Agroecology Boosted at Pioneering Meeting

We have reached a landmark moment for the global recognition of 'agroecology' as a solution to the global food and climate crisis, according to Friends of the Earth International.

A key gathering on agroecology, a farming method based on ecological balance and social justice, most recently welcomed by Pope Francis, will take place in Brasilia on June 24-27.

Last week, the Pontiff wrote in his 'Encyclical' that we must embrace ecological farming to feed the world and improve well-being - rather than relying on industrial agriculture and pesticides.

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Friends of the Earth International welcomes the pioneering gathering of UN bodies, governments and civil society, the first in a series of meetings on agroecology to be held in 2015, and calls on all governments to back agroecology as defined by organizations representing millions of small scale food producers at the 'International Forum for Agroecology' in February 2015.

Participants in the June meeting in Brasilia will discuss ways to promote agroecology. The symposium is jointly organized by small scale food producer organizations, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and several governments.

Friends of the Earth International Food Sovereignty Program Co-coordinator Martin Drago, who participates in the meeting, said:

"The agroecology and food sovereignty movement gives us a path to completely transform the industrial food system which is responsible for up to half of man made climate emissions and perpetuates hunger and poverty."

"Today food corporations are trying to coopt agroecology into their model. For example thorough equating it with climate-smart agriculture, which is supported by major fertilizer and commercial seed companies."

"Agroecology is rooted in the practices of small scale food producers who conserve soils, preserve thousands of varieties of seeds, livestock and fish and still feed over 70% of the world's population despite owning a tiny proportion of its land."

"Instead of backing food corporations, our governments must put in place public policies to support agroecological production by small scale producers."