Report of the Regional Meeting on Agroecology in sub-Saharan Africa, Dakar, Senegal, 5-6 November 2015
2016
The Multistakeholder Consultation on agroecology for sub-Saharan Africa was held in Dakar, Senegal on 5-6 November 2015. Agroecology was presented as a solution to harness Africa’s social, natural and economic assets as it enhances local biodiversity and the conservation of natural resources. It also represents a paradigm shift in the way agriculture has been practised and analysed by proponent of mainstream science for over a century with an essentially reductionist approach and an increasing dependence on external inputs. A significant part of conversations around food security and climate change has focused on production and productivity to meet present and future needs. While this can make important contributions to solving these problems, a further observation points out that public goods like social development and innovation are strong—and perhaps the strongest—levers for increasing food security. It was recognized that this requires a dramatic shift, starting with understanding the current conditions and incentivizing the systems that employ the best solutions: building the soil as a living organism; managing pests through natural practices and with increased biodiversity; and focusing on knowledge development and community empowerment at the local level. It was highlighted that food producers were the backbone of these local innovation systems, integrating local and scientific knowledge.
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