Nature-Based Solutions and Agroecology: Business as Usual or an Opportunity for Transformative Change?

Abstract

Multiple United Nations (UN) meetings are adopting "Nature-based Solutions" (NbS) in their climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions from industrial food and farming. However, there are risks that NbS could exacerbate inequalities with more effective, low-cost agroecological options marginalized. Increased policy attention on solutions for climate, nature and people offers prospects for reversals in favor of NbS that redistribute funding and redress power inequalities, placing Indigenous peoples, small-scale farmers, women, fishers, pastoralists, and forest dwellers at the center of implementation efforts.

Agroecology, technology, and stakeholder awareness: Implementing the UN Food Systems Summit call for action

“…40 However, NbS underutilize an agroecology perspective leading to disproportionately lower share of funding for transformative agroecology. 40 , 41 Despite the vastly uneven funding streams of NbS implementation, the funding for NbS strategies adoption is used for reducing the negative impacts of industrial agriculture. For example, many governments, international nongovernmental organizations, and agribusiness primarily allocated the largest share of funding of NbS on contributing to carbon offsets, net-zero schemes, and technical solutions to increase the yield of land use, such as sustainable intensification or smart agriculture.…”

“…For example, many governments, international nongovernmental organizations, and agribusiness primarily allocated the largest share of funding of NbS on contributing to carbon offsets, net-zero schemes, and technical solutions to increase the yield of land use, such as sustainable intensification or smart agriculture. 41 The word “agroecology” is wrongly used by these actors to describe such activities related to NbS implementation by favoring a set practice of agroecology that accords with the industrialized system. Meanwhile, the summary of publications provides evidence that a given type of ecosystem service is enhanced due to implementation of an NbS integrated with agriculture.…”

“…However, on a broader scale, a limited understanding of the concepts of NbS and agroecology often prevents successful implementation and farmer adoption. 41 Thus, a paradigm shift on food systems transformation requires i) integration of NbS and agroecology with a focus on specifically enhancing livelihoods and social benefits, and ii) an awareness increase to aid practical implementation.…”

Cap. 11. Agricultura, sistemas alimentarios y comunidades rurales. En: La Quinta Evaluación Nacional del Clima.

“…Mientras que la agroecología abarca dimensiones ecológicas, económicas y sociales 16,17,18 , el concepto científico fundamental que subyace a la agroecología es el uso de principios ecológicos para diseñar y gestionar de forma sostenible los sistemas agrícolas 19 . La aplicación de los conceptos agroecológicos abarca una amplia gama de prácticas 18,20 , que pueden solaparse con soluciones basadas en la naturaleza, tecnologías de precisión y agricultura inteligente que toma en cuenta el clima orientada a la adaptación y mitigación del cambio climático (Recuadro 11.1; Figura 11.5) 21,22,23,24,25,26 . Las prácticas agroecológicas también pueden incluir adecuación de las especies al entorno, ciclo de nutrientes impulsado por la materia orgánica, gestión integrada y control natural de plagas siempre que sea posible 27,28,29,30 , todo ello con el fin de reducir la dependencia de los insumos agroquímicos sintéticos.…”

Measuring agroecology and its performance: An overview and critical discussion of existing tools and approaches

“…(HLPE 2019, p. 39) Wezel et al (2020) found the 13 consolidated principles "to be well aligned and complementary to the 10 elements of agroecology developed by FAO," while articulating certain crucial aspects more clearly. It is this specific recognition of the importance of simultaneously addressing agronomic, ecological, cultural, socio-economic, and political aspects of food systems that makes agroecology unique and distinguishes it from other approaches to sustainable agriculture such as climate-smart agriculture, conservation agriculture, nature-based solutions, organic agriculture, sustainable intensification, and regenerative agriculture (HLPE, 2019;IDS and IPES-Food, 2022;Pimbert, 2015;Wynberg et al, 2023). Yet, critics of agroecology point out that this complexity is challenging for many actors, and particularly the focus of agroecology on reducing dependence on external inputs is often viewed as problematic (Amede et al, 2023).…”