Food price shocks, pandemics, conflicts and climate-related disasters have exposed the vulnerabilities of food systems heavily dependent on fossil fuels, imported agricultural inputs and long-distance supply chains. From the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic to wars and disruptions to trade through strategic maritime routes, successive crises have affected food availability and affordability. Meanwhile, land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss continue to threaten agricultural production and increase the exposure of farming communities to environmental shocks.

Agroecology offers an approach to addressing these interconnected challenges by combining scientific research, traditional knowledge and sustainable farming practices. By working with ecological processes and making better use of local resources, agroecological approaches can support diversified production, improve soil health, conserve biodiversity and reduce dependence on synthetic inputs and fossil energy. Their potential benefits also extend beyond the farm, including more stable harvests, diversified incomes and diets, stronger local markets and greater cooperation among farmers and communities.

The resource shows agroecology's contribution to climate change adaptation and mitigation, including through improved ecosystem functioning, more resilient agricultural systems and carbon storage. It also emphasizes the importance of farmers' knowledge, innovation and agency in shaping food systems that are better equipped to withstand and recover from shocks. While outcomes depend on local conditions and implementation, agroecology presents a framework for strengthening the ecological, economic and social dimensions of resilience.