Agro-industry versus agroecology?

Abstract

This book presents the first macroeconomic scenario of a full transition to agroecology in 2050. It is for Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern India with 53 million inhabitants and 9.3 million farmers in 2020. The "Community-managed Natural Farming" scenario is compared to an industrial food and agriculture intensification scenario to assess its performance in various areas such as employment, land use, food production, economic growth or income inequality. The book also includes a unique compendium of statistics over more than half a century (from the 1960s to 2020), at three geographical scales (World, India and Andhra Pradesh), on the multiple and interconnected dimensions of agri-food systems and their structural transformation. Overall, the book is a unique presentation of the method and results of a participatory foresight exercise which combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, expertise and knowledge to help societies and their governments to better choose the future world in which they would like to live and work.