Principles and practices for the resourcing of agroecology
Gerlcz, Andrew
Gerlcz, Andrew
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Abstract
This article responds to the disproportionate amount of public-sector and philanthropic funding allocated to reinforce modernized conventional agricultural systems that exacerbate our climate, biodiversity, and socio-ecological crises. Recent research casts a light on the grant-making community’s meager investment in efforts to scale up alternative agroecological approaches, which would not only regenerate natural resources, but also address social inequalities within food systems. Furthermore, the limited funds that are ultimately directed towards agroecology tend to support narrow and incremental transitions rather than larger transformative change. Rightly, such well-intentioned funding models have been criticized as perpetuating outdated development paradigms. Our analysis synthesizes perspectives from eleven interviews and four focus groups with actors deeply involved in financing agroecological initiatives. We explore their theories regarding the scaling of transformative agroecology and how grant-makers’ day-to-day operations and decision-making can align with the principles of plurality (i.e., diverse ways of knowing and being), as well as justice and liberation. Key themes include prioritizing specific types of initiatives, integrating decolonization in funding decisions, and crafting evaluations that respect diverse perspectives. This paper contributes insights for (and inspires healthy debate on) the use of philanthropic and public resources to foster just ecological and social restoration within agricultural landscapes and food systems.
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Graduate
Date
2024-01-01