The debate concerning the need for significant transformations towards more nutrition oriented, environmentally sustainable and inclusive food systems has generated increased attention towards agroecology in recent years. Literature on this subject has already demonstrated that transitions to agroecology will be context specific, as countries and regions have distinctive visions for the future of agriculture and food systems, unique starting points, and will therefore define their own transition pathways. This paper assesses how different policies (consumer oriented; producer oriented; market and food environment oriented; macro and trade oriented; and cross-cutting policies) can affect incentives for agroecology. It provides examples of policies and related actions taken by national, regional and city governments that intend to promote one or more agroecological principles. The assessment reveals that, until now, few countries have embarked on a broad set of reforms with sustained commitments. Many of these policies are new, weakly institutionalized and supported by limited budgets, making it difficult to analyze their actual effects. Because of this, there is very little research on how effective they have been in promoting agroecological transitions or the objectives that agroecology aims to achieve. Consequently, the paper’s main recommendation is for research to fill this gap so that future policy formulation and implementation can be better informed by experiences from different countries.
Tag: agriculture systems
Modeling interventions to reduce deforestation in Zambia
Agriculture faces tremendous pressure to supply both growing and wealthier populations with more food, fiber, and fuel, while recognizing the limits of agricultural ecosystems. But it remains unclear whether it is possible to increase agricultural and food production without increasing deforestation and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this study was to advance the understanding of landscape-level implications of sustainable intensification of agriculture on forest conservation in Zambia. Sustainable intensification aims to increase agricultural yields and reduce deforestation. Miombo woodlands, a dry forest ecosystem common throughout the region, are the dominant biome in much of Zambia, and they are suitable for the production of charcoal, a commonly used cooking fuel among urban households. We used participatory system dynamics modeling to examine the drivers of deforestation in two provinces in Zambia. We modeled four scenarios to examine their effects on reducing deforestation over a 50-year simulation period: (i) an increase in maize yield from adoption of SI practices, and (ii) occasional moderate and severe drought events, (iii) adoption of efficient charcoal cookstoves, and (iv) full electrification. We found no effects of adoption of sustainable intensification practices on agricultural encroachment into forested ecosystems. The clearing of forested land for agriculture was found to be largely driven by the rising demand for wood fuels for cooking and heating, particularly charcoal in urban areas. Charcoal was increasingly dominant as a driver of deforestation in both provinces such that changes in land practices and economic returns to farmers are unlikely to reveal measurable changes in land use. The findings have implications for the development of integrated approaches to address the challenges of food and energy insecurity, as well as for national-level policies aimed at climate change mitigation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study provides a unique and innovative approach to integrating social and biophysical/ecological data through the application of system dynamics modeling. Furthermore, the study contributes to the literature on the environmental implications of agricultural land use and the drivers of deforestation.