Agroecology: The Path to Food System Resilience

by Edward Mukiibi, President of Slow Food

The current state of our global agrifood systems is complex and multifaceted. Industrial agriculture, genetic erosion, changing food habits, climate breakdown and rural abandonment are but a few of the factors fueling the threat to biodiversity and food security worldwide. The looming specter of climate change exacerbates these challenges, positioning food as both a victim and contributor to the ongoing crisis.

Yet food, a universal and unifying language, also represents our most powerful vehicle for change. This ethos is driving a global movement to preserve biodiversity and champion sustainable, equitable food systems around the world. At the heart of this model of food production and distribution are the principles of agroecology—a science, practice and social movement that integrates ecological, social and economic dimensions to create food systems in harmony with nature.

Transforming our food systems for the better requires more than individual action: It calls for the collective will and strategic collaboration of all stakeholders. As the climate crisis accelerates, our shared responsibility to secure a resilient food future for all becomes increasingly clear. And while despair could easily take hold, inspiring examples and initiatives are offering moments of hope, showcasing the potential to catalyze meaningful, system-wide change.

Leydi Casimiro’s family, for instance, returned to the countryside in the 1990s. Their farm, Finca del Medio, is a green oasis in the center of Cuba, producing a diversity of vegetables and fruits and promoting agroecological practices. Leydi, the first Cuban to obtain a PhD in Agroecological Sciences, faces many challenges. The farm is struggling not only with the effects of climate change but also a lack of resources and infrastructure that is hampering efforts to extend production cycles, improve food preservation and refine the presentation of products to consumers. But she firmly believes in the goodness of the land and over time has helped turn Finca del Medio into an example of living in harmony with the environment without overexploiting natural resources. Key to replicating this experience is training farmers, providing resources, promoting fair prices and creating markets that favor short marketing and consumption circuits.

A series of shocks and crises—from bloody conflicts to speculative price hikes—have laid bare the fragility of our global food system, serving as a wake-up call about the need to strengthen the resilience of local food systems through agroecology. This holistic approach is the only way to transition our food systems from ones built on social, economic and environmental injustices to ones that are truly good, clean and fair. By empowering small-scale producers, protecting biodiversity and rebuilding connections between people and the land, agroecology offers a path forward that addresses the root causes of our food system’s vulnerabilities. Concerns are also growing over the impact of the livestock sector on the climate and environment, the role of livestock in global food security and nutrition as well as sustainable and healthy diets, animal welfare, animal health and the impact of zoonotic diseases on public health. Many of the ways of addressing these risks involve optimizing interactions between animals, plants, humans and the environment, and are thus relevant to agroecology.

Tenuta di Paganico is located in the heart of Maremma in Tuscany, Italy. The farm consists of 1,500 hectares of forests, pastures, olive groves, vineyards and crops. The natural and wildlife-rich environment the farm is immersed in is also home to deer, hares and porcupines. The main activity on the estate is the organic rearing of Maremmana cattle and Cinta Senese pigs. The extensive farming system allow animals to live and graze in the forest, which becomes their natural habitat. All the feed given to the animals is produced and processed on the farm.

Agroecology grounds food systems in the culture, identity, traditions and social and gender equity of local communities. This results in healthy, diverse, seasonally appropriate diets and economies rooted in solidarity and cooperation, where all food workers, from farmers to fishers to indigenous custodians of nature, are valued as key experts and decisionmakers. By advancing fair working conditions, inclusive participation and equitable access to resources, agroecology promotes social justice at the heart of sustainable food systems.

Finca del Medio and Tenuta di Paganico are pilot examples of the Slow Food Farms network. By providing training, technical assistance and market access, the network empowers food producers to become agents of change within their own communities. This aligns with agroecology’s emphasis on empowering local food producers as central actors in the transition towards more resilient, equitable food systems.

Farmers’ longstanding practice of carefully selecting and exchanging seeds has cultivated resilient, indigenous crops adapted to diverse local conditions—our best defense against intensifying climate impacts. By preserving this agricultural diversity, we strengthen the adaptive capacity of food systems to withstand the shocks and stresses of a changing climate.

As well as Slow Food’s international president, I am also a farmer. My family farm is located 10 minutes’ drive from the northern shores of Lake Victoria in Central Uganda. On this small six-acre farm, we maximize productivity by increasing biological diversity on all the plots. Through the collection and conservation of local seeds and varieties, we now have over 20 different banana and plantain varieties, many of which belong to East African Highland type, plus local rainbow maize and different sweet potato varieties. We also participate in a local bean seed saving and multiplication program which covers 15 different East African bean varieties. This is in addition to other crops like vanilla, cocoa, Robusta coffee, arrowroot, several cassava varieties, fruit trees, vegetables and medicinal plants, all grown in mixed and agroforestry systems. The main focus of the farm is to maximize the productivity of the land by strengthening the biodiversity both above and below ground, a key element for resilient tropical farming systems in the face of a rapidly changing climate.

The critical role of food systems is finally gaining attention, as the discourse expands from narrow production metrics to encompass the entire value chain. Crucially, the latest IPCC assessment affirmed with high confidence that agroecological principles and practices support food security, nutrition, livelihoods, soil health, biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The agroecological vision is one of balance and harmony within diverse ecosystems. Through a gradual transition, farming communities can develop diversified food systems adapted to their unique contexts. Sustainable food systems ensure access to culturally appropriate, nutritious foods for all, while actively opposing inequalities based on gender, race or class. By nurturing the social fabric of urban and rural communities, from early childhood programs to school food policies, we can help reduce disparities and empower the next generation of food citizens.

We have seen agroecological market channels flourish in myriad forms—from farmers’ markets to online sales—as producers’ organizations strategically scale up these equitable, resilient food supply chains. In doing so, they weave stronger social ties, reinforce locally rooted identities and generate innovative solutions to nourish their communities. These decentralized, community-driven food economies are crucial for building the resilience and self-determination of local food systems.

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