Scaling up Agroecology
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with the technical support of VOICE OF FUTURE GENERATIONS SCALING UP AGROECOLOGY FUTURE POLICY AWARD 1 GOLD VISION AWARD Sikkim, India: State Policy on Organic Farming (2004) International: TEEBAgriFood. The Economics and Sikkim Organic Mission (2010) of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture Sikkim is the first organic state in the world. All and Food Evaluation Framework (2018) of its farmland is certified organic. At the same TEEBAgriFood has developed a comprehensive time, Sikkim’s approach reaches beyond organic evaluation framework which allows assessing production and has proved truly transformational of impacts and externalities of food systems. for the state and its citizens. Embedded in its design With it, decision makers can better compare are socioeconomic aspects such as consumption different policies and the market can value food and market expansion, cultural aspects as well more accurately. Agroecology aims to strengthen as health, education, rural development and the sustainability of the food system and include sustainable tourism. The transition has benefitted the ecological, economic and social dimensions. more than 66,000 farming families. As actual implementation of agroecological We need to put forward sustainable food systems that offer healthy and nutritious approaches is complex and challenging, this food and preserve the environment. Agroecology is an important pathway SILVER broader and more systematic approach will help to support the transition towards more sustainable food systems and for meeting Quito, Ecuador: Participatory Urban Agriculture to overcome barriers and effectively upscale. the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The selected policies feature Programme AGRUPAR (2002) important agroecological aspects and support such transitions. Leadership The programme was developed on the basis HONOURABLE MENTION Los Angeles, USA: Good Food Purchasing and political will are key to achieve them. FAO encourages such leadership and of a broad, largely women-led community consultation. It explicitly recognizes the role Policy (2012) is committed to join hands to accelerate the needed transition to more sustainability. of urban agriculture for wider social, ecological and The Good Food Purchasing Programme Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, economic development and works along the entire is a procurement standard to empower institutions food chain. Training programmes help support to shift towards local, sustainable, fair and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations community, family and school gardens. With over humanely produced foods, while improving access 3,600 urban gardens growing on 32 hectares and to healthy, high-quality food for all communities. more than 21,000 people trained, AGRUPAR fosters To become a “Good Food Provider”, organisations food security, increases incomes, and enhances are assessed on five food system values: local ecosystem functions. The programme is part of economies, environmental sustainability, valued Quito’s mission to become an entrepreneurial, workforce, animal welfare and nutrition. sustainable and innovative city. Twenty-seven public institutions in 14 US cities The Future Policy Award is designed to alert policy makers and the public have so far adopted the standard and followed to the importance of best practice in law and policy making. We want to highlight SILVER Los Angeles’ example. outstanding examples of regulatory vision and encourage rapid learning. Brazil: National Policy for Agroecology The World Future Council is looking forward to celebrating these best policies and Organic Production PNAPO (2012) HONOURABLE MENTION advancing agroecology in the interest of future generations and to sharing With this national framework policy, Brazil has Ndiob, Senegal: The vision to become a green their success stories. stepped up its promotion of agroecology and organic and resilient municipality, CAPCOMMUN (2014), production. PNAPO recognizes the need for food Agriculture Development Programme (2017) Alexandra Wandel, Director and Vice-Chair Management Board, systems to connect production, processing, marketing Ndiob, a group of 18 villages, agreed on the World Future Council and consumption while ensuring the sustainable ambitious vision of “making Ndiob a green use of natural resources, circular economy and and resilient municipality through a process social justice. The policy was developed through of economic and social development and welfare, intense civil society dialogue and helped advance the inclusive and respectful for human rights, in agroecological agenda in the country. particular towards vulnerable communities.” The set of programmes and projects implemented SILVER foster agroecology. Denmark: Organic Action Plan “Working together The potential of agroecology to achieve healthy nutrition for all and to address for more organics” (2011-2020) HONOURABLE MENTION The Danish Organic Action Plan has a strong focus Kauswagan, The Philippines: social injustice, climate change and biodiversity loss has been internationally From Arms to Farms Programme (2011) recognized. These policies underline that policy makers in all corners of the world on demand creation, research and product innovation. It was developed through broad stakeholder To achieve peace and stability, Kauswagan have heard the alarm bells ringing and take urgently needed action. consultation and is supported by substantial funding. is addressing the root causes of conflict: food Peggy Miars, World Board President of IFOAM–Organics International Denmark has the highest market share of organic insecurity, poverty, hunger and inequalities. products in the world, with almost 80 percent of Kauswagan has turned from a territory disrupted Danes purchasing organic food. By increasing the by decades of war into a model for innovation demand for organic products in Denmark and abroad, and sustainable development. The Arms to Farms farmers are motivated to convert from conventional to programme shows that agroecology can be a organic food production. powerful tool for radical and beneficial changes. 3 FUTURE WHAT IS AGROECOLOGY? Agroecology supports the transformation to more POLICY sustainable agri-food systems. Agroecology is understood to be a science, a set of practices, AWARD and a social movement. 2018 A set of principles and practices Agroecology practices aim to improve interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment. They want to reduce dependency on external DEAR READER, THE FUTURE POLICY AWARD fossil-fuel based inputs, increase soil health and biodiversity, reduce soil erosion and more. The choice Championing and spreading effective, future-just The Future Policy Award celebrates legislation which concrete practices and technologies will policy solutions is the principal goal of the World and policies that create better living conditions achieve this, however, depends on local conditions Future Council. Each year we select a topic for current and future generations. The aim and is grounded in local knowledge. on which policy action is particularly urgent. of the award is to raise global awareness Enhancing food and nutrition security, fighting for these exemplary laws and policies and speed up A science deforestation, combating desertification – these action towards just, sustainable and peaceful societies. are just a few of the key global issues which we have The Future Policy Award is the first award As a scientific discipline, agroecology is not addressed with our Future Policy Award. that celebrates policies rather than people prescriptive. Consequently, the science on an international level. of agroecology explicitly recognises the value This year, together with IFOAM–Organics of bottom-up participatory research and knowledge. International and the Food and Agriculture This year, 20,000 experts from intergovernmental It brings together formal and informal innovation Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organizations, non-profit organizations, academic processes and combines local expertise with we have identified legal frameworks and policies and research institutions, government agencies, scientific knowledge. The science of agroecology that feature important elements of agroecology. development banks and other organizations received respects farmers as owners of knowledge, Many thanks to our supporters: Green Cross the call for nominations. innovators and co-researchers. International, DO-IT – Dutch Organic International Trade and Sekem Group, Egypt. 51 policies from 25 countries were nominated. Co-creation of knowledge These nominations from all continents reflect We are introducing to you examples of policies a wide range of law making and policy approaches Schools set up and run by farmers’ organizations that can contribute to scaling up agroecology as addressing different aspects of agroecology. are a powerful example of how agroecological an important pathway to achieve the Sustainable We received 6 nominations from Africa, knowledge is developed, building on diverse Development Goals. We encourage policymakers 12 from Asia, 9 from Europe, 20 from Latin knowledge and experience. Agroecology facilitates globally to adopt and implement innovative elements America, one from North America, and promotes co-creation of knowledge to combine of these policies in their own countries, states and and 3 international nominations. scientific knowledge with the existing knowledge cities to support change to more sustainable food