Boost agroecological farming to feed world and save climate, UN expert says

Abstract

With population increasing to an expected nine billion by 2050, the issue of food security is at the forefront of international discussions. At the UN meeting in Brussels in June 2010, experts discussed opportunities to increase food production for the growing population. Dr. Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, stressed the importance of using less conventional methods and focusing on sustainable methods, such as agroecological farming, which involves the intercropping of trees in agricultural fields. Agroecology approaches around the world have resulted in huge increases in crop yields and farmer income, while maintaining the environmental quality of the soil. This article contends that making this change to more sustainable agricultural methods could significantly help address the problem of food insecurity and climate change.