Agricultural practices in climate change resilience

A number of meta-analyses, reviews and studies have compared the environmental and economic outcomes of agroecological practices compared to conventional agricultural practices. There is a strong empirical evidence base for agroecology-aligned practices in supporting climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience. Benefits from agroecology practices include improved grain yields with fewer inputs, greater biodiversity, improved soil health and water security, and enhanced carbon sequestration.  Agroecology practices also reduce the need for pesticides and fossil-fuel-intensive synthetic fertilisers, reducing environmental risks as well as economic and health burdens for farmers.  Studies have also found that the concurrent application of more than one agroecological practice increases beneficial outcomes, with some finding that the positive outcomes increase with time. While a number of agroecological benefits have been identified, the impacts are highly context-specific. Approaches will need to be tailored to the conditions of the region, ecosystem or farm.