CHALLENGES

POLICY OPTIONS

Agroecological practices are locally-specific and knowledge and management-intensive:

• Adoption requires access to skills and information, strengthening of local knowledge, incremental learning and links to social networks

• Extension advice should be context-specific and creative and respond to farmer demand rather than imposing standard solutions

Ensure that research priorities and funding are re-directed to strengthen research on agroecology and incorporate ecological principles into agricultural science curricula and research.

Pursue a new approach to generating and disseminating knowledge – a shift is needed from top- down research and extension to bottom-up approaches and local innovation:

• The identification of the problems should be an integral part of research, development and implementation and be achieved through participatory processes that involve farmers and local communities

• Scientific research should incorporate local practices and indigenous traditional knowledge • Extension services should be decentralised

• Farmer-to-farmer exchanges and grassroots extension methods should be facilitated

Thinking in systems and systemic changerequires a holistic understanding of competing objectives

Agricultural research should follow an interdisciplinary approach that integrates ecology, natural resource management, socio-economic and cultural aspects

Market failures:

• Agricultural subsidies and protectionist trade policies keep the costs of unsustainable production models low

• The positive externalities of agroecology are not recognised in the prices farmers receive, whereas the environmental costs of ‘conventional’ practices are paid for by the state and taxpayers

• Non-commodity outputs (such as environmental services) of farming are not recognised or are under-produced because their market price is distorted or non-existent

Re-orient national and international trade policies:

• End subsidies to agriculture in industrialised countries and manage supply to ensure that public support does not lead to over-production and dumping

• Agree on the valuation and incorporation of externalities in national and international markets, especially in view of trade liberalisation

Re-orient agricultural and rural development policies:

• Value multi-functionality of agriculture and farmers’ roles in the stewardship of ecosystem by providing appropriate incentives and creating markets for ecosystem services (including landscape conservation)

Lack of access to natural resources and insecure land tenure discouragepractices that require investment in assets and knowledge and co- operative behaviours, such as agroforestry and soil conservation schemes

Re-orient/introduce policies to support small-scale farming:

• Secure equitable rights of access and use for land, water, forests, common property resources and seeds

• Encourage the formation of farmers’ groups and co- operatives

The strong influence of vertically integrated and highly concentrated agri-business corporations on agricultural research and food policieslimits small-scale farmers’ capacity to link independently with markets and access demand-led research and extension

Provide adequate incentives and technical assistance to support small-farmers and small and medium sized enterprises in the creation of local ‘agroecological business models’ that can make appropriate inputs and technologies available in the market

Erosion of traditional cultural values and institutions and traditional knowledge (TK)

Promote policies that strengthen indigenous cultures and local organisations and protect the knowledge and rights of farmers and pastoralists to save and improve seeds and share benefits from the use of traditional crop and livestock varieties