A growing number of countries across the world are adopting public policies on agroecology or to scale agroecological practices. In this light there is an urgent need to develop appropriate methodologies to collect evidence on how the implementation of national strategies or policies shape food system transformation and how they affect the achievement of societal goals and national priorities.

The 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting concluded in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, with member countries unanimously adopting a Joint Declaration that outlines a shared roadmap for strengthening food security, sustainable agriculture, innovation and farmer welfare across BRICS nations.

Climate variability, soil degradation, and water scarcity threaten global food security and hinder progress towards sustainable development goals. This review highlights that integrated farming practices can significantly enhance soil health, water-use efficiency, and crop productivity.

Agroecology is increasingly proposed in literature as a possible solution to mitigate the impact of anthropic agricultural activity on the environment, even though in Europe its potential is still not entirely clear. Many principles of agroecology have been put forward to bridge the gap between theory and real farming practices; however, its practical applicability remains complex.

From the olive groves of the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the drylands of sub‑Saharan Africa and the mountain pastures of Kyrgyzstan, these experiences show how agroecology, when rooted in communities’ knowledge of and connection to their land, can simultaneously regenerate ecosystems and strengthen the food systems that depend on them.

This webinar brought together grassroots leaders, civil society organizations, and international institutions to highlight the essential role of pastoralist systems in restoring land, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing land justice.

For philanthropic organisations, agroecology presents a secure, catalytic investment opportunity. Collaboration across multiple funders spreads risk and builds collective learning, while the resources invested into African-led innovations and networks can alter the underlying systems shaping food, the climate and livelihoods.

By designating 2026 as the Year of Pastoralism and Pastures, the United Nations has decided to highlight this activity, which offers a way to reconcile the preservation of fragile ecosystems, economic development and social cohesion in arid and semi-arid areas.

This interview is part of SIANI’s Tune in to Food Systems interview series, featuring conversations with researchers, practitioners, and changemakers working toward more sustainable and resilient food systems. In this edition, Marine Elbakidze is a researcher at the School for Forest Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

Farmers across Nepal use synthetic pesticides to protect their crops from pest attack. However, these agrochemicals have found their way to our food plates. Swastika Shrestha of Welthungerhilfe (WHH) partner organization ANSAB examines the growing presence of pesticide residues in Nepal’s food system and the associated health and economic implications.

Peut-on nourrir la France en réduisant notre utilisation de pesticides et d’engrais azotés ? Pour répondre à cette question, les chercheurs peuvent utiliser plusieurs méthodes. L’une d’entre elles consiste à tester différentes techniques agricoles en conditions réelles sur de grandes cultures et à étudier leurs évolutions sur le temps long.

Research findings are one thing; farmers actually adopting new practices is another. Across development and agriculture, there is a well-known gap between promising pilot projects and real-world uptake — but what does the evidence actually tell us about what works, for whom, and under what conditions?

The Sahel is facing a perfect storm: erratic rainfall, degraded soils, rising temperatures, and growing populations with limited access to productive land. For generations, farmers have adapted to these conditions through innovation and resilience — but can traditional knowledge combined with rigorous science offer a genuine pathway to food security and thriving livelihoods?

The purpose of this review was to explore agroforestry’s effects on soil health in the context of sustainable agriculture. By restoring and building soil health, the review revealed that agroforestry provides a solution to combat soil degradation, enhance biodiversity, and increase agricultural sustainability.

Regenerative agriculture (RA) offers a holistic approach to restore soil health, enhance crop productivity and mitigate climate change impacts. This review compiles evidence from 120 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025 to evaluate the effectiveness of eight major RA practices.

Soil health is central to agroecological transitions, yet guidance for integrating it into agri-food system design and monitoring remains fragmented. Here we review how soil health is operationalized within agroecology and agri-food systems and translate these patterns into an actionable programming guide.

Soil health constitutes a foundational pillar of agroecosystem functionality, directly governing plant nutrient acquisition, crop productivity, and the nutritional composition of food. This review elucidates the complex interplay among soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters that modulate root architecture, rhizosphere dynamics, and nutrient uptake efficiency.

This publication examines the vital link between plant health and the right to adequate food, emphasizing that safeguarding plant resources is essential for achieving global food security, nutrition, and sustainability.

Andhra Pradesh’s Community Managed Natural Farming model has moved from an experiment to one of the world’s largest farmer-led transitions away from chemical inputs, winning the 2026 Food Planet Prize. Can India replicate the social infrastructure that made it possible?

Editorial on the Research Topic Indigenous and local knowledge as a catalyst for sustainable agriculture and food security