Announcement: Infopoint 27/01/2021. Organic agriculture – a realistic pathway? Evidence from long-term systems research

27/01/2021 - 15:00 to 16:30. Infopoint Virtual Conference via Webex Meetings. Webex Meetings. Organic agriculture – a realistic pathway? Evidence from long-term systems research.

The results of 12 years of comparative farming systems research in Kenya, Bolivia, and India provide scientific evidence on economic and ecological sustainability of organic and conventional systems. They illustrate how organic systems and other agroecological approaches can contribute to the SDGs by 2030. 

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to end poverty and other deprivations. There is substantial evidence illustrating that the dominant agricultural management practices are not sustainable for the future. Organic agricul­ture is proposed as an alternative, but its performance under tropical conditions is questioned as long-term studies are scarce.

The conference addresses whether organic agriculture is a realistic pathway for smallholders in the Global South and if it can support the transformation of food systems. Furthermore, it addresses some key issues of the SDG's such as responsible consumption and production as well as eliminating poverty and hunger. The report What is the contribution of organic agriculture to sustainable development? A synthesis of twelve years (2007-2019) of the long-term farming systems comparisons in the tropics (SysCom) will be launched and the results presented at the conference. Finally, the results will be reflected in the view of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) with regards to its work on agroecology.

Speakers

1. Christophe Larose - Head of Sector, INTPA F3 Sustainable Agri-Food systems and Fisheries
2. Knut Schmidtke - Director of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, FiBL
3. Christina Blank - Programme Manager of the Global Programme Food Security, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
4. Beate Huber - President, FiBL Europe
5. Bernard Lehmann - Vice-Chairperson of the HLPE Steering Committee

Program info: Farming Systems Comparison in the Tropics

• Program title: Farming Systems Comparisons in the Tropics (SysCom)
• Start: 2007 | Phase 4 : 2019 - 2022
• Project sites: Bolivia, India, Kenya
• Implemented by: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland
• Main partners: Ecotop S.R.L, Institute of Ecology (University San Andres), PIAF-El Ceibo Foundation, bioRe India Association, Institute of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)
• Funded by: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC),  Liechtenstein Development Service (LED), Coop Sustainability Fund, Biovision Foundation