Agroecology was an important topic during the successful 46^th Committee on World Food Security (CFS) that took place in FAO Headquarters from 14-18 October 2019.

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for all stakeholders to work together to ensure food security and nutrition for all.

CFS is also leading policy processes that result in guidelines that intend to be a reference point providing evidence-based guidance mainly to governments, specialized institutions and other stakeholders, on effective policies, investments and institutional arrangements that will address malnutrition in all its forms. 

The CFS session ‘’Agroecological and other innovative approaches’’ was based on the recent report of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) on “Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food system that enhance food security and nutrition”. The session was chaired by His Excellency Mario Arvelo (CFS Chair), with a high level panel composed by Patrick Caron (HLPE Chair), Fergus Sinclair (HLPE Member), Musonda Mumba (Head of Terrestrial Ecosystems at the UN Enrivonment Programme) and Kwesi Atta-Krah (Director at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria). This session launched a policy convergence process within the CFS that aims at endorsing policy recommendations by October 2020 (CFS 47) on agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food system that enhance food security and nutrition.

During the discussion, Members reaffirmed that Agroecological and other innovative approaches are important to transform food systems through inclusive dialogues and trans-disciplinary approaches and stressed the need for investing in research and development on such topics.

On the sides of the CFS Session, six events highlighted agroecology’s potential in terms of innovation, health, sustainable diets, agroforestry and public policies increasing food security and nutrition in developing countries. Besides, current examples of agroecological approaches scaling up through public policies at territorial and national levels, in the framework of the Scaling Up Agroecology Initiative were showcased in the events.

Click here to access to the transcript of the 46 CFS
Click here to access to the final report of the 46 CFS


Photo credit by:FAO