The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has requested its High-level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to develop the report “Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems that Enhance Food Security and Nutrition”.

According to the HLPE report, agroecological approaches tend to be under-researched and under-funded worldwide. Public policies, research and investment are urgently needed for more sustainable and comprehensive approaches, including for agroecological and other innovative approaches. Improvements in policy frameworks can best be guided by an integrated approach to food systems that includes taking stock of the relevant sectoral policies, mapping and analysing synergies and trade-offs and externalities within and among the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

The aim of these CFS policy recommendations - voluntary and non-binding - is to provide guidance to Members and stakeholders in strengthening agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition, and the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security.

1.  LAY OR STRENGTHEN, AS APPROPRIATE, THE POLICY FOUNDATIONS FOR AGROECOLOGICAL AND OTHER INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS THAT ENHANCE FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION.

This calls for:

- Assessing the sustainability of agriculture and food systems, designing context-specific policies –promoting agroecology and other innovative approach - to improve overall sustainability of agriculture and food systems, and continuous monitoring and evaluating those transformation policies;

- Using science and evidence-based approaches, re-direct public policies, budgets and public and private investments, to agroecological and other innovative approaches, that reduce economic, environmental, and social negative impacts, including public health, externalities;

- Encouraging policies to promote sustainable production and consumption patterns, healthy diets and the reduction of food losses and waste;

- Strengthen public policies, responsible investment and research in support of agroecological and other innovative approaches.

2. ESTABLISH, IMPROVE AND APPLY COMPREHENSIVE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING FRAMEWORKS TO ENCOURAGE THE ADOPTION OF AGROECOLOGICAL AND OTHER INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS THAT ENHANCE FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION.

3. FOSTER THE TRANSITION TO RESILIENT AND DIVERSIFIED SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH AGROECOLOGICAL AND OTHER INNOVATIVE APPROACHES.

This calls for:

- Raising awareness about the importance of diversified production systems that integrate livestock, aquaculture, cropping and agroforestry, as appropriate, to enhance resilient livelihoods and promote sustainable production for healthy diets;

- Strengthening policy instruments and coherence for the conservation of biodiversity for food and agriculture;

- Promoting, based on agroecological and other innovative approaches, alternatives to chemical pesticides and the greater integration of biodiversity for food and agriculture;

- Promoting an integrated One Health approach, including through agroecological and other innovative approaches, that fosters cooperation between the human health, animal health and plant health, as well as environmental and other relevant sectors;

- Promoting diverse market arrangements that have greater flexibility in the face of disruptions and in particular, supporting market and social innovations that strengthen linkages between urban communities and food producers, in particular small-scale producers and family farmers;

- Supporting innovative public procurement of food from small-scale producers and local small and medium enterprises;

- Realizing the full potential of digitalization for sustainable agriculture and food systems through capacity building and cooperation and technology transfer

4. STRENGTHEN RESEARCH, INNOVATION, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION AND FOSTER KNOWLEDGE CO-CREATION, KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND CO-LEARNING, ON AGROECOLOGICAL AND OTHER INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

This in particular calls for:

- Promoting advisory and agricultural extension services, and strengthen training programmes to improve the implementation of agroecological and other innovative approaches, which could include ecological and environmental-friendly alternatives to agrochemical use as a mean to achieve food security and nutrition while protecting the environment;

- Increasing resource allocation in public research and responsible investments in private research for agroecological and other innovative approaches.

5. STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONS FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, CREATE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR EMPOWERING PEOPLE MOST AT RISK OF FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION AND PEOPLE IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS AND ADDRESS POWER INEQUALITIES IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS