To the Delegates of the COP16 Biodiversity Summit, policymakers, and global citizens,

As we gather at this pivotal moment for our planet’s future, it is clear that the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, and social inequality demand transformative solutions. Agroecology, grounded in ecological principles applied to food systems, offers a powerful pathway to address these crises while fostering biodiversity, climate resilience, equity, and healthy food systems.

Ecological farming works with nature, mimicking natural processes to create balanced, healthy, and resilient agricultural systems. Instead of relying on external chemical inputs, it harnesses natural cycles—such as nutrient cycling, biological pest control, and water management—by integrating diverse plant and animal species. This approach enhances biodiversity, improves soil health, and builds resilience against pests, diseases, and climate extremes, creating a self-sustaining system that thrives in harmony with natural ecosystems.

Agroecology is simultaneously a practice, a social movement, and a research approach. It integrates ecological principles into farming, focusing on biodiversity, soil health, and water conservation. Techniques such as polycultures, agroforestry, and organic farming support natural processes like nutrient cycling and pest control. As a movement, agroecology advocates for social justice, food sovereignty, and the empowerment of small-scale farmers, Indigenous communities, and marginalized populations, aiming to transform global food systems by promoting equitable, locally controlled food production. As a research approach, agroecology examines interactions between plants, animals, humans, and the environment, with the goal of optimizing sustainability, resilience, and productivity while addressing broader socio-ecological concerns like climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic inequality.

Agroecological practices and technologies promote diversity at every level—genetic, species, and ecosystem—making farms and landscapes more resilient to climate shocks, improving soil fertility, and reducing the need for chemical inputs. This ensures agricultural systems work in harmony with nature, protecting vital ecosystem services such as pollination, water regulation, and carbon sequestration. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) confirm that agroecological practices increase biodiversity both within farms and across landscapes.

In addition to environmental benefits, agroecology empowers smallholder and Indigenous farmers, promotes food sovereignty, and strengthens rural economies by reducing dependence on external inputs and fostering local, sustainable food systems. It also produces nutritionally diverse, healthy food, supporting human well-being alongside environmental health.

Agroecological farmers and food value chain actors face significant challenges, despite these clear advantages. Industrial agriculture, supported by policies, subsidies, and market structures that favor monocultures and chemical inputs, dominates the global food system. Farmers practicing agroecology often struggle to access markets, financing, and technical support due to systemic bias in agricultural policy, research, and market dynamics. The corporate consolidation of agricultural inputs, distribution, and research agendas discourages the adoption of agroecological methods. Public research institutions, funded by agrochemical companies, often prioritize yield increases through chemical inputs over biodiversity-enhancing farming techniques.  These challenges are not coincidental, but the result of a systemic bias in agricultural policy, research, market dynamics, and an industry-supporting public discourse. This systemic bias puts both biodiversity and climate resilience at risk. Industrial agriculture is a main driver of biodiversity loss and climate change , and continuing on this path endangers the stability of our food systems and the ecosystems that sustain them.

A Call to Action: Addressing Systemic Biases against Agroecology

To overcome these barriers, we must rethink how our food systems are structured, financed, and supported. We need a transformative agenda that prioritizes agroecology as a cornerstone of sustainable development, one that restores biodiversity, builds climate resilience, and supports equitable food systems.

1. We must reform agricultural policies and subsidies to incentivize agroecological practices. Governments should redirect subsidies away from industrial monocultures and chemical-intensive farming, instead offering financial support for practices that enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and increase resilience to climate change. Public investments in agroecology should include funding for farmer-led research, technical assistance, and infrastructure that supports local food systems.
2. We must increase market access for agroecological products. Farmers practicing agroecology often face barriers in accessing larger markets due to the dominance of industrial food value chains. We need to support local food systems and shorter supply chains by promoting procurement policies that prioritize agroecologically produced food in public institutions, such as schools and hospitals (Global Alliance for the Future of Food). This would help build local economies while ensuring that ecologically produced food reaches a broader population.
3. Research and development must prioritize agroecological practices. Governments and research institutions should fund independent, public-interest research on agroecology and biodiversity, supporting innovations that align with ecological principles rather than chemical dependency (The Nature Conservancy). Extension services should be reoriented to provide technical assistance to farmers practicing agroecology, helping them access the knowledge and tools they need to succeed.
4. We need to engage civil society and the private sector in supporting this transition. Consumers can play a critical role by choosing biodiversity-friendly products, while private companies can support agroecological farmers by integrating these products into their supply chains (La Via Campesina – EN). Together, governments, businesses, and citizens can build a food system that nourishes people and the planet, ensuring a future in which biodiversity flourishes and climate resilience is built from the ground up.

As organizations committed to the future of sustainable food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience, we call on policymakers at the COP16 Biodiversity Summit to recognize agroecology and ecological farming approaches as a critical tool in addressing the crises we face today. We must remove the systemic barriers that hinder the growth of agroecology and ecological farming, ensuring that the policies, markets, and research agendas of tomorrow support the biodiversity, climate resilience, and equity that agroecology promises.

Sources:

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