Tropentag 2022, September 14 - 16, Prague, Germany "Can agroecological farming feed the world? Farmers' and academia's views."

Panel discussion: Potentials and risks of agroecological farming for global food and nutrition security

Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Division 123, Research and Innovation, Coordination of Research Area, Germany

Abstract

The BMEL is committed to the development of sustainable and resilient food systems worldwide and the implementation of the human right to adequate food.
As part of this commitment, BMEL has established the funding instrument “Research Cooperation for Global Food Security and Nutrition”. The focus of this instrument is on promoting practice oriented trans- and interdisciplinary research projects. The projects contribute to generating needs-oriented knowledge and the further development of capacities on the ground. The Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) acts as project executing agency.
Funded projects within this scheme strengthen the German contribution to sustainable food systems in partner countries through agricultural and nutritional research and by building long-term partnerships between agricultural and nutritional research institutions in Germany, Africa, South and Southeast Asia.
From BMEL’s perspective, agroecological approaches can contribute significantly to the transformation process towards more sustainable food systems. Accordingly, agroecology forms a central component of the new 2022 call for research proposals on "Innovative Sustainable Production Systems". In the BMEL-Session, an expert panel will discuss the various facets and research needs regarding agroecological concepts and practices:

• Dr. Marc Cotter, Senior Scientist, Department of International Cooperation, Group Resilient Cropping Systems, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
  
• Dr. Amy Faye, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Center for Development Research (ZEF)
  
• Patricia Nanteza, Science Writer, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
  
• Dr. Stefan Sieber, PD Associate Professor, Humboldt University Berlin; Head of Department “Sustainable Land Use in Developing Countries”, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)

• Dr. Samira Amellal, Director General, CropLife Africa Middle East
  
• Nivedita Varshneya, Country Director, Welthungerhilfe India

Keywords: Agroecology, food and nutrition security, Global South, international research cooperation

Contact Address: Christine Hbirkou, Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), Climate, Food Security, International Cooperation, Deichmanns Aue 29, Bonn, Germany, e-mail: christine.hbirkouble.de