www.fao.org/about/meetings/second-international-agroecology-symposium Presentation on National Experiences - Promoting Innovation and Agroecology: From Local to National Level delivered in occasion of the Second International Symposium on Agroecology, held in Rome, Italy on 3-5 April 2018. © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. Federal Department of Economic Affairs,
Education and Research EAER
Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG
Promoting Innovation
and Agroecology: From
Local to National Level
4. April 2018

2. 2Promoting Innovation and Agroecology: From Local to National Level
Ivo Strahm, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG
The Federal Resource Program
• Principal Objective: Promoting a more sustainable use of
natural resources in agriculture
Positive effects on
agroecology in project
regions – Implementation
of innovations
Gather knowledge for
farmers and the Swiss
Agricultural Policy
• SDGs: Agriculture plays an important role as a driver of all
three dimensions of sustainable development. The Federal
Resource Program supports the sustainable development of
agriculture through agroecology (SDGs 2, 12, 15) .

3. 3Promoting Innovation and Agroecology: From Local to National Level
Ivo Strahm, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG
High diversity of projects
Biodiversity:
Promoting bees and wild bees,
Promoting biodiversity in cropping areas
New Technologies:
Improved irrigation,
Smart Farming
Antibiotic Resistance: Elimination of
Staphylococcus Aureus GTB, Advisory
services promoting new practices
Soil:
Humus formation and balance
Optimized use of plant
protection products
Reference: Fotolia

4. 4Promoting Innovation and Agroecology: From Local to National Level
Ivo Strahm, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG
Financial
Support: for
farmers and
the organising
institution for 6
years. Maintain
positive effects
Implementation of new practices
Scientific
Support:
Monitoring
effects,
evaluation of
sustainabilty
Reference: Fotolia
Advisory Services: Onfield presentations, discussions of
management practices and environmental effects, pro-
fessionally guided farmer workshops
Financial
Support:
Advisory Services:

5. 5Promoting Innovation and Agroecology: From Local to National Level
Ivo Strahm, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG
Scaling Up and Out
Farmers are a
key element for
scaling out
innovations
Reference: Sandro Senn (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0. Fotolia
Decisions about implementation
of new measures in the National
Agricultural Policy are taken
based on a scientific evaluation of
the measure’s sustainability

6. 6Promoting Innovation and Agroecology: From Local to National Level
Ivo Strahm, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG
Lessons Learnt
• A strong advantage of bottom-up projects is the broad
acceptance by farmers that strongly supports successful
innovation
• The scientific evaluation delivers information on the
effectiveness, practicability and economy and therefore the
sustainability of innovations
• The bottom-up approach and the scientific evaluation of
practices lead to an effective scaling out and up of
agroecology

7. 7Promoting Innovation and Agroecology: From Local to National Level
Ivo Strahm, Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG
Thank you and enjoy your meal
Your Swiss Agricultural Product