On this International Day of Peasant Struggles, Development and Peace – Caritas Canada is proud to launch its new thematic analysis “Let’s Demystify Agroecology”.
According to the most recent data published in 2014, small farmers own less than a quarter of the world’s agricultural area. Land access for rural populations is under attack from all sides. Whether it be in the name of fighting climate change or in the name of the myth that only agribusiness can feed the world, communities are being evicted from their farms and villages in Brazil, Paraguay, Palestine, Philippines and elsewhere. Increasingly, land ownership is being concentrated in the hands of the rich and powerful at the expense of the peasants who cultivate them. Yet the same studies show that it is small farmers who feed the world.
Agroecology, one of the pillars of food sovereignty, offers another vision of the agri-food system, a vision based on respect for peasants' rights. Agroecology views agriculture as a whole and proposes concrete answers to current challenges, both in terms of agricultural production and in terms of how communities interact with nature. Agroecology is the science and know-how behind sustainable agriculture.
At a time when climate change is a having serious impact on food security, especially in countries in the Global South, agroecology fits perfectly within our range of solutions: not only does it have a small ecological footprint, but it also reinforces the land's capacity to adapt.
Development and Peace’s new thematic analysis is aimed at demystifying agroecology and showing how this approach supports peasants' rights, helps feed people and cool the planet. On this International Day of Peasant Struggles, it is essential to emphasize their contribution to creating a better world!
Download the thematic analysis
Let’s Demystify Agroecology
