When we talk about food, it’s tempting to picture the simplest chain: a farmer grows it, the market sells it, and we eat it. But as Anshuman reminds us, that’s a “commodified way” of looking at food, and it leaves out almost everything that truly matters.

In reality, food is intertwined with the soil it springs from, the climate that nurtures it, the traditions that shape it, the policies that govern it, and the hands that grow, process, transport, and cook it. It is deeply connected to our environment, our economies, our rituals, and our health. It binds together farmers and consumers, entrepreneurs and policymakers, children and elders. And because food touches everyone, everyone has a role to play in transforming the systems that produce, share, and consume it.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Agroecology isn’t just a set of techniques for growing food; it’s a lens that reveals how farming, ecosystems, culture, and markets are interconnected.

“Over the years,” Anshuman explains, “we’ve spoken about organic farming, permaculture, and sustainable agriculture – all important in their own right. But agroecology allows us to bring all these ideas under one umbrella, guided by principles that make sense for farmers, consumers, and the planet.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) outlines 13 principles of agroecology, from recycling nutrients and improving efficiency to ensuring fair prices, protecting rights, and creating knowledge collectively. These principles recognise that food systems are not just about yields; they are about justice, dignity, and resilience.

Bringing Agroecology to Life

In CoFTI’s Action Lab 2, these principles aren’t just discussed but tested on the ground.

The plan begins with three pilot geographies and will expand to 10, 15, or even 20. In each location, the Action Lab will integrate ecological farming, nutrition, farmer rights, fair trade, and consumer awareness into one real-life example of transformation.

“In each place”, says Anshuman, “we’re not just applying one practice. We’re bringing together all the strands—fair markets, ecological farming, nutrition, farmer rights, and consumer education into one living example. It’s important to feel, physically, what food system transformation looks like.”

These pilots will serve as demonstration hubs, showing what’s possible when diverse stakeholders come together and giving other Action Labs a space to collaborate and learn.

Many Roles, One Goal

Food system transformation isn’t the job of one sector or one profession. As Anshuman puts it, “You need support from many people and knowledge from many places. CoFTI creates the opportunity for all of us to come together and share so that we can act together.”

This means engaging:

• Children and youth, to build awareness early and inspire future leaders.
• Chefs and entrepreneurs, to shape demand for local, seasonal produce.
• Policymakers, to create laws and programs that reward sustainable farming.
• Consumers, to make everyday choices that value farmers and ecosystems.

In this vision, every actor has a role, and every action contributes to a larger shift.

Learning Starts Young

One of the most powerful entry points for change is education. But here, Anshuman makes a crucial distinction: “In schools, the idea is not only to transfer knowledge but to remind children about their responsibility in the entire food system. It’s about making them active participants, not just receivers.”

Hands-on experiences like school gardens, cooking with local ingredients, or visits to nearby farms help students see the connections between soil health, biodiversity, nutrition, and climate resilience.

Better for Farmers, Better for All

For smallholder farmers, agroecology is more than an environmental choice; it's a path toward resilience. It can:

• Reduce dependence on costly chemical inputs.
• Restore soil fertility through natural processes.
• Diversify crops for better nutrition and more stable incomes.
• Strengthen direct connections with consumers who value their work.

But farmers cannot achieve this alone. They need market systems that reward sustainable produce, policy support that protects their rights, and consumers who understand the value behind their food.

The Future We’re Building

The Agroecology Action Lab’s long-term vision is simple but ambitious: to create food systems that are:

• Ecologically sound – safeguarding biodiversity and natural resources.
• Socially fair – ensuring equitable prices, rights, and decision-making power for farmers and workers.
• Nutritionally secure – making diverse, wholesome diets accessible to all.

By proving that this model works in different geographies, the Lab hopes to inspire other regions, organisations, and policymakers to adopt and scale it.

Shared Responsibility, Shared Rewards

As Anshuman reflects: “Food is the most common thread that connects us all. And because it connects us all, it is our shared responsibility to make it better – for farmers, for consumers, and for the planet.”

Through its pilots and partnerships, the Agroecology Action Lab will continue to explore, adapt, and share. Its work will not be done in isolation but will link arms with other CoFTI Action Labs to ensure that sustainability, equity, and nutrition move forward together.

Because in the end, agroecology isn’t just about how we grow food. It’s about how we live, how we share, and how we care for each other and the earth we depend on.