‘Coalition of the willing’ takes agroecology forward at the Asia Pacific Symposium on Agrifood System Transformation

Science is increasingly finding evidence of the effectiveness of agroecological practices — such as mulching, intercropping, agroforestry, biological pest control and composting — as ways to address the interwoven global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, human development, and food security and nutrition (FSN). Seventy-eight percent of studies in a recent evidence review found that agroecology has a positive effect on FSN, and those benefits increased the more widespread those practices were.

These data (and more) were featured at a hybrid side event on 6 October 2022 at the Asia Pacific Symposium on Agrifood System Transformation in Bangkok, Thailand. The session – titled ‘Translating UNFSS commitments into actions: Focus on the Coalition for Transforming Food Systems through Agroecology’  first introduced the Agroecology Coalition and the Transformative Partnership Platform on Agroecology (AE-TPP) before presenting case studies from Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Nepal, India and The Pacific Community (SPC). Through their interventions, country representatives raised awareness of agroecology solutions that are working and called for increased political commitments from those who are ‘willing’ to make changes through agroecology now.

“The Agroecology Coalition is a coalition of the willing,” said Fergus Sinclair, Chief Scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), co-convenor of the AE-TPP, and interim co-coordinator of the Agroecology Coalition. “You might notice that agroecological recommendations like those in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) report got considerably watered down in the ensuing CFS policy recommendations because a large number of countries had to agree on the text. With a coalition of the willing, we can take things forward with those that are happy to do so, rather than wait for everyone to agree on something before we act.”

Already, over 40 countries and 80+ international organizations have joined the Coalition, and the AE-TPP is currently acting as interim secretariat to support actions around the world, said Sinclair. Its work is aligned with the 13 principles of agroecology that incorporate FAO’s 10 elements.

His Excellency, Dr. Saruth Chan began elaboration of case studies from across the region by talking about the Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Intensification Consortium (CASIC) in Cambodia. Since 2019, CASIC has been working to bring actors together to increase agroecology through innovative governance structures and incentives. Chan is the Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia.

As part of its broader efforts to track progress on agroecology recommendations from the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the AE-TPP helped arrange Cambodia’s presentation on CASIC at the CFS50 Plenary, the following week. HE Saruth Chan’s intervention at CFS50 was praised by Gerda Verburg, the UN Assistant Secretary-General moderating the event, for showing how stakeholders can move from thought to action.

   Fergus Sinclair and Pierre Ferrand in discussion at the side event

   Alisi Tuqa presents agroecology initiatives from The Pacific Community with HE Saruth Chan from Cambodia in the background