Agroecology is integral to FAO’s Common Vision for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. It offers a unique approach to meeting significant increases in the future food needs. Agroecology is an integrated approach that applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems. These 10 elements set out the core principles.
In Ethiopia’s lowlands, climate change, erosion and drought degrade land, cut yields and fuel conflicts among agro-pastoralists. The Dry Valley Rehabilitation and Productive Use approach under the global GIZ ProSoil programme integrates technical and socio-ecological measures to restore dry valleys, secure water and promote sustainable land use. The approach uses Water Spreading Weirs, Dry-Stone Measures and biological measures. Water Spreading Weirs span dry riverbeds to spread and slow floods, enhance infiltration, trap nutrient-rich sediments and improve soils and vegetation. Based on a traditional and administrative system, the approach follows 7 steps from satellite-based suitability mapping to participatory planning by user cooperatives, rehabilitation and productive use. GIZ, BMZ, Ethiopian agencies, research bodies and communities collaborated to build 110 Water Spreading Weirs and 205 Dry-Stone Measures in Afar with similar work in Somali and Oromia, restoring 55,500 ha of degraded land and supporting 6,000 people.
India’s growing population has placed immense pressure on agricultural lands, resulting in nearly 40 percent of India’s land being degraded, with 3.7 million hectares suffering from the depletion of soil organic matter and nutrients. Also, the access to subsidised but still expensive synthetic fertiliser is challenging for many smallholder farmers. Therefore, the use of agro-chemical alternatives has gained traction to support sustainable agriculture. Biochar (in combination with biological fertiliser) improves soil fertility, water retention, neutralises acidity in soils and acts as a long-term carbon sink. However, the very limited number of businesses currently engaged in market-oriented biochar production is partly a consequence of technological and infrastructural limitations. To support market expansion, community bioresource enterprises have been established in six districts of Maharashtra/India. The goal is to promote the use of biochar among small-scale and female farmers through a sustainable business model.
The Sqba Community is located in a mid-altitude forest with abundant ecological resources. Once an industrial area for the Hrung tribe, the community now comprises 33% Atayal, alongside populations of Hakka, Minnan, and Mainlanders. Local industries center on agriculture, particularly fruit production such as persimmons, and tourism, featuring campsites, ecotours, fruit-picking experiences, cultural ecology guided tours, and DIY workshops that make use of local ecological resources. Under the Satoyama Initiative, the Taichung Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency conducted resilience assessment workshops (RAWs) in collaboration with locals to identify and prioritize urgent needs, such as conserving traditional crops, promoting sustainable use of forest, river, and field resources, and leveraging ecological assets for income generation and marketing. The local government and agricultural technology departments also participated.
The project focuses on restoring grassland habitats in the Special Nature Reserve (SNR) Kraljevac by providing the local community with thirty sheep, a solar powered shepherd’s hut and an electrical fence which shall all be used for controlled grazing over 16.5 hectares to prevent habitat succession and support species like the endangered European ground squirrel. Two hectares along Lake Kraljevac have been afforested with native trees such as pedunculate oak, white willow, and poplar. A monitoring system for the European ground squirrel population has been established in order to define the ecological corridors for the species.
Apart from creating favorable conditions for a stable European ground squirrel population, the provision of 30 autochthonous sheep benefits the local community, the local shepherds in particular, and ensures the involvement of the local community in the sustainable management of the critical grassland habitat, whilst enhancing public awareness of the importance of grassland ecosystem conservatio
The Shuanglianpi Settlement, located in the mountains of Yilan, is named after Shuanglianpi Pond. Known for once hosting a third of Taiwan’s native aquatic plant species, the area was designated as the “Yilan County Shuanglianpi WildlifeRefuge” in 2003 to protect its freshwater plants.
This designation and land expropriation led to longstanding conflicts among residents, public
sectors, and externalgroups. In 2018, the Yilan Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency began interviewing local elders and residents, uncovering a shared memory: the damaged century- old irrigation canal. Most residents expressed support for restoring the canal torebuild relationships, foster communication, and establish a partnership basedon mutual support. To advance sustainable development, the Branch invited local partners to join resilience
assessment workshops (RAWs) in 2022 to identify priorities and formedan interdepartmental platform for ongoing adaptive co-management of Shuanglianpi.
This Solution centres on establishing an operational indigenous plant nursery as part of an active restoration programme in the Grootvadersbosch landscape, South Africa. The nursery is used not only to propagate locally appropriate indigenous plants, but also as a practical training hub for community members involved in restoration.
The approach addresses key challenges including invasive alien plants, degraded riparian and forest-edge habitats, limited local restoration skills, and shortages of suitable planting material. By integrating training with hands-on nursery work and field implementation, the project has produced thousands of indigenous plants, restored degraded sites, and built lasting restoration capacity within the local community.
Chingaza National Park, with more than 77,000 hectares, is one of the most strategic protected areas of the Colombian National Natural Park System, as it is the main source of drinking water for 10 million people in the Bogotá DC and surrounding municipalities. It also protects moorland and Andean forest ecosystems that are key to regulating water resources in the Orinoco macro-basin, conserves endemic and/or nationally and globally threatened species of fauna and flora, and safeguards important sites for the indigenous communities that inhabited the territory. To guarantee its protection, the park has established conservation agreements with peasant families as part of a conservation pact. This participatory strategy allows communities to improve their productive practices while guaranteeing the protection of key ecosystems for the provision of ecosystem services, achieving a local collective effort that guarantees water security for future generations.
This solution is part of Sparśa, a Nepali non-profit initiative producing compostable menstrual pads made from locally processed banana fiber.
It describes the first phase of the production chain, detailing how banana pseudostems are sourced from farmers and processed at a factory near the plantations. The solution includes replicable CAD-supported designs for semi-automatic fiber extraction and pseudostem-cutting machines, enabling local manufacturing and adaptation. It also outlines sustainable fiber-drying methods and a circular system that converts the remaining biomass into organic compost fertilizer, which is returned to farmers. The extracted fiber is then turned into absorbent paper sheets used as the core of Sparśa menstrual pads. Overall, the solution strengthens circular economy practices, creates rural employment, empowers women, supports environmentally responsible menstrual hygiene options in Nepal, and offers a model that can be replicated in other banana-growing regions worldwide.
The Exclusive Artisanal Fishing Zone (ZEPA), located in the municipalities of Juradó and Bahía Solano, in Chocó, Colombia, was created to protect fishery resources and marine biodiversity, prioritizing artisanal fishing over industrial fishing. This initiative arose in response to overfishing and the negative impact of industrial fishing, which affected the livelihoods of local communities and marine ecosystems. By promoting sustainable practices, such as the use of more selective fishing gear, the ZEPA has facilitated the recovery of species and the protection of crucial habitats for marine megafauna, contributing to essential activities such as echolocation, feeding and reproduction of these species. In addition to conserving biodiversity, it has strengthened local economies by ensuring the availability of fishery resources for artisanal fishing. The ZEPA is an example of how community management and the protection of fishing traditions can lead to ecosystem conservation and improved quality of life for communities.
The Cross-Sector Taskforce (CSTF) was established in 2015 to coordinate Rwanda’s response to the Bonn Challenge and enhance Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) efforts. Comprising 35 member organizations, including government bodies, NGOs, private sector actors, and research institutions, the CSTF fosters collaboration, shares technical knowledge, and harmonizes FLR monitoring systems. It provides a platform for addressing deforestation, land degradation, and biodiversity loss while aligning restoration efforts with national and international strategies like the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS), AFR100, and the Paris Agreement. Recent meetings have focused on integrating FLR with sustainable food systems, improving monitoring tools, and incentivizing local farmers. By facilitating knowledge exchange and improving governance, the CSTF enhances restoration efforts and strengthens Rwanda’s ability to meet its target of restoring 2 million hectares of land by 2030.
The Sebeya catchment in Western Rwanda, once prone to recurrent flooding, erosion, and landslides, was transformed through the “Embedding Integrated Water Resources Management in Rwanda (EWMR)” project. Led by Rwanda Water Resources Board and partners, the project applied Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to restore 7,700 hectares using terraces, trenches, riverbank protections, and afforestation. The approach combined land rehabilitation with innovative financing, value chains, and inclusive planning. Over 35,000 green jobs were created, alongside improved soil health, aquifer recharge, agricultural productivity, and livelihoods. By integrating community-driven land use planning into district-level governance, the project laid the foundation for long-term resilience and scalability.
The Green Project in Gashora Sector, Bugesera District, Eastern Rwanda, transformed the country’s driest agro-ecological zone through regenerative, farmer-led land restoration. Facing severe land degradation, poor soil fertility, and widespread poverty, the project implemented agroforestry-based conservation agriculture using shrub-tree hedgerows, rotation cropping, and organic mulching. Designed as a low-cost, inclusive and replicable model, the project improved soil health, enhanced biodiversity, increased yields, and diversified household incomes. Starting with just six farmers, it now engages over 1,000. The intervention shows how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) tailored to local conditions can reverse degradation, boost resilience, and uplift rural livelihoods.
