Agroecology In Europe And Central Asia An Overview

Agroecology is rooted in agricultural heritage systems based on small-scale food producers from all food sectors (pastoralism, fisheries, forestry and agriculture). It contributes to building resilient food systems, starting with greater integration of biodiversity into agricultural production systems and landscapes. By diversifying production, agroecology also contributes to diversified and healthy diets. It replaces costly external inputs with the management of local biodiversity and ecosystem services based on the combined knowledge of family farmers and science creating more resilient communities including by creating off-farm job opportunities. Also, it is based on context-specific design and organization, of crops, livestock, farms, landscapes local culture and knowledge. This publication aims to provide an overview of actions and initiatives on Agroecology in Europe and Central Asia countries.