Agroecology Knowledge Hub

Human and social values: protecting and improving rural livelihoods, equity and social well-being is essential for sustainable food and agricultural systems

Agroecology places a strong emphasis on human and social values, such as dignity, equity, inclusion and justice all contributing to the improved livelihoods dimension of the SDGs. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems. By building autonomy and adaptive capacities to manage their agro-ecosystems, agroecological approaches empower people and communities to overcome poverty, hunger and malnutrition, while promoting human rights, such as the right to food, and stewardship of the environment so that future generations can also live in prosperity.

Agroecology seeks to address gender inequalities by creating opportunities for women. Globally, women make up almost half of the agricultural workforce. They also play a vital role in household food security, dietary diversity and health, as well as in the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. In spite of this, women remain economically marginalised and vulnerable to violations of their rights, while their contributions often remain unrecognized. Agroecology can help rural women in family farming agriculture to develop higher levels of autonomy by building knowledge, through collective action and creating opportunities for commercialization. Agroecology can open spaces for women to become more autonomous and empower them at household, community levels and beyond – for instance, through participation in producer groups. Women’s participation is essential for agroecology and women are frequently the leaders of agroecology projects.

In many places around the world, rural youth face a crisis of employment. Agroecology provides a promising solution as a source of decent jobs. Agroecology is based on a different way of agricultural production that is knowledge intensive, environmentally friendly, socially responsible, innovative, and which depends on skilled labour. Meanwhile, rural youth around the world possess energy, creativity and a desire to positively change their world. What they need is support and opportunities.

As a bottom-up, grassroots paradigm for sustainable rural development, agroecology empowers people to become their own agents of change.

Database

'Sembrando Capacidades' - a trilateral South-South cooperation project between Brazil, Colombia and FAO is coming to an end after two years of work focused on strengthening instruments and policies for a peasant, family, and community agriculture in Colombia through knowledge management and the exchange of experiences between the two countries in four areas:...
Colombia
Project
2021
Since 2003, the Brazilian Congress of Agroecology (CBA) has been held with the active and wide participation of educational, research and extension institutions and organized civil society involved with the demands of family farming and family production logics in general. Initially thought as a space for valuing agroecology as a...
Brazil
Event
2019
The seminar entitled “Agroecology for organic farming'' launched by the Italian center of the Italian Association of Agroecology (AIDA) will take place on Friday 15 November in the Aula Magna of the School of Agriculture of the University of Florence.  A wide range of participants from different sector as the University of Florence,...
Italy
Event
2019
The main aim of the conference is to engage with key policy makers and stakeholders, including from the government at central and local levels, parliament, development partners, civil society, private sector, academia and media, to exhibit and exchange best cases on how EOA is at the core of sustainable development...
United Republic of Tanzania
Event
2019
The 7th edition of the Forum Origin, Diversity and Territories – ODT 2019 proposes to explore and put into perspective the theme of agroecology: Multiple Transitions of Territories. The ODT Forum is a unique learning experience, which will be held in 2019 between 4 and 6 December in Lausanne, in...
Event
2019