AgroEcolgy and Sustainable Food Systems

PARVIZ KOOHAFKANWorld Agricultural Heritage Foundation

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Current Food System

• Over 7 billion people more than half of them in the cities

• Near1 billion have too little to eat• 1.6 billion eat too much• Wasting > 30% of food

Deforestation in Sumatra for pulp and palm oil production [Greenpeace, The Guardian 8-20-2010]

Post 2015 Sustainable Development Model

Econom

y

Society

Environment

Sustainability

CultureValues, traditions, behaviours, relationship

Sustainable Food System Must!!!

• Be centred on people and based on rights

• Adopt an integrated, territorial approach

• Build capacities to manage changes

• Redress power disparities through good governance

• Involve a long term policy commitment

• Be adequately supported and resourced

Urgent Need for Sustainable Food Systems

• More Human and in harmony with nature• biologically and culturally diverse• small scale, family operated and economically

viable for small farmers• socially just and participatory decision making• Local production with more direct farmer-

consumer links• community based recognizing the rights of

indigenous people and the role of women

Rebuilding Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems requires combination of:

Culture:Indentity, Social

cohesion &SpiritualValues

Markets:Accessability, Affordability

Including externalities &PES

Health:Human

& Ecosystem

Knowledge:Scientific

&Traditional

Biodiversity

Human Health

Food Security

EnvironmentalHealth

EmploymentGeneration

A major Opportunity: Agro-ecology• Originally, Altieri (1983) defined agro-ecology as the

application of ecological principles to agriculture.

• Twenty years later, agro-ecology was enlarged to the whole food system linking production with the food chain and consumers.

• More recently, Wezel et al. (2009) concluded that agro-ecology means combination of a scientific discipline, agricultural practice, and political or social movement for Food soveranity.

AGROECOLOGY

Ecology

Anthropology

Ethnoecology

Sociology

Basic agricultural

sciences

Ecological economics

Biological Control

Traditional Farmers’

knowledge

Principles

Specific technological forms

Participatory research in

farmers’ fields

Bringing together

oEcosystem DiversityoSocio-economic DiversityoCultural DiversityoCulinary DiversityoCurative Diversity

Use of Agro-ecological strategies

Animalintegration

Green manuares

Organicamendments

Rotations

Polycultures

Another major opportunity also Challenge: Small holders and Family Farming

• Produce the bulk of the global food

• Are the largest number of stewards for the environment and its services including biodiversity,

• Higher and sustainable productivity increase at their level will have a major impact on poverty reduction, economic growth, Biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation:

• Win Win Win Win…

Third Major opportunity:

Dynamic Conservation

of

AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE SYSTEMS

BringingCulture in

Agri-Culture

Culture is: Standing on

the shoulders of ancestors

Saving Unique Agricultural Heritage Systems at risk

Oases of the Maghreb, Morocco

China Rice Fish

Lemon Garden, Italy

Investing on all Rural Assets and People

Financial Capital:money, savings

Natural Capital:nature’s goods and services

(waste assimilation, pollination, storm protection, water supply,

leisure, wildlife)

Social Capital: cohesiveness of people

and societies - trust, reciprocity, rules and norms,

networks and institutions

Physical Capital:infrastructure

Human Capital:the status of individuals - health, skills, knowledge

Intensificationwithout Simplification

Empowering women and Working with local communities

• Food security, employment and economic opportunities by supporting family farming

• Revitalizing local economies and bringing back the cultural identity

• Conserving agro-biodiversity and genetic resources

• Recognizing and valorizing the cultural identity

• Value-adding products and services of diversified Agroecologically Managed Systems

Opportunities of Agroecology for Sustainable Food system

Proposals for Agro-ecology Knowledge Hub

• Documenting Agro-ecological knowledge and practices

• Assessing and Researching Agro-ecological resiliencies to climate change

• Geo-referencing and Geo-tagging of Farmers’ Assets Knowledge and Heritage

• Registering Farmers’ Knowledge throughCrowed Sourcing and Social Networking• Linking agro-ecological science to Farmers local

knowledge

FEW WORDS ABOUT WAHFAn International NGO, Similar to ICOMOS or ICCROM in the context of World Heritage Convention of UNESCO, to Support countries in their GIAHS assessment and designation through:• Policy support• Technical Assistance• Fund Raising, • Education &Training• Advocacy

Thank you