Coffee, Cocoa & Agricultural Commodities
Agroecology
An approach to farming and food systems that applies ecological principles — diversity, recycling, synergy and local knowledge — framed by FAO's 10 Elements adopted by 197 member countries in 2019.
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An integrated approach to agriculture and food systems that applies ecological and social principles to the design and management of sustainable agrifood systems. FAO frames it through 10 Elements — including diversity, synergies, recycling, resilience, and human and social values — adopted by the 197 FAO Member States in December 2019 after a multi-year consultative process.
References
10 Elements framework; adoption by 197 FAO Member States in December 2019; bottom-up, territorial character; SDG linkages.
FAO's 2019 Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity Across Agricultural Sectors; institutional context linking agriculture, biodiversity and health.
Overview
What it means
Agroecology is simultaneously described as a science, a set of practices and a social movement, which is why definitions vary. It is deliberately bottom-up and territorial: there is no single way to apply it, and solutions are contextualised to local constraints, with small-scale producers and consumers included in its governance.
It minimises harmful agro-chemical inputs and optimises local and renewable resources and knowledge.
How it is used
Governments use the 10 Elements framework to guide transitions towards sustainable agrifood systems; FAO links agroecology to delivery of multiple Sustainable Development Goals, from poverty and hunger to health and biodiversity. Practitioners apply techniques such as multi-year, multi-crop rotations, agroforestry and integrated pest management.
Why it matters
Agroecology is one of the most prominent systemic alternatives to input-intensive industrial agriculture, central to debates on food sovereignty, climate resilience and biodiversity. It is also contested: critics question yield penalties at scale, while proponents argue conventional accounting ignores externalised environmental and health costs.
Definitions and controversy
Definition status reflects genuine plurality (science/practice/movement); evidence on relative yields and scalability remains debated.
Review
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