Agricultural Policy

In this episode of the Ecologia Podcast, Émile Frison and Lena Luig explore in depth the conditions and levers of an agroecological transition capable of driving lasting change. Hosted by Arafet Ben Marzo.

Adopted in 2024, Colombia's first Public Policy on Agroecology marks a national milestone and a historic achievement for the social movements that have long advanced agroecology. The article explores its key outcomes and remaining challenges. 

The farmers' protests in many European countries in early 2024 revealed the frustration of many farmers. Food prices are a key issue here since producers rarely benefit from the rise in consumer prices. Politicians are urged to create fair framework conditions.

Instead of replacing chemical fertilizers with “green” nitrogen fertilizers, African countries should reform their fertilizer policies. Dependence on fossil nitrogen fertilizers should be reduced and the transition to agroecology strengthened.

Funding climate protection through carbon certificates for soil may seem beneficial at first. However, a greater focus on soil health and supporting farmers in adopting sustainable practices would be far more effective in practice.

The widespread promotion of synthetic fertilizer as a solution to Africa’s food-security challenges is a flawed approach that has consistently failed to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition on the continent. It is time for policymakers and stakeholders to embrace a more transparent and evidence-based approach.

By emphasizing a multi-stakeholder approach to political decision-making, international institutions have enabled corporate actors to dominate the conversation about how and what we eat. But addressing hunger and malnutrition requires a strategy that focuses on human rights and government accountability.

The German government has announced it will implement an export ban on certain hazardous pesticides. The legal opinion examines the potential scope of such an export ban and if it could be compatible with the law of the European Union as well as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of the World Trade organization (WTO).