The role of agroecology in building more resilient and fair food systems

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines agroecology as a science-based alternative to the industrial food system, which it describes as unsustainable and a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The document details the environmental, social, and economic benefits of agroecological practices, while identifying systemic barriers—such as skewed government subsidies and limited research funding—that hinder its global scaling.

• Agroecology has demonstrated the ability to significantly increase crop yields and food security. In a study across 57 nations, agroecological projects covering 37 million hectares increased average crop yields by 79%. In Africa specifically, farmers saw average crop yields rise by 116%.
• The transition to agroecology provides substantial environmental benefits, including improved soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Practices such as agroforestry can store between 0.1 and 5.7 Gt of CO2 annually on a global scale. Additionally, shifting from transnational food chains to local markets via agroecology could reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 10%–12%.
• Agroecology improves the economic stability and livelihoods of farmers. Evidence shows that labour productivity increased in 100% of cases and profitability increased in 66% compared to conventional practices. Specific examples include coffee farmers in Mexico achieving higher profit margins than conventional farmers and a project in India that improved income and food autonomy for six million farmers.
• The industrial food system is characterized as unsustainable, contributing up to 37% of total global greenhouse gas emissions and failing to address world hunger, which currently affects 8.9% of the global population.
• Significant systemic barriers prevent the scaling of agroecology, most notably the allocation of agricultural subsidies. Of the at least USD 600 billion spent annually on agricultural subsidies, only 5% support conservation or sustainability objectives, while roughly 70% provide direct income support.
• Public investment and research in agroecology are severely limited. Public investment accounts for only 1%-1.5% of total agricultural and aid budgets. There is a noted lack of research regarding the social and economic impacts of agroecology compared to its environmental benefits.

APA

Team, Z. (2021). The role of agroecology in building more resilient and fair food systems. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/nature/the-role-of-agroecology-in-building-more-resilient-and-fair-food-systems/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. The role of agroecology in building more resilient and fair food systems. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2021. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/nature/the-role-of-agroecology-in-building-more-resilient-and-fair-food-systems/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=The role of agroecology in building more resilient and fair food systems |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=25 April 2021 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/nature/the-role-of-agroecology-in-building-more-resilient-and-fair-food-systems/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2021role, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{The role of agroecology in building more resilient and fair food systems}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/nature/the-role-of-agroecology-in-building-more-resilient-and-fair-food-systems/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }