Ciara Varley, Angharad Johnston, Peter McKeown, Charles Spillane
7th February 2025
LEG4DEV affiliate researcher Dr Peter McKeown attended the Comparative Agroecology Conference in Alnarp last week, which was sponsored by the OECD’s Co-operative Research Programme: Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems.
This event was hosted by LEG4DEV partner the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences with support from the OECD CRP, GCUA 2030, and FoodAct Formas project. It brought together researchers within the OECD from across natural and social science disciplines as well as guests from governmental and NGO organizations.
Invited speakers explored the role of agroecology within sustainability transitions and sought to define what a ‘comparative agroecology’ approach can be and how it can be applied to support food and water system transformations across the world.
LEG4DEV affiliate researcher Dr. Peter McKeown presented “The State of Agriculture and Agroecology Research and Policy in Ireland”, giving an overview of agroecology within Ireland currently, with an emphasis on the efforts of Irish research to promote agroecology internationally. Research activities, findings and outcomes from across the LEG4DEV partners were highlighted as case studies of the impact of European-funded research and innovation on agroecology outcomes and impacts globally.
From the University of Hohenheim, a multi-model comparison study evaluates the effectiveness of process-based crop modelling in simulating resource competition within low-input, legume-cereal intercropping systems in sub–Saharan Africa; aligning with agroecological principles 4, 5 6 and 10 and highlighting role of modelling in scaling agroecological approaches.
From the University of Galway, the application and comparison of mechanization options for high labor demand practices, for improved energy-efficiency outcomes in Malawi: aligning with the agroecological principle of ‘input reduction’ among others. Also contributing to input reduction is a study leveraging a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to pinpoint critical areas for improvements in the production of legumes across various agroecological contexts.
From Wageningen University & Research, a farm characterization study providing insights into the crop-rotation decision-making processes by farmers within the southern highlands of Tanzania to identify the opportunities and challenges for legume-based agroecological intensification.
And from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, an impact assessment study of Rhizobia-based bioinoculants on yield within maize-soybean systems; providing empirical evidence for the substitution of conventional practices and inputs with agroecological alternatives for greater soil health.
Overall, the conference provided an opportunity for LEG4DEV to share knowledge and evidence for agroecology-centered policy making for legume scaling at both national and international levels.