Independent Dialogue
Geographical focus:
Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam
Major focus
INOFO is a network that facilitates relationship between organic farmers unions through the autonomous, self-organized infrastructure within which farmer organizations consult and cooperate on matters of common concern and speak in any forum with legitimate professional voice. With its mission to unite organic farmers and support their voices at all levels of food systems development, INOFO Asia is conducting the independent dialogue to discuss the issues and challenges of the present food system, from seed to table and propose a sustainable food systems driven by agroecology and organic prod
... Read moreuction systems as these two topics encompasses the five action tracks of the UNFSS. Agroecology is a scientific discipline and a recognized social movement that nowadays is underpinned by a considerable evidence base for various production contexts. The HLPE report on Agroecological and other innovative approaches, and the FAO Agroecology Hub are considered common denominators for the definition and framework of Agroecology. It mimics natural ecological systems’ principles for resilient and healthy food production while addressing systemic challenges such as, depletion of soils and natural resources, biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change. Alternately, civil society groups define agroecology as a holistic approach to sustainable agriculture and food systems. Beyond its biophysical and ecological aspects, we look at agroecology as being strongly grounded on the environmental; social and cultural; economic; and political dimensions of sustainability, as defined and outlined by the Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité (CIDSE). Complementing agroecology, "organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, banning chemical fertilizers and pesticides and taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfil any specific function within the system." (FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1999). Organic farming protects all living creatures in the ecological food web of life - the microbes, insects including butterflies, amphibians, birds and the entire biodiversity gets adversely affected by the use of chemical fertilizers and the pesticides which then affects the pollination, soil carbon and closing of these ecological cycles ultimately leading to unsustainable, toxic food systems that affect our health and environments. Farmers do understand this but with limited or no access to these alternative resources for pest control, they succumb to what is available and easily accessible to control the pests. With the increased use of chemical pesticides, the farmers are now becoming aware of the resistance to chemicals by the existing pests and how this is a never ending vicious trap. Hence, many farmers are resorting to more sustainable alternatives of employing low cost, locally sourced, farm made organic pest repellents, advocated under the Organic Production Systems. Agroecology and Organic Farming is practiced widely all over the world, often by small-scale operations but when it comes to the ground realities of a farmer in his/ her locality, it’s still a huge struggle to convince the neighboring farmers, consumers, municipalities and ultimately Governments about the importance Agroecology and the innovative approaches to conversion to more regenerative practices. With this, the dialogue aimed to: a) Inform and educate the participants about the issues and challenges of the present food system and the role of agroecology and organic production systems in addressing these issues; and b) Make use of the Independent Dialogue to put the voices of the small farmers and the marginalized in setting the agenda and proposing pro-farmer, pro-people and pro-planet solutions to the Food Systems Summit. Read less
Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Keywords: Environment and Climate, Governance, Human rights, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment