Agroecology as a challenge for the competitiveness of small scale agriculture

Cristiana Peano [Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Science of the University of Turin, Italy]
Francesco Sottile [Department of Architecture of the University of Palermo, Italy]

Agroecology is often presented as an alternative to current widespread production systems, although there are many questions about the real possibility of a sufficiently high food production for a growing population. The analysis developed in this paper is based on the scientific research of the last twenty years and on the activities of NGOs, farmers' movements and government organizations from different contexts. The aim is to provide an overview of the main topics under discussion for an agroecological transition of global food systems, identifying some priority challenges and imagining who will be the participants of this change.
Given the complexity of the topic, some specific themes have not been taken into consideration (eg nutritional value of food, health), but we have focused on those cross-cutting issues that are sparking the debate in institutional and non-institutional contexts.

DOI: 10.26353/j.itahort/2017.3.114

Keywords: agroecology, sustainability, best practices, food chain

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Peano, C. and Sottile F. (2017) 'Agroecology as a challenge for the competitiveness of small scale agriculture', Italus Hortus, 24(3), pp. 1-14. doi: 10.26353/j.itahort/2017.3.114