Future Policy Award: Champions in Supporting Agroecological Approaches shortlisted

Recently, the best policies promoting agroecological approaches have been shortlisted for the Future Policy Award 2018. The Award will celebrate policies that create enabling environments that advance a transition to sustainable food and agriculture systems to achieve sustainable development and climate resilience.

This year’s award is co-organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Future Council (WFC) and IFOAM - Organics International. The shortlist includes candidates from from Brazil, Denmark, Ecuador, India, the Philippines, Senegal, the United States of America, as well as TEEBAgrifood.

In a video, the World Future Council explains Acroecology:

Source: Youtube/World Future Council

In total, 51 policies from 25 countries were nominated. The following have been shortlisted by an international expert jury as the world’s best policies in the support to scale up agroecological approaches:

• Brazil: National Policy for Agroecology and Organic Production (PNAPO, 2012)
• Denmark: Organic Action Plan for Denmark: Working together for more organics (2011-2020, updated in 2015)
• Ecuador: Quito's Participatory Urban Agriculture Programme (AGRUPAR, 2002)
• India: Sikkim's State Policy on Organic Farming (2004) and Sikkim Organic Mission (2010)
• Philippines: Kauswagan: From Arms to Farms Programme (2010)
• Senegal: Ndiob's vision to become a green and resilient municipality (2014) and its Agriculture Development Programme (2017)
• United States of America: Los Angeles' Good Food Purchasing Policy (2012)
• UN Environment: TEEBAgriFood – The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food Evaluation Framework, 2018.

Shortlisted for #FuturePolicyAward 2018: #UrbanAgriculture Programme from #Quito, #Ecuador! Its 4500 participants produce over 959 tons of food p/y for the city, and 21000+ people (mostly women) have been trained in #organic production. @hans_nich @teleSURtv @EFEnoticias @ruaf pic.twitter.com/iUzvQPKjnL

— World Future Council (@Good_Policies) 6. Oktober 2018

Source: Twitter

With their holistic approach and impressive impact, these eight legal frameworks and policies create enabling environments for the implementation of agroecology, help achieve the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda and contribute directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. They aim at protecting the life and livelihoods of smallholders and family farmers, ensuring sustainable and inclusive food systems, and implementing sustainable agricultural practices that help conserve and enhance natural resources and strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change and contribute to mitigation.

“Agroecology is a key pathway to support the transition
towards healthier and more sustainable food systems.
The selected policies are outstanding examples
featuring important agroecological elements that support such transitions.“
– Maria Helena Semedo

Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General, states: “Agroecology is a key pathway to support the transition towards healthier and more sustainable food systems. The selected policies are outstanding examples featuring important agroecological elements that support such transitions. Leadership and political will are key to achieve them. FAO encourages such leadership and is committed to join hands to accelerate the needed transformation.”

Winners of this year’s Future Policy Award will be announced on 12 October 2018 and celebrated during World Food Week in a ceremony on 15 October 2018 at FAO headquarters in Rome.