<h3>Introduction</h3>
Agroecology is identified &lsquo;as a science, a movement and a practice&rsquo; (Wezel, 2009). The &lsquo;model&rsquo; has been gaining popularity in several literatures, implying a food system that prioritizes small-scale food producers. The model implies that all small-scale farmers must have unfettered access to decision-making over land and commons such as water, air, culture, and information. Agroecology is presented as a strategy to provide healthier food, increase agricultural sustainability, and revitalize local communities (European Coordination Via Campesina, 2022). In comparison to popular agricultural practices, there is compelling and mounting evidence that agroecological techniques may achieve high production and profitability while avoiding the environmental externalities (Kerr et al., 2023); a shift that is much needed with the increasing effects of climate change on food production, and vice-versa.
The localized structure of agroecological supply chains may present what seems like a paradox with meeting the fast-increasing consumption needs, and food demand. However, there is ample evidence that the agroecology model's shorter food value chains is capable of responding to these challenges differently and directly by reducing food waste, and promoting circular economies, and ultimately contributing to adaptation and mitigation to climate change (Kerr et al., 2023). As emphasized by Dr. Jean-Marc Faur&egrave;s, Regional Program Leader, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa, agroecology can transform food systems, fostering transformative social processes and increasing access to healthy, environmentally friendly food (SEKEM, 2019). This commentary argues for the effectiveness and sustainability of agroecology by taking an initial overview of the model, as well as presenting starting points in policy from Senegal, Cuba and Brazil that address the model&rsquo;s potential for agricultural production. It is worth noting that in Egypt the SEKEM initiative represents preliminary but promising efforts into streamlining agroecology into Egyptian agricultural systems, with a set of social, communal and ecological goals in mind (SEKEM, 2020).
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">The Agroecological Model</h3>
Agroecology follows a pattern typically based on short and decentralized circuits of production and consumption, with strong links between food production and local and regional ecosystems and societies, and is contextualized and linked with the specificities of local ecosystems and social relations (Rosset and Mart&iacute;nez-Torres, 2012). Van der Ploeg and Douwe (2008) call such pattern re-peasantization, whereas land is reformed to become space for &lsquo;peasant&rsquo; or &lsquo;small farmer&rsquo; territory as they switch from input-dependent to local-resource agroecology (Rosset and Mart&iacute;nez-Torres, 2012), basing their practices on traditional practices and knowledge. In this sense, agroecology aims to reduce dependence and gain autonomy, becoming more independent from input and credit markets (Van der Ploeg, Jingzhon and Schneider, 2010).
Agroecological practices emphasize farmer and peasant knowledge and are best understood as principles applied to each farmer's unique reality, integrating crops, trees, and livestock at the plot, farm, and landscape levels (Altieri and Rog&eacute;, 2009; Gliessman, 2015). For example, using substitution strategies like microbial pesticides 1 or compost instead of synthetic fertilizers are considered agroecological (Mier y Teran Gim&eacute;nez Cacho et al., 2018), and produce high-quality food in a circular, unwasteful manner without contributing to climate change or degrading agricultural land (Lal, 2009; Sawan, 2016).
<h3>Meeting Food Demand</h3>
As of today, agricultural systems that aim to meet the food needs of the population promote monocultures and use harsh chemical inputs, stripping the soil of its ability to retain moisture and nutrients, causing yields to fall year after year (Zossou, 2014). Meanwhile, agroecology as a mode, covers consumption in a manner that promotes sustainable production, that does not reduce yield in the long-term, and does not put food security further into threat. Agroecological supply chains bypass long international interactions, and rely on face-to-face interactions (Hedberg and Zimmerer, 2020). The model mostly focuses on food security in the &lsquo;home&rsquo;, meaning that the goal is to convert smallholder farmers to climate-adapted agroecological techniques. These techniques emphasize the farmer&rsquo;s autonomy; each farmer adopts procedures, species, and objectives that work best for them, that tackle and adapt to climatic hazards through soil fertility management and conservation (Zossou, 2014), making it easier to adapt to changing crop rotations, and tactical use of replenished resources for maximum gain.
<h3>Scaling Up Agroecology: Policy Approaches</h3>
With the right policies, agroecological practices are capable of spreading beyond isolated, local experiences to be used by more families and communities over larger territories and to involve more people in food processing, distribution, and consumption (Mier y Teran G.C et al., 2018). In this sense, the agroecological model can expand to become a substitute for popular agricultural practices, and ultimately put a halt to disruptive techniques that affect soil, biodiversity and conservation in the long term.
The Committee on World Food Security (2021) in their report &lsquo;Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches&rsquo; recall that food system transition should be fostered in a logical way, that considers circumstances, context and capacities. This means that, for each country, the food system transition should be initiated by agri-food policy development that can prioritize social organization and fabric, and, as argued by this piece, can help scale up agroecology. With the benefits and potentialities presented above, it&rsquo;s worth looking at case studies from countries that have succeeded to scale-up this model through a variety of policy approaches:
<ul>
<li>Comprehensive national policies</li>
</ul>
In 2012, Brazil developed The Brazilian National Policy for Agroecology and Organic Production which plans to expand and consolidate sustainable rural development and healthy food consumption to improve population health (Agroecology Info Pool, 2018). It must be noted that Brazil is an agricultural-export economy, and that through such policy small-scale farmers and agricultural communities have gained space to address food security and trade (Mier y TeranG.C. et al., 2018).
<ul>
<li>Education and social innovation</li>
</ul>
According to Mier y Ter&aacute;n et al. (2018), scaling agroecology practices is based on educational efforts that affect food systems, and get people to work together for agrarian reform. Scaled-out agroecology movements use ways to teach and learn that actively include traditional, local, and modern knowledge and encourage independence (Rosset and Mart&iacute;nez-Torres, 2012; Coolsaet, 2016). For example, the Farmer-to-Farmer Agroecology Movement (MACAC) has spread all over Cuba with more than 200,000 farmers using agroecological farming methods, with locally specific solutions developed and disseminated by farmers themselves (Chang, 2021).
Educational methods that promote horizontal, group learning, such as "co-creation of knowledge" (Coolsaet, 2016), are important for social innovation and a dynamic agri-food market based on agroecology. Social innovation that can be adapted to different situations and challenges, would strengthen market mechanisms for agroecological food products.
<ul>
<li>State support and collaboration</li>
</ul>
Agroecology-friendly markets can also be driven by public policies that help small farmers and agroecological production. The Cuban case shows government involvement in managing the food market. For example, the government helps farmers' cooperatives across the country by giving them contracts to buy crops and making sure crop prices give farmers market guarantees (Fernandez et al., 2018).
Furthermore, in the Cuban case, strategic coalitions between farmers, scientists, and the government have spread alternative production methods, reduced chemical use, and increased domestic fruit, vegetable, and grain output (Altieri and Funes-Monzote and Peterson, 2011; Fernandez et al., 2018). A market set-up based on state support and on collaboration allows scaling processes to take place, grow and continue.
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Land tenure and use</li>
</ul>
Many farmers do not perceive the need to pursue agroecology and other sustainable land use methods in the absence of tenure security, which results in lost chances to move to sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. As argued by Liversage (2021), decreased ownership of land immediately lessens farmers' productivity, land management investments and favorable environmental results.
A seaside town near Senegal's capital Dakar has adopted agroecology with recognition of the centrality of land to development by promoting secure tenure rights, proving that farmers embrace productive and sustainable farming practices when they have access to the land (FAO, 2022).
With this diverse set of policy approaches in mind, it is made clear that agroecology as a model links to the needs of small-scale farmers, as well as empowers them. This is all the while working towards meeting food demand in a sustainable manner, and ensuring food security to communities in a direct, long-term manner.
<hr>
References
<ul>
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<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Altieri, M. A., and Rog&eacute; , P. (2009). The Ecological Role and Enhancement Of Biodiversity in Agriculture . In S. Lockie and D. Carpenter (Eds.), Agriculture, biodiversity and markets: Livelihoods and agroecology in comparative perspective (pp. 15&ndash;32). essay, Earthscan.</li>
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<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Bezner Kerr, R., Postigo, J. C., Smith, P., Cowie, A., Singh, P. K., Rivera-Ferre, M., Tirado-von der Pahlen, M. C., Campbell, D., and Neufeldt, H. (2023). Agroecology as a transformative approach to tackle climatic, food, and ecosystemic crises. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 62, 101275. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101275">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101275</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Chang, Y. (2021). Scaling sustainable agriculture: Multiplying the farmer-to-farmer agroecology movement in Cuba. <a href="https://doi.org/10.21201/2020.7024">https://doi.org/10.21201/2020.7024</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Coolsaet, B. (2016). Towards an agroecology of knowledges: Recognition, Cognitive Justice and farmers&rsquo; autonomy in France. Journal of Rural Studies, 47, 165&ndash;171. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.07.012">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.07.012</a></li>
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<li style="font-size: 10pt;">FAO. (2022). More secure land tenure in Senegal lays the groundwork for agroecology and women empowerment. Agroecology Knowledge Hub, FAO. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from <a href="https://www.fao.org/agroecology/database/detail/en/c/1539560/">https://www.fao.org/agroecology/database/detail/en/c/1539560/</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Fernandez, M., Williams, J., Figueroa, G., Graddy-Lovelace, G., Machado, M., Vazquez, L., Perez, N., Casimiro, L., Romero, G., and Funes-Aguilar, F. (2018). New opportunities, new challenges: Harnessing Cuba&rsquo;s advances in Agroecology and sustainable agriculture in the context of changing relations with the United States. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 6. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.337">https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.337</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Gliessman, S. R. (2015). Agroecology: A growing field. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 39:1&ndash;2. doi:10.1080/21683565.2014.965869.</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Hedberg, R. C., and Zimmerer, K. S. (2020). What&rsquo;s the market got to do with it? social-ecological embeddedness and environmental practices in a local food system initiative. Geoforum, 110, 35&ndash;45. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2020.01.022">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2020.01.022</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Lal, R. (2009) Challenges and Opportunities in Soil Organic Matter Research. European Journal of Soil Science, 60, 158-169, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2008.01114.x">http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2008.01114.x</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Liversage, H. (2021). Why land tenure is crucial for Sustainable Food Systems. IFAD. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from <a href="https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/fs-thematic-land">https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/fs-thematic-land</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Mier y Ter&aacute;n Gim&eacute;nez Cacho, M., Giraldo, O. F., Aldasoro, M., Morales, H., Ferguson, B.G., Rosset, P., Khadse A. y C. Campos. (2018). Bringing agroecology to scale: key drivers and emblematic cases. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Vol. 42, No. 6: 637&ndash;665.</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">OECD. (2022). Biological pesticides. OECD. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.oecd.org/env/ehs/pesticides-biocides/biological-pesticides.htm#:~:text=Microbial%20pesticides%20are%20microorganisms%20(e.g.,fun gi%2C%20insects%2C%20and%20weeds</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Rosset, P. M., and Mart&iacute;nez-Torres, M. E. (2012). Rural Social Movements and agroecology: Context, theory, and process. Ecology and Society, 17(3). <a href="https://doi.org/10.5751/es-05000-170317">https://doi.org/10.5751/es-05000-170317</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Sawan, A. (2016, November 7). From Egypt to Palestine, agroecology as a weapon - COP22 from rhetoric to action. Orient XXI. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from <a href="https://orientxxi.info/magazine/from-egypt-to-palestine-agroecology-as-a-weapon,1555">https://orientxxi.info/magazine/from-egypt-to-palestine-agroecology-as-a-weapon,1555</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">SEKEM. (2019, September 19). The conference on solutions for scaling up agroecology. SEKEM. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from <a href="https://www.sekem.com/en/impressions-of-the-conference-on-solutions-for-scaling-up-agroecology/">https://www.sekem.com/en/impressions-of-the-conference-on-solutions-for-scaling-up-agroecology/</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">SEKEM. (2020, April 21). Sekem recognized as outstanding practice in agroecology 2019. SEKEM. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from <a href="https://www.sekem.com/en/sekem-recognized-as-outstanding-practice-in-agroecology-2019/">https://www.sekem.com/en/sekem-recognized-as-outstanding-practice-in-agroecology-2019/</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">The Committee on World Food Security (CFS). (2021). CFS policy recommendations on Agroecological and other innovative approaches. FAO.</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Van der Ploeg, J. D., Jingzhong, Y. and Schneider, S. (2010) Rural development reconsidered: Building on comparative perspectives from China, Brazil and the European Union, Rivista di Economina Agraria, 65: 164&ndash;185</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Van der Ploeg, J.D, and Douwe J. (2018). In The new peasantries: Struggles for autonomy and sustainability in an era of Empire and globalization. Routledge.</li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Wezel, A., Bellon, S., Dor&eacute;, T., Francis, C., Vallod, D., and David, C. (2009). Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 29(4), 503&ndash;515. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1051/agro/2009004">https://doi.org/10.1051/agro/2009004</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 10pt;">Zossou, E. (2014). Combating climate change with Agroecology. FAO. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from <a href="https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1412925/">https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1412925/</a></li>
</ul>

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