Since the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, there is broad consensus that agrifood systems must be transformed to become more resilient and sustainable and address mounting global challenges including climate change, natural resources depletion and biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, food and nutrition insecurity, and socioeconomic inequities. This is a prerequisite to achieve the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its associated SDGs. Agroecology is increasingly seen as an effective pathway to achieve the objectives of economic, social and environmental sustainability of food systems. It is rooted in both ecological science and traditional knowledge, and emphasizes the co-creation of knowledge, participatory governance, and context-specific innovation. As defined through the 13 principles of the High-Level Panel of Experts of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and aligned with the 10 elements of the FAO, it benefits from increased international attention and support. In line with the Global Gateway strategy, DG INTPA approaches agroecology as being open to innovation and to markets in bilateral, regional and global partnerships and actions through i.a.: strategic guidance and technical support to EU delegations (operational guide, Monthly Talks, support to the quality of operations); strategic partnerships with like-minded partners to leverage funds and impacts (such as IFAD); investments in Research and Innovation and in the development & deployment of Sustainability Assessment Frameworks (such as the FAO Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation TAPE+, and the IFAD Economic and Financial Assessment EFA+). This work contributes to supporting agriculture value chains development, nutrition, fisheries and food security, as well as to the wider aim of Directorate F to address global challenges such as climate change, circular economy, water management, biodiversity, etc.
