HLPE REPORT 14 Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition A report by The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition July 2019 HLPE High Level Panel of Experts HLPE Reports series #1 Price volatility and food security (2011) #2 Land tenure and international investments in agriculture (2011) #3 Food security and climate change (2012) #4 Social protection for food security (2012) #5 Biofuels and food security (2013) #6 Investing in smallholder agriculture for food security (2013) #7 Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition (2014) #8 Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems (2014) #9 Water for food security and nutrition (2015) #10 Sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition: what roles for livestock? (2016) #11 Sustainable forestry for food security and nutrition (2017) #12 Nutrition and food systems (2017) #13 Multi-stakeholder partnerships to finance and improve food security and nutrition in the framework of the 2030 Agenda (2018) #14 Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition (2019) All HLPE reports are available at www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe 2 HLPE Steering Committee members (2017–2019) Patrick Caron (Chairperson) Mahmoud El Solh (Vice-Chairperson) Martin Cole Louise O. Fresco Alex Godoy-Faúndez Maria Kadlečíková Eileen Kennedy Muhammad Khan Xiande Li Paul Mapfumo Mohammad Saeid Noori Naeini Elisabetta Recine Shiney Varghese Martin Yemefack Rami Zurayk HLPE Project Team members Fergus Lloyd Sinclair (Project Team Leader) Mary Ann Augustin Rachel Bezner Kerr Dilfuza Egamberdieva Oluwole Abiodun Fatunbi Barbara Gemmill Herren Abid Hussain Florence Mtambanengwe André Luiz Rodrigues Gonçalves Alexander Wezel Coordinator of the HLPE Évariste Nicolétis This report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) has been approved by the HLPE Steering Committee. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Committee on World Food Security, of its members, participants, or of the Secretariat. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by the HLPE in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. This report is made publicly available and its reproduction and dissemination is encouraged. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate this report should be addressed by e-mail to [email protected] with copy to [email protected]. Referencing this report: HLPE. 2019. Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition. A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security, Rome. 3 Contents Foreword ............................................................................................... 9 Summary and Recommendations ..................................................... 13 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 13 Agroecology: transition pathways towards sustainable food systems ................................... 13 Innovation for sustainable food systems ................................................................................ 15 Diverging perspectives on how to achieve food system transformation ................................ 16 Design of institutional environments that support transitions towards SFSs ......................... 18 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 20 Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 21 Introduction ......................................................................................... 25 Context and objective .................................................................................................... 25 Transition pathways and food system transformation ............................................... 26 Structure of the report ................................................................................................... 28 1 Agroecology: transition pathways towards sustainable food systems .......................................................................................... 31 1.1 Agroecology: a science, a set of practices and a social movement................. 31 1.1.1 Agroecology as a science ........................................................................................... 33 1.1.2 Agroecology as a set of practices ............................................................................... 36 1.1.3 Agroecology as a social movement ............................................................................. 38 1.1.4 Agroecology as an innovative approach to sustainable food systems for food security and nutrition ........................................................................................... 39 1.2 Principles of agroecology.................................................................................... 39 1.3 Contribution of agroecological approaches to food security and nutrition for rural consumers in low-income countries ................................................... 43 1.4 Contested areas and knowledge gaps in agroecology...................................... 45 1.4.1 Political and social dimensions of food production ...................................................... 45 1.4.2 Difficulty in providing labels: illustration through the convergence with organic agriculture .................................................................................................................... 45 1.4.3 Can agroecology feed the world?................................................................................ 46 1.4.4 Knowledge systems..................................................................................................... 47 1.4.5 Knowledge gaps .......................................................................................................... 48 1.5 Agroecological transitions to more sustainable food systems ........................ 49 2 Innovation for sustainable food systems .................................... 53 2.1 Innovation: concepts and definitions ................................................................. 53 2.2 Innovative approaches towards sustainable food systems for food security and nutrition ........................................................................................................ 57 2.3 Transition towards sustainable food systems: emerging concepts................. 65 2.3.1 Ecological footprint ...................................................................................................... 65 2.3.2 Agency ......................................................................................................................... 66 4 2.3.3 A framework for harnessing innovative approaches to achieve food security and nutrition outcomes ................................................................................................ 66 3 Diverging perspectives on how to achieve food system transformation ............................................................................... 69 3.1 To what extent can innovative approaches embrace both small- and large- sized farms? ........................................................................................................ 71 3.1.1 Revisiting economies of scale ..................................................................................... 72 3.1.2 Farm size and contributions to FSN ............................................................................ 73 3.1.3 Farm size, social equity and well-being of farm communities ..................................... 73 3.1.4 Farm size and nutrition ................................................................................................ 73 3.1.5 Farm size and innovation ............................................................................................ 74 3.1.6 Farm size, economic risks and resilience.................................................................... 74 3.1.7 Farm size as a focus of policy ..................................................................................... 75 3.2 To what extent can modern biotechnologies contribute to transitions towards sustainable food systems for food security and nutrition? ............... 75 3.2.1 Modern biotechnologies, health and nutrition ............................................................. 76 3.2.2 Modern biotechnologies, health and safety ................................................................. 77 3.2.3 Modern biotechnologies, livelihoods and equity .......................................................... 78 3.2.4 Modern biotechnologies and the environment ............................................................ 79 3.2.5 Modern biotechnologies and agroecology .................................................................. 79