Family Farming Knowledge Platform

Agroecology in Europe and Central Asia - An overview

This publication aims to provide an overview of actions and initiatives on Agroecology in Europe and Central Asia countries. 

There is enough evidence that agroecology contributes to more sustainable food systems, in particular to delivering food production while respecting natural resources, ecosystem services and social processes. However, to assure agroecology can flourish, some barriers to transitions based on agroecological principles need to be removed. It is also important to highlight that agroecology has increasingly embraced social equity and political dimensions connecting consumption and production in the whole food system. This overview shows that agroecology is also happening in European and Central Asian countries, and while there are various critically important examples, good cases and much potential in these regions, mainstreaming agroecology still faces many challenges. There is yet not enough agroecology-in-action to create and maintain a groundswell movement across the region and little in terms of ongoing commitments from government ministries. Across most of the countries, agricultural production and environmental protection are seen as separate domains; the policy dialogue between them is limited and in many cases perceived as opposite agendas.

Agroecology could play an important role in the region supporting the integration of policies for sustainable agriculture while addressing social and economic issues. Agroecology aims to reconcile rural development and environmental production. For this to happen, social and political change are necessary.

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Author: FAO
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Year: 2020
ISBN: 978-92-5-132318-2
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Geographical coverage: Europe and Central Asia
Type: Report
Content language: English
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