The pillars and principles of agroecology, according to the Second Nyéléni Global Forum.

Agroecology is a way of life and the language of Nature that we learn as her children. It is not a mere set of technologies or production practices. It cannot be implemented the same way in all territories. Rather it is based on principles that, while they may be similar across the diversity of our territories, can and are practiced in many different ways, with each sector contributing their own colors of their local reality and culture, while always respecting Mother Earth and our common, shared values. The production practices of Agroecology (such as intercropping, traditional fishing and mobile pastoralism, integrating crops, trees, livestock and fish, manuring, compost, local seeds and animal breeds, etc.) are based on ecological principles like building life in the soil, recycling nutrients, the dynamic management of biodiversity and energy conservation at all scales. Agroecology drastically reduces our use of externally-purchased inputs that must be bought from industry. There is no use of agrotoxins, artificial hormones, GMOs or other dangerous new technologies in Agroecology.

Territories are a fundamental pillar of Agroecology. Peoples and communities have the right to maintain their own spiritual and material relationships to their lands. They are entitled to secure, develop, control, and reconstruct their customary social structures and to administer their lands and territories, including fishing grounds, both politically and socially. This implies the full recognition of their laws, traditions, customs, tenure systems, and institutions, and constitutes the recognition of the self-determination and autonomy of peoples. Collective rights and access to the Commons are fundamental pillars of Agroecology. We share access to territories that are the home to many different peer groups, and we have sophisticated customary systems for regulating access and avoiding conflicts that we want to preserve and to strengthen. The diverse knowledge and ways of knowing of our peoples are fundamental to Agroecology. We develop our ways of knowing through dialogue among them (diálogo de saberes). Our learning processes are horizontal and peer-to-peer, based on popular education. They take place in our own training centers and territories (farmers teach farmers, fishers teach fishers, etc.), and are also intergenerational, with exchange of knowledge between youth and elders. Agroecology is developed through our own innovation, research, and crop and livestock selection and breeding.

The core of our cosmovisions is the necessary equilibrium between nature, the cosmos and human beings. We recognize that as humans we are but a part of nature and the cosmos. We share a spiritual connection with our lands and with the web of life. We love our lands and our peoples, and without that, we cannot defend our Agroecology, fight for our rights, or feed the world. We reject the commodification of all forms of life. Families, communities, collectives, organizations and movements are the fertile soil in which Agroecology flourishes. Collective self-organization and action are what make it possible to scale-up Agroecology, build local food systems, and challenge corporate control of our food system. Solidarity between peoples, between rural and urban populations, is a critical ingredient.

Source: Declaration of the 2nd Nyéléni Global Forum International Forum for Agroecology, 2015.

Kandy Declaration call for unity towards winning agroecology#

From 6 to 13 September 2025, over 700 delegates from more than 100 countries gathered in Kandy, Sri Lanka for the 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum. Peasants, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, fishers, feminist movements, youth, workers, and activists united across continents to renew the global struggle for justice, dignity, and life – giving birth to the Kandy Declaration. Excerpt:

[This] is our collective call to action: to dismantle the systems of death that have been imposed on our peoples. We are converging to build a system rooted in peace, dignity, and life—for all of humanity, for all beings, for our future generations and for our Mother Earth. It is a call for unity among Peoples, social movements, and civil society organizations. Across all the diversities we represent—to strengthen our struggles - we are raising our voices together, declaring:

Systemic Transformation—Now and Forever!

We are in this together.

Source: Kandy Declaration, 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum, 2025.