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Dear Friends and Colleagues How Agroecology Can Achieve Sustainable Development in the Global South A recent report by Secours Catholique-Caritas Europe (SCCF) discusses agroecology projects it has supported in the Global South. The report’s primary objective is to explain how agroecology benefits the most disadvantaged and strengthens their inalienable dignity. Its secondary aim is to contribute to reflection on the options for sustainable agriculture, which will allow us to achieve a real reduction in hunger across the world. The wide range of agroecological practices presented is tailored to providing local solutions for sustainable agriculture in a myriad of different regions. All the initiatives are built on the principles of empowerment, action, resilience and integration. The report covers four key focus areas: (1) Conditions needed for the development of agroecology, (2) Agroecology as a way of achieving food sovereignty, (3) Protection and sustainable management of natural resources - The core principle of agroecology, (4) Smallholder agroecology versus agroindustry - A path to alternative societies. The respective policy recommendations for each focus area are reproduced below with a link to the full report. These recommendations are drawn from the experience and knowledge of SCCF’s partners in the Global South. Fair and ecological approaches to agriculture must go hand in hand with support to rural and smallholder communities by ensuring they have access to land and control over their natural resources. In a similar vein, the structuring and political representation of these populations needs to be strengthened at the local, national and international levels. By integrating social justice and political representation, agroecology contributes to the realisation of the right to food. With best wishes, Third World Network AGROECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Secours Catholique-Caritas France 1. Recommendations for policymakers on the conditions necessary for the promotion of agroecology • Recognise and promote indigenous and local knowledge and
practices. 2. Recommendations for policymakers on how to achieve food sovereignty with agroecology • Ensure effective participation of smallholder
organisations as well as civil society organisations in the design, implementation
and evaluation of all public policies which will affect them. 3. Recommendations for policy makers on the protection and sustainable management of natural resources • Guarantee fundamental rights for populations, including
indigenous persons, as well as their access to good quality natural resources,
beginning with land and water. 4. Recommendations for policymakers on incorporating the societal aspects of agroecology • Advance the marketing of produce from smallholder
agroecology, notably in national regulation and market organisation, by
prioritising short supply chains and quality of produce.
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