Agroecological Farming for Livelihood Improvement: Current Innovations and Future Directions

The growing global population and the increasing demand for high-quality food have intensified the need for sustainable food production systems. International, regional, and national institutions widely recognize the crucial role of ensuring access to nutritious and safe food while preserving natural resources. Agroecological practices have emerged as a promising pathway toward sustainable food production, as they address multiple dimensions of farmers’ livelihoods (social, environmental, economic, and, in some cases, institutional). Over the past decade, researchers have generated substantial knowledge and innovations related to agroecology. However, a significant portion of this evidence remains insufficiently published and disseminated, highlighting the need for greater visibility and integration of these advances to support resilient and sustainable food systems. Therefore, the central question is: What are the most efficient and effective agroecological practices from seed selection to harvesting, including post-harvest practices and ensuring the sustainability of farms while improving farmers’ livelihoods?This Research Topic tackles the lack of consolidated scientific evidence on the agroecological practices currently used or disseminated among smallholder farmers. Much of the existing knowledge is underdocumented or insufficiently validated, limiting its contribution to sustainable food system transitions. This Research Topic aims to address this gap by generating and synthesizing evidence on how key agroecological and sustainable agronomic practices—such as seed selection, crop arrangement and spacing, fertilizer and nutrient management, pesticide reduction strategies, diversified cropping systems, improved harvesting methods, and pre- and post-harvest techniques that extend shelf life—can enhance yields, profitability, and resilience at the farm level.The collection also seeks to promote the use of green technology or digital but affordable tools (including remote sensing- and data-informed decision support where relevant), as well as interdisciplinary research approaches that integrate agronomy, ecology, socioeconomics, and innovation systems to better understand how these practices can be effectively designed, adapted, and scaled. In addition, we explicitly welcome contributions that examine policy and governance pathways and provide forward-looking perspectives on how agroecology can be advanced—supporting livelihood improvement at local scales while enhancing eco-environmental well-being at regional scales. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a robust evidence base that strengthens the adoption and dissemination of agroecological practices for sustainable food production.We welcome manuscripts and reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Agroecological approaches and their impacts on ecosystem services• Constraints and opportunities for enhancing productivity and sustainability• Agroecological practices based on seed selection, fertilizer and nutrient management, and pesticide reduction strategies• Innovative cropping systems for high yield and high-quality products• Valorization of underutilized/opportunity crops in cropping systems• Harnessing ecological knowledge and technologies for resilient agricultural production• Interdisciplinary studies on sustainable food systems• Use of affordable digital tools (e.g., remote sensing, decision-support tools) to improve input efficiency, monitoring, and yield estimation• Food system resilience of agroecological vs non-agroecological farming systems• Agroecological outlooks and future directions: policy, governance, scaling pathways, and enabling innovation for local livelihood gains and regional environmental well-being Topic editors: Vodjo Nicodème FASSINOU HOTEGNI, Sognigbe N'Danikou Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76536/agroecological-farming-for-livelihood-improvement-current-innovations-and-future-directions