“Some might say agroecology is catching on in the world, and it is true that the momentum is undeniable,” says Pierre Ferrand, Agricultural Officer at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. “But why is something so compelling also so contentious?”

Ferrand moderated a recent Asian regional dialogue to discuss a new compendium from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, “The Politics of Knowledge,” which explores the global knowledge surrounding agroecology while tackling misleading narratives and questions that may be undermining its expansion.

“We want to set a different tone” for discussions on agroecology, Ferrand says. “Peers talking to peers about how we can counter some of this narrative.”

The compendium presents multiple case studies demonstrating agroecology’s ability to build climate resilience while equitably nourishing communities.