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| Agroecology Europe | |
|---|---|
| Name | Agroecology Europe |
| Formation | 2013 |
| Type | Non-profit association |
| Headquarters | Europe |
| Region served | European Union |
| Leader title | President |
Agroecology Europe
Agroecology Europe is a European association promoting agroecological science and practice, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers across institutions such as European Commission, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, United Nations Environment Programme, and European Environment Agency. Founded amid debates involving actors like Ellen Swallow Richards, Vandana Shiva, Miguel Altieri, Nina Planck, and networks including IFOAM – Organics International, Friends of the Earth Europe, and Greenpeace International, the association links academic groups from universities such as Wageningen University, University of Barcelona, AgroParisTech, INRAE, and University of Aberdeen to civil society and institutions like European Parliament committees and national ministries.
Agroecology Europe emerged after conferences and workshops that involved stakeholders from European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Horizon 2020, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, European Food Safety Authority, and networks such as Science Europe and European Academies' Science Advisory Council. Early assemblies featured speakers from University of California, Berkeley, University of Montpellier, ETH Zurich, Scotland’s Rural College, and representatives from Slow Food International and La Via Campesina. The organisation’s milestones track interactions with EU policy processes including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform debates, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and pilot projects funded under frameworks like Horizon Europe and European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability.
The association's mission aligns with aims articulated by bodies such as United Nations Food Systems Summit, Convention on Biological Diversity, and Sustainable Development Goals signatories. Objectives reference interdisciplinary agendas advanced at institutions including Royal Society, Academy of Social Sciences, European Commission Scientific Advice Mechanism, and through initiatives like the European Green Deal. Core goals include promoting research linkage between groups at CIRAD, CIHEAM, CSIRO, and Rothamsted Research; supporting practitioners affiliated with Permaculture Association, Organic Research Centre, and AgriCord; and influencing policy dialogues where actors such as Committee on World Food Security participate.
Governance structures mirror models used by organizations such as European Society for Agronomy, Society for Conservation Biology, and International Union for Conservation of Nature and include elected boards, working groups, and national nodes with links to institutions like Scotland’s Rural College and Ghent University. Membership spans academics from University of Kassel, Trinity College Dublin, University of Copenhagen, practitioners from networks such as La Via Campesina and European Coordination Via Campesina, NGOs including BirdLife International and WWF European Policy Office, and students associated with European Students' Union. Funding and oversight have intersected with funders like European Research Council and foundations such as Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.
Activities include conferences modeled after events like International Congress of Entomology and symposia paralleling World Congress of Agroforestry, training programs in collaboration with universities such as University of Reading and University of Wageningen, and practitioner exchanges similar to those organized by EURAKNOS and LEADER Local Action Groups. Programs involve knowledge hubs, policy briefs communicated to bodies including European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and European Environment Agency, and publications coordinated with journals like Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Journal of Rural Studies, and Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.
The association contributes to research agendas intersecting with projects funded by Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and coordinated with networks like European Research Area and Joint Research Centre. It engages with policy instruments such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and interacts with advisory mechanisms including the European Commission Scientific Advice Mechanism and the European Green Deal stakeholders. Research collaborations have involved partners from INRAE, ETH Zurich, Wageningen University & Research, and Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), addressing topics also studied by IPCC, IPBES, and European Environment Agency assessments.
Collaborative partners include academic institutions like University of Bologna, University of Ghent, Université Grenoble Alpes, research centres such as Rothamsted Research, international organizations like FAO, UNEP, and civil society networks including Slow Food International, La Via Campesina, and IFOAM – Organics International. Partnerships extend to funding and policy bodies like European Commission, European Investment Bank, and philanthropic entities exemplified by Hewlett Foundation and Wellcome Trust.
Critiques have come from stakeholders mirroring tensions seen between proponents of industrial agriculture advocates aligned with entities like BASF and Syngenta, and critics associated with movements such as La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International. Debates involve methodologies similar to disputes at International Food Policy Research Institute and controversies about techno-centric approaches championed by organizations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation versus agroecological advocates at European Parliament hearings. Discussions have addressed evidence standards referenced by Cochrane Collaboration-style reviews, conflicts over funding transparency similar to controversies in science policy arenas, and tensions in policy influence comparable to disputes over the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Category:Agricultural organizations