Food systems transformation in motion: Agroecology in principle, in policy and in practice

This session will cover the core framework of agroecology as an approach that mimics natural processes while building on local community knowledge, that adheres to foundational environmental and social benchmarks, and that is anchored on set of principles and elements. It will also tackle structural drivers, given the growing political and policy momentum on agroecology from global to regional, to national and subnational territorial levels, supported both by governments and non-state actors. It will likewise feature on-theground action illustrated by examples at the farm level (e.g., multicropping, agroforestry, and use of local seeds and opportunity crops to drastically reduce reliance on chemical inputs) and short value chains (e.g., direct networks between farmers and consumers, returning fair profit margins to smallholders while improving food access). Finally, it will feature some tools and mechanisms that can be used in capturing agroecological transitions impacts and showcase IFAD’s approach in this regard.