Agroecology for ending world hunger

"A systemic change is needed in agricultural production! All experts are in agreement about this. Where they disagree is on the possible paths to achieve that change," says Urs Niggli, former director of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). All the same, the target was set and it is the second goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: end world hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. There are still 10 years to go until the deadline, but 'zero hunger' appears to be slipping out of reach.

The latest UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report estimates that 690 million people went hungry in 2019. That is 60 million up from 2015 when the international community adopted the 2030 Agenda. Following years of declining trends, 2014 once again marked a rise in the number of people affected by hunger, a development that will only be exacerbated with the global recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The crisis has revealed how vulnerable and unsuitable our current systems of food production are. Our planet is capable of feeding ten billion people – as many as there will be on earth in 2050. A recently published report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) notes that for this to happen there will have to be a fundamental shift towards agroecology and other innovative methods.

"Some say that the solution lies in extensive agriculture, e.g. organic farming," explains Niggli. "Others say that new technologies and investing in greater efficiency hold the answer." One thing is certain: traditional agricultural systems along with forestry and other forms of land use have had a detrimental impact on the environment. Agriculture generates 23% of greenhouse gas emissions, drives biodiversity loss, promotes soil erosion and loss of topsoil and is responsible to a large extent for water pollution.

It is a chicken and egg situation: agriculture is affected by the impacts of climate change, for which it is itself responsible. "The solution is agroecology," says Hans Hurni, professor emeritus at the Centre for Development and Environment at the University of Bern. "This type of agriculture combines different aspects – not just organic farming but also the social, political and economic realities that farmers face."

Agroecology is a combination of science, practice and social movement. One of its key principles is diversification by growing different varieties on the same land. This helps to restore natural ecosystems and strengthens their resilience and climatic adaptability as well as disease resistance and nutrient uptake. It also supports balanced nutrition because the farmers themselves decide what they want to grow.

Tina Goethe, an expert on the right to food at the NGO Bread for All emphasises that, "Not only does ecological agriculture make plants more resistant to parasites and drought, it also promotes food security and a healthy diet. In Honduras, for example, farmers who planted maize, beans, fruit and vegetables and kept domestic animals did not face too much hardship in overcoming the coronavirus crisis. But that was not the case for those who grew only coffee." A study recently co-published by the Biovision Foundation and FAO confirms Goethe's example. Agroecology is an effective instrument to combat the effects of climate change; strengthen resilience in humans, animals and plants; increase biodiversity; and promote knowledge sharing between farmers and scientists.

Agroecology is not the same as organic farming. "I have studied this way of farming for many years and also know its limitations," says Niggli. "Agroecology, on the other hand, is an ideal means to combine new technologies, ecological cultivation methods and farmers' experience – a key element in development cooperation." The transition to the new system will undoubtedly be driven by smallholder farmers. International studies have estimated that 500 million smallholders could double their production with this approach. Even today, they could feed an estimated 70% of the population in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. "The productivity of monocultures has already peaked, we therefore need to focus on smallholder farmers so that we can increase existing food availability," emphasises Hurni.

Paradoxically, 75% of people most affected by hunger live in rural areas and work in agriculture. Here too, agroecology provides the key with a multi-dimensional approach that promotes democratic processes and supports food sovereignty. This means that local communities are in control of production, soils, water and genetic resources. "It is important, for example, that farmers create cooperatives to sell their products on local markets without intermediaries. This is also a step towards reducing poverty," says Goethe. "In contrast to organic farming methods, agroecology directly confronts human rights issues and also issues of income and a decent life."

Instead of further increasing productivity, Niggli would rather focus on reducing consumption. "We can easily survive with 20% to 30% less agricultural production. But only if we change our eating habits, e.g. by cutting back on meat consumption. Currently, however, there is a trend towards consuming more meat. The middle class in developing countries, especially, regards meat to be synonymous with prosperity." This does not imply that meat consumption should be generally condemned, but that greater preference should be given to grass-fed ruminants, such as cows and sheep. Cereals should not be used as fodder for poultry and pigs, and definitely not to increase milk production in cows.

Eradicating hunger will require sustainable food habits and reducing food wastage by 50%. "We also need to stop producing biofuels from crops that are intended as food or fodder," underlines Hurni. "Let's use the little land that we have to grow food." This would require supportive political interventions at the international, national and local level, and a shift towards a food system that will serve human health, the environment and social wellbeing. "Today we are still in a position to choose," says Niggli. "But as global temperatures rise, we will be left with fewer and fewer options."