Agroecology vs ‘Nature Based Solutions’

The fact sheet contrasts agroecology with 'nature based solutions' (NBS), asserting that NBS serves as a tool for agribusinesses and the finance sector to commodify nature and carbon. It claims that NBS focuses on narrow carbon sequestration metrics and specific practices like no-till farming to preserve corporate control, whereas agroecology seeks systemic change, food sovereignty, and land redistribution. The document warns that NBS integrates nature into corporate profit chains and provides carbon credits that allow fossil fuel corporations to pursue 'net zero' instead of real zero emissions.

• Corporate entities, including agribusinesses, fossil fuel corporations, and the finance industry, promote 'nature based solutions' (NBS) to maintain industrial farming models and create new income streams through financial speculation.
• NBS is criticized for focusing on carbon reduction and a limited set of practices—such as cover cropping, fertiliser management, and no-till farming—which are compatible with corporate control and the use of pesticides and biotech products, rather than pursuing the systemic change associated with agroecology.
• The document highlights a conflict between the history of NBS, which is linked to the displacement of local communities through 'protected areas', and the agroecological goals of agrarian reform and land redistribution, particularly in the global South.
• The value of voluntary carbon markets increased fourfold between 2020 and 2021, partly due to the growth of NBS projects, which the document claims allows entities to prefer 'net zero' distractions over actual zero emissions targets.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). Agroecology vs ‘Nature Based Solutions’. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FoEI-NBS-factsheet2.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Agroecology vs ‘Nature Based Solutions’. n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FoEI-NBS-factsheet2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Agroecology vs ‘Nature Based Solutions’ |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FoEI-NBS-factsheet2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndagroecology, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Agroecology vs ‘Nature Based Solutions’}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FoEI-NBS-factsheet2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }