practices that
nurture the planet as well as their own lives.
To read the full declaration please click here.
Photographs: Ali Jafri and Rupert Dunn
20 March, 2015
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