What is Agroecology? – Vision, Practice, Movement, Voices From Social Movements


Want to know “what is the meaning of agroecology”? Go straight to the source – this video and publication shares agroecology from the perspective of food producers and social movements. Quick links to the films and publication in multiple languages are available here:

EnglishShort film – Long film – Accompanying publication
FrançaisVersion courte du film– Version longue du film – Publication associée
Español: Película corta – Película larga – Publicación asociada

A movement is growing. While agroecology has been practiced for millennia in diverse places around the world, today we are witnessing the mobilisation of transnational social movements to build, defend and strengthen agroecology as the pathway towards a most just, sustainable and viable food and agriculture system. This video explores the meaning, practice and politics of agroecology from a social movement perspective. We have produced two versions of the video – one short and one full length.

An accompanying multi-media article is available here: Building, Defending and Strengthening Agroecology: Global Struggles for Food Sovereignty. Translations: Français and Español

Short Version – English

Long Version – English

 

Français – Version courte

Français – Version longue

Español – Versión corta

Español – Versión larga

 

This video was created as part of a research project to better understand the contested meanings and practices of agroecology at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University in collaboration with members of La Via Campesina and the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty.

Created by:
Colin Anderson, Csilla Kiss and Michel Pimbert

Edited by:
Colin Anderson & Ben Cook

Footage contributed by: Anne Berson; CYRK Productions, Denmark; Isabelle Delforge

Music by: Balafon Dembélé

Special thanks to all the communities involved in the making of this film.

 

How the Film was Made

The film was made based on interviews with food providers engaged in social movements across the world that build and promote agroecology. It is based on a long-term process of engaged action research with social movements and allied researchers to better what is the meaning of agroecology and to understand and advance agroecology.

The footage draws from this work, especially our participation in two major international events on agroecology that brought together a large number of farmers’ groups and civil society organisations: the Symposium on Agroecology convened by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Italy in 2014 and the International Forum on Agroecology convened by civil society organisations in Nyeleni, Mali in 2015.

The interviews were subsequently edited into one film to provide an overview of social movement perspectives on agroecology. An important criteria for the selection of interviewees was a balance of perspectives across agricultural sectors (crop-based, livestock, fisheries as well as hunting and gathering practiced by indigenous communities), continents (Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe), genders and age groups.