Local food systems and agroecological practices for food sovereignty in the Andean valleys of Northwestern Argentina
Description
Approaches such as food sovereignty and agroecology are gaining traction in science, practice, and policy as possible ways of responding to the negative impacts of global agri-food systems on ecosystem, human, and animal health and their failure to adequately nourish the world population. The concept of Local Agroecological Food Systems (LAFS), in particular, holds the promise of offering an alternative pathway towards more sustainable and equitable food systems. However, its effective implementation faces many challenges and limitations. Research is needed to provide empirical evidence on the precise conditions under which LAFS can contribute to food security, food sovereignty, environmental sustainability, and just food systems. In addition, context-specific scientific knowledge is needed to guide the design of policies that enable LAFS and meet the needs of smallholder farmers, who are at their basis.This project aims to evaluate the potential of Local Agroecological Food Systems (LAFS) in the context of small-scale farming for increasing food sovereignty in the Andean valleys of northwestern Argentina. By shedding light on the ways in which local food systems and agroecological practices can contribute to food sovereignty for marginalized communities in mountain areas, this transdisciplinary project ultimately intends to inform agricultural policies on family farming in Argentina and, in this way, to promote more sustainable and just food systems. The project will pursue the following four specific objectives and corresponding variables: (1) to measure the contribution of LAFS to a healthy and culturally appropriate diet (food production, nutrition, local food species); (2) to assess the ecological sustainability of LAFS (management practices, ecosystem services and disservices, sustainability); (3) to investigate the social justice and well-being dimensions of LAFS (gender equity, income distribution, life satisfaction); and (4) to analyse LAFS governance and policies (representation and participation, supporting and hindering policies, enabling policy framework).This highly collaborative project will be implemented by a large team of Swiss and Argentinian researchers and partners with a wide range of complementary skills and expertise, including in sustainability sciences, human geography, political ecology, nutrition, ecology, socioeconomics, and gender studies. In-depth comparative transdisciplinary case studies on LAFS will be conducted at five sites in northwestern Argentina: El Bolsón and Andalhualá in the province of Catamarca, as well as Amaicha, Talapazo, and El Pichao in the province of Tucumán (Research Objectives 1, 2, and 3). They will be complemented by a multilevel policy analysis (Research Objective 4). The results from these two streams of research activities will feed into multistakeholder dialogues for the development of an enabling policy framework for LAFS (Research Objective 4). The team will apply a mix of qualitative and quantitative tools from specific disciplines, as well as social learning and participatory tools for stakeholder engagement.The project aims to generate knowledge on complex systems that can serve to orient policy mechanisms in Argentina. It will not only contribute new knowledge to each individual discipline but, most importantly, it will also contribute to a much-needed systemic in-depth understanding of LAFS in all their dimensions, highlighting their potential and possible shortfalls in terms of contributing to healthy diets, environmental sustainability, and gender equity. Beyond the study area, the project will provide important learnings for understanding LAFS and their contribution to food security in other mountain contexts of the Global South. In addition, the project will provide important methodological advances on the way diverse knowledge systems, including those of small-scale farmers and Indigenous communities, practitioners, and policymakers can be incorporated in research processes. Besides delivering 6 peer-reviewed publications, the project will also share its findings with relevant stakeholders through a series of outreach products and activities, including booklets, videos, and training. In addition, the team will produce a policy brief with recommendations for policymakers and development practitioners. At the level of the study region, the project results will inform small-scale farmers’ management practices with a view to improving diets, increasing productivity, and augmenting ecological sustainability.
Project Web Site
Principal Investigator
Start Date
2025-02-01
Expected Completion Date
2029-01-31
Keyword(s)
Indigenous and local knowledge
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Nutrition
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Food governance
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Ecosystem services
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Food policies
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Gender equity
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Sustainability
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Well-being
Languages
en