Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are pleased to share with you information on the International Symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition that will be held at FAO next September, and how to participate.

Agroecology is a key approach to move towards more sustainable food systems, especially regarding ecosystem functioning and resource efficiency. Agroecology is being included in a number of national policies and received strong multi-disciplinary support particularly from farmers’ organizations and grass-root civil society organizations around the world.  Agroecology supports food production and offers an alternative to high-input strategies and the science and field practices adopted by farmers and producers all over the world have seen uptake in the past decade. But there is a need to further enhance a global uptake.

Within this context, FAO will leverage the on-going international dialogue on Agroecology while picking up on the science of Agroecology related to the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment within agricultural systems. The Symposium seeks to highlight the unique combination and complexity of Agroecology encompassing ecological, economic and social dimension. In a mid- to long-term perspective the aim of the symposium is to lay the foundation for the scientific base of Agroecology to influence broader society to move towards more sustainable food systems, assuring food security and nutrition, in a dynamic process.

FAO, in an effort to have as open and constructive a dialogue as possible, would like to open registration for policy makers, farmers’ organizations, private sector, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders including scientists. A maximum of 100 places are reserved for self-funded, self-organized participants. Participants will be also welcome to submit proposals for the preparation of posters to be displayed during the poster session.

The Symposium’s secretariat will accept submitted applications that exhibit:

• Proven work and activities related to Agroecology (policy, science, practices) and will result in geographical and gender balance of participants.
• The above registration form filled and submitted before 25 August 2014. Late applications may not be accepted.

The Secretariat will screen all applications in consultation with FAO’s partnership office and will inform selected participants within four days from their submission about their participation. Please note that FAO will not be able to provide funding or support for visa.

Registrations to attend the International Symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition are now open: all interested organizations can express their interest in participating by fill out the REGISTRATION FORM available on FAO’s website.

Kind regards,

Civil Society Team
FAO Partnerships Branch (OPCP)