Strengthening smallholder resilience through agroecology

Agroecology blends modern technology with traditional agricultural methods by taking into account the ecological, social, political and economic dimensions of food production to define a holistic approach that is best suited to specific local contexts. This approach can help achieve the aims of the SSNUP programme as it increases the resilience of smallholder farmers while protecting the environment. 

As the SSNUP knowledge manager and coordinator, ADA recently organised a workshop for programme stakeholders with experts in agroecology on how to foster agroecological transitions. Participants exchanged project design experiences and discussed incentive mechanisms.

The workshop participants agreed that political incentives and further research demonstrating the viability of agroecology are needed to encourage more farmers to adopt such practices. To have a lasting impact, agroecological projects should take a bottom-up approach based on farmers' needs and local knowledge. At the same time, all stakeholders – including farmers, civil society organisations and scientists – should be given opportunities to discuss and to learn from each other’s experiences.