The Contribution of Agroecological Approaches to Realizing Climate-Resilient Agriculture

The document argues that agroecology—combining science, practice, and social movements—provides a framework for transforming food systems to be more climate-resilient. It details how applying ecological principles (such as biodiversity and soil health) at various scales (field, farm, landscape, and food system) can mitigate climate risks. The paper provides evidence from Africa, India, and Europe, highlighting specific practices like agroforestry and Zero Budget Natural Farming. It concludes that scaling these approaches requires addressing market failures, reforming perverse policies, and shifting from a top-down technology transfer model to a co-creation of knowledge approach.

• Agroecology is defined as a transdisciplinary approach that integrates science, a set of practices, and social movements to design sustainable food systems based on the co-creation of knowledge.
• Agroecological practices contribute to climate adaptation across four nested scales: field scale (e.g., shade trees), farm/livelihood scale (e.g., Total Factor Productivity), landscape scale (e.g., ecosystem services), and food system scale (e.g., ecological footprint).
• In Africa, agroecological practices such as seed coating, water harvesting, and the use of organic fertilizers help farmers adapt to rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall, often providing unplanned carbon sequestration benefits.
• Agroforestry significantly improves smallholder livelihood resilience by enhancing soil fertility, reducing erosion, and diversifying income through products like fodder, fuel, and fruit.
• Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in India demonstrates the power of social movements to scale agroecology by reducing farmer debt and reliance on expensive external inputs through methods like mulching and fermented microbial cultures.
• Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) in the Sahel has increased tree cover on over 5 million hectares in Niger, leading to higher soil carbon and increased annual household incomes of US$200.
• Agroecological pest control, such as the 'push-pull' system, is an effective low-cost alternative to chemical pesticides for managing the Fall Army Worm (FAW) outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in a 2.8-fold increase in yield.
• Widespread adoption of agroecology is hindered by market failures that undervalue ecosystem services, perverse subsidies (e.g., for inorganic fertilizers), and a lack of comprehensive performance metrics that account for social and environmental externalities.
• Scaling agroecology requires a shift from linear technology-transfer models to 'options by context' and transdisciplinary research that values local farmer knowledge equally with scientific data.

APA

Sinclair, F., Wezel, A., Mbow, C., Chomba, S., Robiglio, V., & Harrison, R. (2019). The Contribution of Agroecological Approaches to Realizing Climate-Resilient Agriculture. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Agroecological_Approaches_to_Climate-Resilient_Agriculture_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf

Chicago

Sinclair, Fergus, Alexander Wezel, Cheikh Mbow, Susan Chomba, Valentina Robiglio, and Rhett Harrison. The Contribution of Agroecological Approaches to Realizing Climate-Resilient Agriculture. World Resources Institute, 2019. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Agroecological_Approaches_to_Climate-Resilient_Agriculture_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sinclair |first1=Fergus |last2=Wezel |first2=Alexander |last3=Mbow |first3=Cheikh |last4=Chomba |first4=Susan |last5=Robiglio |first5=Valentina |last6=Harrison |first6=Rhett |title=The Contribution of Agroecological Approaches to Realizing Climate-Resilient Agriculture |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2 August 2019 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Agroecological_Approaches_to_Climate-Resilient_Agriculture_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sinclair2019contribution, author = {Sinclair, Fergus and Wezel, Alexander and Mbow, Cheikh and Chomba, Susan and Robiglio, Valentina and Harrison, Rhett}, title = {{The Contribution of Agroecological Approaches to Realizing Climate-Resilient Agriculture}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2019}, month = aug, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Agroecological_Approaches_to_Climate-Resilient_Agriculture_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }