Agroecology for People and Planet Health: Farming Practices to Shift Food Systems Towards Equity, Resilience and The Production of Public Goods

Dear Colleagues,

Through the use of research and innovation, the global ecological emergency calls for immediate action to address major environmental challenges, such as global hunger, climate change, land degradation, the loss of biodiversity, depletion of water resources, and pollution.  

The complex nature of environmental problems requires recognition that we must face these challenges overcoming the—still widespread—reductionist approach in agricultural sciences and promoting relational thinking and disciplinary integration. Agroecology, born under the premise of addressing the environmental sustainability challenges of food production integrating scientific knowledge, society, and politics, is still an evolving discipline. From farm to fork and back, from the microbiology of soils to human microbiota, and from digital agriculture techniques to the management of agricultural landscapes, there are many relationships and connections still to be studied and redefined to improve people’s quality of life, restore biodiversity, and mitigate/adapt to climate change. The link between human and planet health must also be better understood.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide an updated, integrated, and broad picture of emerging trends in agroecology and innovations in sustainable farming practices. We encourage conceptual and empirical contributions regarding (i) innovative qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods for the analysis and assessment of the sustainability of agri-food systems; (ii) innovative design processes and practices that, starting from the agronomic and societal need to safeguard agricultural soil fertility and produce healthy food, could help in identifying solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation; and (iii) innovative systemic/relational research frameworks in agroecology, linking the ecological and human health dimensions.

Prof. Dr. Stefano Bocchi
Prof. Dr. Alain Peeters
Dr. Francesco Fava
Guest Editors

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• agroecology
• agro-food systems sustainability
• planetary health
• human health and nutrition
• ecosystem restoration