FAO Agroecology Newsletter

May 2019 / Issue #23

 
 
 
 

A buzz about biodiversity

Abram Bicksler, Agricultural Officer of FAO, points out that the World Bee Day reminded us that individual actors, when armed with good science and motivation to make a difference, can aggregate and synergize to create remarkable change in this world.


Photo Credit: ©SARMDY/shutterstock.com
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Latest from NORTH AMERICA

Ways to scale up Agroecology for sustainable food systems discussed at UN seminars

Photo credit: FAO

On 13th May the ways to maximize the benefits of Agroecology in promoting healthier and sustainable food  were discussed in detail during two events at the United Nations in New York.

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Latest from ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Academia promotes Agroecology in China

Photo credit: FAO

The "Scaling out Agroecology Practices in China” workshop, held at Nanjing University in China on April 27 and 28  2019, aimed to build stronger relationships within the community of agroecology in China  to discuss potential solutions to some of the most urgent problems that agroecology faces in China.

The successful event opened up more opportunities for collaborations on developing new agroecological initiatives, food advocacy and research in the future.

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PUBLICATIONS

Floating rice based agroecological farming systems

The report highlighted the fact that the economic, social, ecological and biodiversity richness of floating rice-based farming systems provided far greater benefits than the economic returns of mono rice cropping systems.
 

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Food sovereignty and the regeneration of terraced landscapes

This paper identifies some of the wider social, economic and political processes that are fundamental for the survival of terraced landscapes and their primary caretakers – farmers and rural communities. 

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Biodiversity and Ecosystem services for Asia and the Pacific

This latest report outlines the factors that have an impact on biodiversity as climate change, population growth, poverty, human consumption of natural resources and the impact of trade and the invasive alien species.

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MONTH'S FOCUS: Bees and Beekeepers

20 May: World Bee Day

Photo credit: FAO

Pollination is vital to life on our planet. Bees and other pollinators have thrived for millions of years ensuring food security and nutrition, and maintaining biodiversity and vibrant ecosystems for plants, humans and the bees themselves. In fact, close to 75 percent of the world’s crops producing fruits and seeds for human consumption depend on pollinators.

FAO's work on Pollination
Publications on bees and beekeeping
Platform of good practices on beekeeping

Why bees matter



This report offers an overall perspective on bees, birds, honey and pollination as well as future steps that all actors should make in order to protect the bees.
 


 
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The pollination of cultivated plants

This volume aims to share expert knowledge on all dimensions of crop pollination in both temperate and tropical zones. The focus of this first volume is on applied crop and system-specific pollination.


 
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Photo credit: Jamaica Observer

A successful Beekeeper in Jamaica

Duhaje Jennings is the owner of Dada B's, the largest supplier of bee colonies in the English-speaking Caribbean. He contributes to fulfill the demand for apicultural products by providing training and material such as bees and supplies.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

World Circular Economy Forum in Helsinki, 3-5 June 2019

The Forum will have a strong emphasis on the next era of the circular economy and scaling up the transition. This involves increasing investments into circular economy businesses, spreading and adopting new technologies and making significant regulatory changes that enable the circular economy to flourish.

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Photo credit: Petterik Wiggers/FAO

First International Conference on Agroecology in Kenya, 18-21 June 2019

This Conference organized by Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) will be held in Nairobi because the region has been reducing synthetic fertilizers and pesticides by scaling up Agroecology and promoting ecological organic trade.

 

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Summit on young sustainable agro-entrepreneurs in Nepal, 4-6 July 2019

The Summit seeks to promote sustainable agro-economy by sharing the knowledge and experiences of young agro-entrepreneurs in order to build networks for collective progress and obtain support from academics and policymakers.

 

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Second Agroecology Europe Forum: 26-28 September 2019 at Crete, Greece

Agroecology Europe Organisation will be holding this event with the aim of creating an inclusive European community of professionals and citizens engaged in Agroecology and fostering interactions between actors in science, practice and social movements.

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PAST EVENTS

Fourth Biopesticides Europe Conference in London 29-30 May

During the conference experts highlighted the progression of the biopesticides market and gave new insights on the innovation of projects in the pipeline.

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Fifth Agroecological Encounter in Portugal, 22-23 May 2019

The Portuguese Association of Biological Agriculture (AGROBIO) organized this Conference addressing the legal framework, marketing as well as the consumption of organic products.

Read more (in Portuguese)

VIDEO

The alternative is Agroecology

Emma Siliprandi, Agricultural Officer of FAO, explains briefly for the Spanish public television, why Agroecology constitutes the sustainable way of production in our planet.

Agroecology courses registration 

Master in Agroecology,Water and Food Sovereignty, Coventry University

This course enables students to understand critically the complex interactions between social and natural systems of the global challenges from food and water security, to resilience, including climate change, malnutrition and ecological degradation.

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Call for contributions for Agroecology Forum in Switzerland by 15 June

The organizers of the Forum Origin, Diversity and Territories invite everybody to share their experience, research or participatory experiment findings in the territories by submitting their contribution related to Agroecology.


 
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Courses on viticulture and agricultural soils in France, 30 July - 9 August 2019

The cover crops, agroforestry and biodiversity of the soils are some of the techniques that will be tackled in both courses taught by winegrowers and agronomists.



 
Read more (French)
See online version

CONTACT 
For more information visit: www.fao.org/agroecology/en/

or contact us at: agroecology@fao.org


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