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ECOAGRICULTURE: Promoting Science, Practice and Policy for Land Use Systems that Jointly Increase Food Production, Reduce Rural Poverty, and Conserve Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
[last updated January 5, 2004 11:30 AM]
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General Information
Partnership website(s) |
Expected TimeframeOctober 2002 - Open Ended |
Partners
Governments:
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Major Groups:
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UN System:
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Other intergovernmental organizations:
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Other:
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Thematic Focus
Primary Themes:
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Secondary Themes:
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Geographic Coverage
Geographic Scope: Global
Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Zimbabwe |
National Focal Points
At present, no information is available as to whether the partnership has made contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the relevant countries.
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Goals and Objectives
Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
Goals: To promote Science, Practice and Policy for Land Use Systems that Jointly increase Food Production, Reduce Rural Poverty, and Conserve Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services by catalysing:
* Research and land-use innovation with farmers and conservationists
* Capacity building
* Education and public awareness
* Enabling policies
* Resource mobilisation
Expected Results:
1. An international conference of ecoagriculture innovators
2. Support for on-going ecoagriculture field projects or community based initiatives
3. Identification and publicize communities managing successful ecoagriculture systems
4. Promotion of ecoagriculture education, training and capacity building
5. Promotion of information dissemination and thus public awareness of the potentials of ecoagriculture
* Research and land-use innovation with farmers and conservationists
* Capacity building
* Education and public awareness
* Enabling policies
* Resource mobilisation
Expected Results:
1. An international conference of ecoagriculture innovators
2. Support for on-going ecoagriculture field projects or community based initiatives
3. Identification and publicize communities managing successful ecoagriculture systems
4. Promotion of ecoagriculture education, training and capacity building
5. Promotion of information dissemination and thus public awareness of the potentials of ecoagriculture
Targets and Progress
Partnership targetsSpecific targets:
* Establishment of an interim secretariat at the Future Harvest Foundation (Established Oct. 2002) Ecoagriculture Partners will undertake 7 key activities between January 2003 and December 2005: * Organise a Partner Planning Workshop (February 2003 at IUCN Headquarters, Switzerland) * Establish a permanent secretariat providing strategic leadership, coordination and public awareness functions (Spring 2003) * Develop and manage an ecoagriculture information service * Organise an international experts conference of Ecoagriculture Innovators (Early 2004) * Commission synthesis papers on key topics relating to the integration of agriculture and biodiversity conservation * Manage a competitive small grants program for field-level collaboration between agriculturalists and conservationists for ecoagricutlure innovation in selected hotspots for biodiversity and rural poverty * Manage a small grants program to support thematic workshops and development of training materials on ecoagriculture |
Progress against targetsNone reported as of 12/03
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Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
- Human resources development/training
- Education/building awareness
* Competitive Small Grants Program for Ecoagriculture Innovation in Hotspots
A competitive small grants program will be established to catalyse field-level collaboration between agricultural specialists, conservation specialists and farmers to develop or evaluate ecoagriculture systems at landscape scale. Capacity building activities might include
* Assistance for farmer federations to develop ecoagriculture technical support services
* Assistance for piloting new approaches to marketing products or ecosystem services
* Workshop and Training Grants - drawing from lessons learned from successful efforts to mainstream agroforestry and other land use innovations
* To develop training materials that can be integrated into on-going training courses, internet training programs and farmer field schools in agriculture, conservation and rural development
* To fund workshops addressing critical themes pertaining to ecoagriculture
* International Conference of Ecoagriculture Innovators: Objectives include
* Preparation of a action plan to promote and scale up ecoagricutre systems
* To promote awareness amongst stakeholder groups of ecoagriculture's potential
* Faciliating the sharing of lessons learned and to encourage collaborative partnerships
* Ecoagriculture Information Service and Policy Outreach, to facilitate information and knowledge exchange between agriculture and environmental practitioners and researchers, policy makers, investors and assistance agencies
The Information Service will comprise of:
* An ecoagriculture website (www.ecoagriculture.org)
* Listserver
* Global database of ecoagriculture experts
* Global database on ecoagriculture systems and practices
* 'Ecoagriculture in Action' case studies .
Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development
How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
Relationship with Agenda 21
Poverty eradication: Land use systems based on the sustainable utilisation of natural resources is vital for combating poverty, reducing hunger and, consequently, improving livelihoods.
Social inclusion and empowerment: Smallholder farmers and community-based organisations have a bigger role in research priority setting and determining the merits of research findings, enabling research to be based on local knowledge, local land/ resource management systems and participatory models for collaboration.
Good Governance: Institutions responsible for agriculture and environment coordinate more closely and effectively, and are mutually supporting.
Gender equity: Promote agricultural landscapes that conserve strategic natural habitats for biodiversity of particular importance for livelihood security of women, landless and low-income households.
Relevant excerpts from WSSD Plan of Implementation:
6(j) Transfer basic sustainable agricultural techniques and knowledge, including natural
resource management, to small and medium-scale farmers, fishers and the rural poor, especially in developing countries, including through multi-stakeholder approaches and public-private partnerships aimed at increasing agriculture production and food security;
23. '. Managing the natural resources base in a sustainable and integrated manner is essential for sustainable development. To reverse the current trend in natural resource degradation as soon as possible, it is necessary to implement strategies which should include targets adopted at the national and, where appropriate, regional levels to protect ecosystems and to achieve integrated management of land, water and living resources, while strengthening regional, national and local capacities'
42. ' .A more efficient and coherent implementation of the three objectives of the CBD and the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity will require the provision of new and additional financial and technical resources to developing countries and includes actions at all levels...', especially
(d) Implement the Convention and its provisions, including active follow-up of its work programmes and decisions through national, regional and global action programmes, in particular the national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and strengthen their integration into relevant cross-sectoral strategies, programmes and policies, including those related to sustainable development and poverty eradication, including initiatives which promote community-based sustainable use of biological diversity;
(e) Promote the wide implementation and further development of the ecosystem approach, as being elaborated in the ongoing work of the Convention;
(h) Provide financial and technical support to developing countries, including capacity-building, in order to enhance indigenous and community-based biodiversity conservation efforts;
(j) Subject to national legislation, recognize the rights of local and indigenous communities who are holders of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, and, with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices, develop and implement benefit-sharing mechanisms on mutually agreed terms for the use of such knowledge, innovations and practices;
Relationship with Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)
Implementation of the CBD and its provisions through national, regional and global action programmes to strengthen the integration of national biodiversity strategies and action plans into relevant cross-sectoral strategies, programmes and policies, including those related to sustainable development and poverty eradication, including initiatives which promote community-based sustainable use of biological diversity;
Poverty eradication: Land use systems based on the sustainable utilisation of natural resources is vital for combating poverty, reducing hunger and, consequently, improving livelihoods.
Social inclusion and empowerment: Smallholder farmers and community-based organisations have a bigger role in research priority setting and determining the merits of research findings, enabling research to be based on local knowledge, local land/ resource management systems and participatory models for collaboration.
Good Governance: Institutions responsible for agriculture and environment coordinate more closely and effectively, and are mutually supporting.
Gender equity: Promote agricultural landscapes that conserve strategic natural habitats for biodiversity of particular importance for livelihood security of women, landless and low-income households.
Relevant excerpts from WSSD Plan of Implementation:
6(j) Transfer basic sustainable agricultural techniques and knowledge, including natural
resource management, to small and medium-scale farmers, fishers and the rural poor, especially in developing countries, including through multi-stakeholder approaches and public-private partnerships aimed at increasing agriculture production and food security;
23. '. Managing the natural resources base in a sustainable and integrated manner is essential for sustainable development. To reverse the current trend in natural resource degradation as soon as possible, it is necessary to implement strategies which should include targets adopted at the national and, where appropriate, regional levels to protect ecosystems and to achieve integrated management of land, water and living resources, while strengthening regional, national and local capacities'
42. ' .A more efficient and coherent implementation of the three objectives of the CBD and the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity will require the provision of new and additional financial and technical resources to developing countries and includes actions at all levels...', especially
(d) Implement the Convention and its provisions, including active follow-up of its work programmes and decisions through national, regional and global action programmes, in particular the national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and strengthen their integration into relevant cross-sectoral strategies, programmes and policies, including those related to sustainable development and poverty eradication, including initiatives which promote community-based sustainable use of biological diversity;
(e) Promote the wide implementation and further development of the ecosystem approach, as being elaborated in the ongoing work of the Convention;
(h) Provide financial and technical support to developing countries, including capacity-building, in order to enhance indigenous and community-based biodiversity conservation efforts;
(j) Subject to national legislation, recognize the rights of local and indigenous communities who are holders of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, and, with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices, develop and implement benefit-sharing mechanisms on mutually agreed terms for the use of such knowledge, innovations and practices;
Relationship with Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)
Implementation of the CBD and its provisions through national, regional and global action programmes to strengthen the integration of national biodiversity strategies and action plans into relevant cross-sectoral strategies, programmes and policies, including those related to sustainable development and poverty eradication, including initiatives which promote community-based sustainable use of biological diversity;
Coordination and Implementation
Coordination Mechanism of the Partnership* The February planning workshop will enable partners to
* define the organisational structure, model and governance for Ecoagriculture Partners * establish an effective structure for action * confirm Executive Committee and Steering Committee/ Advisory Council * plan and assign responsibilities for implementation * Interim coordination has been assumed by the Future Harvest Foundation, with Sara Scherr as Project Director, beginning with creation of a list server and an ecoagriculture page on the Future Harvest website * Key responsibilities of the permanent Secretariat will include * Managing the Information, Conference, Synthesis paper and Competitive Grants Programmes * Catalysing and supporting cooperative activities amongst the Parnters * Reporting to the Partner network and to post-WSSD Type II follow-up * Facilitating links between Ecoagriculture Partners and the Monterrey Bridge Policy initiative * Raising public awareness about ecoagricuture, through collaboration with the Future Harvest Foundation and the Monterray Bridge, and participation in seminars / meetings Supporting policy Outreach and advocacy initiatives will be coordinated and carried out by the Monterrey Bridge Coalition The initiative will endeavour to strongly link with and draw upon ongoing activities of its partner organisations As activities are closely linked with partners' core activities, reporting on progress made will also be covered in the reporting mechanisms of the partners involved. |
Implementation Mechanism of the Partnership* All partners will assume appropriate roles in the implementation and promotion of the initiative
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Resources
Funding Currently AvailableAmount in US$: 0
Source(s):
* The initiative has already received some initial seed funding |
Non-financial resources availableType(s):
Source(s):
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Funding SoughtRequired Amount in US$: 3950000
Source(s) already approached: Future Harvest Foundation and IUCN, on behalf of the Ecoagriculture Partners, are seeking grants totalling US$3.95 million to fund this program over the three year period from March 2003 to February 2006
* A funding proposal for the experts conference has been developed and is current under consideration * Future Harvest will coordinate an initial fund-raising phase with the Stakeholder Forum * A resource mobilization plan for further fundraising activities will be agreed upon at the planning conference |
Non-financial resources soughtRequirement(s):
Source(s) approached and details:
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Additional Information
Additional Relevant Information
Monitoring:
* Monitoring and reporting, both to the Partner Network and to the CSD, will be a key responsibility of the Secretariat
* The partnership will develop internal monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, based on a multi-stakeholder approach. Specific arrangements depend on detailed work programme.
* Monitoring and reporting, both to the Partner Network and to the CSD, will be a key responsibility of the Secretariat
* The partnership will develop internal monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, based on a multi-stakeholder approach. Specific arrangements depend on detailed work programme.