10 September, Panama City

FAO in collaboration with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and within the Scaling up Agroecology Initiative, presented the publication "Legislation to promote agroecology in Latin America and the Caribbean" to the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO). 

The objective of the publication is to offer guidelines for the elaboration of a PARLATINO model law on agroecology that will serve as a reference for the work of the different national congresses in the region.

"The document analyses the existing international and regional legal framework on the subject, as well as good practices from comparative law in favour of agroecology.  We have identified the common and minimum elements that an agroecology law should have," explained Manuela Cuvi, FAO Legal Officer.  

"We hope that this text will be an input for parliamentarians who are working on or are thinking of drafting laws on agroecology or any other type of national or regional instrument linked to the issue," added Cuvi.  

Value of agroecology

"Agroecology offers a holistic and multidimensional approach to transforming agri-food systems, based on ecological principles such as efficiency, diversity, synergies, recycling and natural regulation, and principles from the social, economic and environmental spheres," said Emma Siliprandi, FAO Agriculture Officer.

Agroecology has multiple benefits: it increases and diversifies the food supply of healthy food, favouring nutrition and health, integrates different types of knowledge, conserves natural resources and biodiversity, produces more with fewer resources, improves the resilience of agri-food systems and the population, among others.

"Latin America and the Caribbean has very successful experiences in relation to agroecology. We see that Latin America and the Caribbean can demonstrate, from the legislative perspective, that something more can be done in this direction. From FAO we support this task because it responds to our mandate, to the 2030 Agenda and to the next Food Systems Summit," Siliprandi added. 

Guidelines for a law on agroecology

According to the FAO, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, recognition of the work of women, young people and family farmers, access to credit and local short-circuit markets, links with the territory and land, participation and the revaluation of agricultural production are some of the challenges that an agroecology law should address.

"In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are countries that have passed specific laws on agroecology, such as Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua and Uruguay, from which we can learn and draw good experiences. In the document we also refer to other countries in the region that have laws on other issues and that also support agroecology," explained Cuvi.

"We are very grateful to FAO for this great contribution of political innovation, as it will allow parliaments to advance in public policies of great impact capable of contributing to the great and urgent challenge of ensuring more sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems," said Silvia Giacoppo, Argentine senator and PARLATINO-FAO focal point.

FAO and PARLATINO

"The PARLATINO and the Parliamentary Front against Hunger of Latin America and the Caribbean, with their leadership and legislative experience in sustainable agriculture and food and nutrition security, are in a unique position to advocate for the creation of legal frameworks on agroecology in the countries of the region," said Luis Lobo, Programme Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain-FAO.

During the session of the PARLATINO Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, the draft model law on food losses and food waste was also approved, as well as a declaration in support of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.

Since 2009, FAO and PARLATINO have been working together to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean. To this end, they have the support of the AECID - through the Project Support to the Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 Initiative - and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) - through the programme "Mesoamerica without Hunger AMEXCID-FAO".