Africa faces deep interconnected and systemic socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Formal economic activity tends to be extractivist, causing biodiversity loss, land degradation and water and soil pollution. Integrated responses are required if effective and restorative natural resource management (NRM) and sustainable agricultural production are to be implemented. The core framing for the briefing is ‘agroecological territories’ that comprise three domains: the adaptation of agricultural practices, the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and the development of embedded food systems. Key emerging approaches include agroecology, agroforestry, integrated landscape management, territorial markets and participatory multi-actor platforms and systems of governance. There is evidence of positive environmental and socio-economic impacts arising from these approaches. Key constraints to their realisation include limited financial and material resources, knowledge and skills, institutional and policy support, adverse environmental conditions, and social and cultural factors. The recommendations for priority funding include shortand long-term support for the emerging practices and integration in wider participatory and multidisciplinary NRM; diverse local markets for fresh produce and participatory guarantee systems; participatory action research for gaining a deeper understanding to inform practice and to monitor and measure impacts; capacity development of technical content and processes, especially targeting practitioners, women, youths, extension officers and local authorities; the promotion of farmer field schools and other peer-to-peer learning exchanges; processes of policy development; and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and communications to track, package, and share results and lessons.
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