Agroecology Knowledge Hub

Practices and innovations

Agroecology is the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to manage interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment for food security and nutrition. All over the world, farmers and food provisioners already apply this approach, which has a fundamental basis in traditional and local knowledge. FAO recognizes the importance of farmers managing human and natural capital to improve food security, nutrition, and rural development. They are seen as constant innovators and researchers who contribute to develop sustainable agriculture and more resilient rural livelihoods.

Below some examples of how farmers and other food provisioners are acting as the custodians of complex and innovative techniques that, through agroecology, combine local knowledge, traditional products and innovation.

In Regions

The countries and regions page offer knowledge and information on agroecology related issues by country (FAO Members and Associated Nations) and region. The purpose is to offer a quick and reliable way to access country-specific information on agroecology without the need to search in each section of the platform.

This publication is the second in the series entitled Ideas for Emerging Agencies and was prepared as part of the initiative to promote the agroecological transition led by the United...
2020
These Guidelines on Sustainable Rangeland Management in Sub-Saharan Africa come at a critical moment. Rangelands are under growing pressure from land degradation as well as crop and urban land expansion, among other threats. Moreover,...
2019
The terminology and conceptual framework for describing Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) was first developed from the International Alternative Certification Workshop held in Brazil in 2004 and sponsored by IFOAM -...
2019
Esta guía ha sido pensada para brindarle al agricultor/a las herramientas básicas que le permitan iniciar una reconversión hacia la producción agroecológica o consolidar/perfeccionar su experiencia ya iniciada. Se busca que...
2019
Researchers at the AgroecologyNow initiative at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) and Cultivate! partnered to produce this new publication. The guide highlights the challenges and emerging opportunities that might arise when designing...
2019
The cultivation of diverse farmers’ varieties/landraces, which tend to be well-adapted and suited to local production systems, confers increased resilience for crop production. Farmers’ varieties/landraces are also potential sources of...
2019
With the help of multiple partners, FAO has developed a global analytical framework for the multidimensional assessment of the performance of agroecology: Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), which aims...
2019
This presentation claims that innovations for family farmers must deliver improved livelihoods in rural areas. It argues that all innovation has to comply with the SDGs: more people working with...
2019
This new online modeling tool - PARCEL (for Promoting resilient, civic local food systems) - was conceived as an engagement tool, to enable consumers, citizens, inhabitants, civil society organizations, and...
2019
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food Systems research team from the Colorado State University (CSU) developed the Local Food Systems Toolkit to help stakeholders explore the impact...
2019
This newsletter presents a synopsis of the digitalization of food and contains examples of how digitalization affects and is used by communities in different parts of the world. The aim...
2019
International treaties and conventions encourage national governments to recognize, protect, and promote traditional knowledge, including traditional agroecological knowledge. Following this mandate, a multidisciplinary team of Spanish scientists from 7 universities...
2018
The ground-breaking Caquetá Pact is a public-private alliance for zero deforestation and cattle ranching reconciliation in the Amazon region of Colombia. It brings together farmers, led by the Caqueta ́s...
2018
Agroecological symbiosis (AES) is a new, transformative model for adaptive and resilient localized food production and consumption. An AES is formed by farms, small and medium-scale food processors, and bioenergy...
2018
Rice-fish co-culture in southern China dates back more the 1000 years. The rice-fish co-culture system in Qingtian, Zhejiang Province is one of FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Co-culture...
2018
The needs of rural and high-risk areas are diverse and location specific. As the market is limited, the private sector is not interested in developing technologies for high-risk areas, and...
2018
Like many African countries, Benin has had a rapid increase in its urban population, with high demand for garden produce, such as fruits and vegetables. Large quantities of fertilizer and...
2018
Scaling soil health and biologically based landscape restoration is knowledge rather than input limited. The FarmOS system leverages existing global, open-source hardware and software communities to provide tools to all...
2018
One of the main problems of the páramo ecosystem (altitudinal belt of the tropical mountain between 3,000m and 4,000m) is conventional potato production. The use of agrochemicals in food production...
2018
In the field of agroecology, the problematics of innovation are not just about technology: the obstacles of sustainable production also stem from ignorance and the lack of a common language....
2018