Agroecology, the application of ecological science to the study,
design, and management of sustainable agriculture, offers a
model of agricultural development to meet this challenge. Recent
research demonstrates that it holds great promise for the
roughly 500 million food-insecure households around the world.
By scaling up its practice, we can sustainably improve the
livelihoods of the most vulnerable, and thus contribute to
feeding a hungry planet. - There are roughly 925 million hungry
people on the planet. Many of them are smallholder farmers or
farm laborers. - With many governments poised for a large-scale
reinvestment in agriculture, the question is not only how much,
but how. - Agroecology—the effort to mimic ecological processes
in agriculture—could provide a framework for this reinvestment.
Already, agroecological practices are being used around the
world, increasing productivity and improving efficiency in the
use of water, soil, and sunlight. - But before agroecological
practices can be scaled up g