About the Symposium
In line with the trend towards more sustainable food systems, Agroecological practices, research and policies have seen exponential growth in the last decade. At the same time Agroecology has not yet become mainstreamed within the broader context of science and development work.
It is within this context that FAO is hosting an international, scientific symposium on Agroecology. The Symposium will seek to capture scientific knowledge and promote open dialogue while bringing together existing experiences and policies on Agroecology.
Scientific committee
The Scientific Committee is backing up the Symposium and linking it to the wider academic realm.
- Prof. Miguel Altieri (University of California at Berkeley, USA, honorary president of SOCLA)
- Prof. Irene Maria Cardoso (Federal University of Vicosa, Brasil; Brazilian Association of Agroecology – ABA, Vice-President)
- Dr. Etienne Hainzelin (CIRAD -Advisor of the CEO and visiting professor, University of Ottawa (Canada)
- Dr. Barbara Herren (FAO - Programme Specialist)
- Dr. Salman Hussain (UNEP – Coordinator of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity –TEEB)
- Dr. Masa Iwanaga (Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences - President)
- Prof. Paul Mapfumo (Zimbabwe University and Soil Fertility Consortium for Southern Africa)
- Dr. Ephraim Nkonya (IFPRI - Senior Research Fellow)
- Dr. Jean Francois Soussana (INRA - Scientific Director Environment)
- Prof. Pablo Tittonell (Wageningen University - Professor of Farming Systems Ecology)
- Prof. Fusuo Zhang (China Agriculture University)
Three current definitions of Agroecology in science today
- The integrative study of the ecology of the entire food systems, encompassing ecological, economic and social dimensions. Agroecology: The ecology of food systems - Francis et al. 2003.
- The science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems.Agroecology: The ecology of sustainable food systems (2nd ed.) - Gliessman 2007.
- The study of the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment within agricultural systems; ... integrative studies within agronomy, ecology, sociology and economics. Agroecology, scaling and interdisciplinarity -Dalgaard et al 2003.
Recommended Readings
- Agroecology: The ecology of food systems
- Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A review
- A quantitative and qualitative historical analysis of the scientific discipline of agroecology
- Agroecology: the science of natural resource management for poor farmers in marginal environments
- New dimensions in agroecology for developing a biological approach to crop production
- Agroecology, scaling and interdisciplinarity
- Becoming an agroecologist through action education
- Agricultural sustainabililty: concepts, principles and evidence
- Agroecology and the food system
- Food security and biodiversity: can we have both - an agroecological analysis
- Agroecological principles for the redesign of integrated crop-livestock systems
- Agroecology-based aggradation-conservation agriculture (ABACO): Targeting innovations to combat soil degradation and food insecurity in semi-arid Africa
- Designing cropping systems from nature. Review article
- Strengthening resilience of modern farming systems: A key prerequisite for sustainable agricultural production in an era of climate change
- Agroécologie, une transition vers des modes de vie et de développement viables - Paroles d’acteurs
