Agroecology depends on context-specific knowledge. It does not offer fixed prescriptions – rather, agroecological practices are tailored to fit the environmental, social, economic, cultural and political context. The co-creation and sharing of knowledge plays a central role in the process of developing and implementing agroecological innovations to address challenges across food systems including adaptation to climate change.

Through the co-creation process, agroecology blends traditional and indigenous knowledge, producers’ and traders’ practical knowledge, and global scientific knowledge. Producer’s knowledge of agricultural biodiversity and management experience for specific contexts as well as their knowledge related to markets and institutions are absolutely central in this process.

Education – both formal and non-formal – plays a fundamental role in sharing agroecological innovations resulting from co-creation processes. For example, for more than 30 years, the horizontal campesino a campesino movement has played a pivotal role in sharing agroecological knowledge, connecting hundreds of thousands of producers in Latin America. In contrast, top-down models of technology transfer have had limited success.

Promoting participatory processes and institutional innovations that build mutual trust enables the co-creation and sharing of knowledge, contributing to relevant and inclusive agroecology transition processes.