Agro-ecological Knowledge Hub

H2020 UNISECO Project for the Farm to Fork Strategy

The challenges of producing enough food and biomass while preserving soil, water and biodi-versity cannot be solved only by dominant types of conventional agriculture. Agro-ecological approaches are fundamental for sustainable food production in the future. The key dilemma is how to produce sufficient public goods whilst having viable production of private goods securing economic and social sustainability at a farm level, which is not too dependent on public funds.

This dilemma has specific characteristics in different farm systems. UNISECO tackles the challenges of producing public and private goods using agro-ecological approaches which are central to achieving the environmental, climate, social and economic objectives of the F2F Strategy.

Empirical evidence of driving factors, processes, outcomes and impacts of agro-ecological transitions at farm and territorial levels is being studied with Multi-Actor Platforms in 15 European countries fostering collaborative learning processes and cooperation of key actors in the governance of agro-ecological transitions. Fully aligned with the F2F Strategy the H2020 UNISECO consortium develops strategies for agro-ecological transitions with the MAPs that aim to improve the sus-tainability of farming systems providing healthy food, a reduced reliance on subsidies, and pursuing climate change adaptation and resilience. Improving the understanding of the potential of agro-ecological approaches to strengthen the sustainability of farming systems these are some of the UNISECO research questions that are of relevance for F2F:

  • Which barriers and drivers throughout the food system hinder or promote agro-ecological transitions?
  • How can these barriers and drivers be successfully addressed?
  • Which agro-ecological practices are available for different farming systems and contexts?
  • What are the sustainability impacts of agro-ecological transitions at farm and territorial levels?
  • Which trade-offs and synergies between environmental, economic and social impacts occur? 
  • Which novel market mechanisms and policy instruments effectively support public good provision through economically viable agro-ecological farming systems?
  • How can future environmental, agricultural and food policies support agro-ecological transitions? 

The answers to these questions will be discussed at the final project conference on the 18th and 19th of March 2021.


Save the date:
Final conference of the UNISECO project 18th and 19th of March 2021.