Agriculture

The concept of land liberation through agroecology includes, in turn, the freedom of forests, in opposition to forms of privatization, commodification, and financialization of nature that reduce forests to mere credits.

Brazil's pioneering National Agroecology and Organic Production Policy offers valuable lessons, highlighting both achievements and challenges in advancing agroecology. Despite setbacks, its progress remains essential for systemic transformation.

Knowledge about how to farm is never static, it shifts with changing realities. In the Anatolian village of Karagömlek, rural depopulation and industrial inputs reshape local farming. This article explores, why Agroecology offers a critical perspective for the future.

A research project in the Greek mountains shows what open source technologies and agroecology have in common. And why combining the two approaches could mean a better future for isolated rural regions around the world.

While organic farming has a long-standing tradition in Germany, agroecology remains less known. How could a combination of the two approaches drive the urgently needed transformation of food systems? 

The number of farmers in Poland is declining, but fortunately there is one group in rural areas that is trying to build farms based on new principles. These are young women who embody the ideas of agroecology: diversification of production, rural cooperation and care for the environment. 

This guide identifies twelve ‘implementation areas’ in forestry, agriculture, land tenure, and other land uses that should be addressed in nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

Countries could reduce the dangerous dependence on fluctuating world market prices by building up buffer stocks. Public food stocks such as those in Brazil stabilise prices and markets. Initiatives are fighting for food sovereignty worldwide. 

Food prices have been fluctuating wildly for twenty years. Speculation on financial markets and rising energy costs continue to drive prices up. In 2022, almost 800 million people worldwide were affected by chronic hunger.

Bread connects people and cultures worldwide. Around the world, bread has played a pivotal role in shaping history, culture, society and religion. A glance at history highlights just how often riots and uprisings have been ignited by rising bread prices.

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.

Our Policy Brief provides recommendations on fossil fuel-based and ‘green’ fertilizer production and use in Africa.

Regenerative aquaculture is emerging as a promising solution to address the sustainability challenges faced by the aquaculture industry. Integrating Gracilaria seaweed and brackish water tilapia in pond systems in Johor, Malaysia, has shown great potential.

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).

How the war in Ukraine threatens global food security – an interview with Dr Martin Frick, head of the Berlin office of the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

In a wealthy country like Germany, can everyone get enough healthy food? It’s not that simple. Income, education and employment are closely linked to health.

From land ownership to seed supply to food retailing: food value chains are marked by their concentration in a few hands. The imbalance of power between large companies, smallholders and consumers results in malnutrition.

Malnutrition is increasing worldwide. Too little food inhibits early childhood development, while too many empty calories from sugar and fat may cause cardiovascular diseases or diabetes.

Warring parties drive people off their land, kill livestock and damage crops. They destroy infrastructure and transport networks, disrupt markets and push food prices up. Conflicts are one of the main causes of hunger. But a lack of access to food can also be a cause of war.