Sustainable Food Systems

Sustainable Food Systems

Large-scale industrial agriculture remains the most touted solution to global hunger in development discourse. However, an increasing number of reports and research, endorse agroecological approaches that prioritize smallholder crop production to successfully meet the challenges of climate change and hunger.

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Overview

The current development landscape is dominated by Green Revolution ideals—improved or genetically modified seeds used in capital-intensive large-scale agriculture schemes with a prominent role for pesticides and fertilizers. Rather than contributing to food security and sovereignty, these efforts lead to large tracts of monoculture that prioritize export crops, require increased mechanization, and depend on multinationals for chemicals and seeds.

Agroecology provides another path. It encompasses a wide-variety of practices, which are coherent with key principles of environment preservation, social fairness, and economic viability. Agroecology combines parameters of sound ecological management, like minimizing the use of toxics by using on-farm renewable resources and privileging endogenous solutions to manage pests and disease, with an approach that upholds and secures farmers' livelihoods. Agroecological systems like the Rice Intensification implemented along the Niger River in Mali, can double small farmers’ agricultural output. Supporting smallholder farmers, who already produce over 80 percent of the food consumed in many developing regions, is the quickest way to lift over one billion people out of poverty.

Tanzanian farmer intercropping grains with legumes. Credit: Michael Farrelly.


Thirty-three case studies that shed light on the tremendous success of agroecological agriculture across the African continent. Read more

What we are doing about it

Adhering to a high investigative standard with consideration of local impact and international trends, The Oakland Institute documents and advocates for agro-ecological farming methods that empower local producers.

The Institute’s thirty-three case studies released in 2015 shed light on the tremendous success of agroecological agriculture across the African continent. They demonstrate with facts and figures how an agricultural transformation respectful of the farmers and their environment can yield immense economic, social, and food security benefits while also fighting climate change and restoring soils and the environment.

Quick Facts

  • As of 2021, the four largest seed manufacturers increased their market share from 21 percent in 1994 to 66 percent in 2018.
  • 79% — average crop yield increases based on a review conducted by the FAO in 57 low-income countries when factoring efficient use of water, reduced use of pesticides, and improvements in soil health.
  • Sustainable agriculture improves food supply, nutrition, and livelihoods in LDCs based on research by the UN and numerous other bodies.
  • Increased yields by 116% with a shift toward organic agriculture production i based on a UNEP-UNCTAD analysis of 114 cases in Africathat.
  • $192 million — estimated annual value gained from ecosystem services if half of the arable area under conventional farming is shifted to organic.
  • Explore our case studies that shed light on the tremendous success of agroecological agriculture across the African continent.
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A group of young Maasai during the celebration of Enkipaata in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area crater.