Indicators for agroecological transition: Food security, nutrition, well-being, promotion of a sustainable food model

María Dolores Raigón Jiménez; Francisco Javier Vélez Zabala; Paloma  Leandro Baladrón

doi:10.54502/msuceva.v3n1a10

Autores/as

María Dolores Raigón Jiménez Instituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
Francisco Javier Vélez Zabala Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca-UCEVA, Colombia
Paloma Leandro Baladrón Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54502/msuceva.v3n1a10

Palabras clave:

Agroecology, food safety, sustainable food system, gastronomic diversity

Resumen

Agroecology is a viable alternative confronting the impressive model of industrial agriculture. To project the concept of Agroecology beyond theoretical definitions to practical and quantifiable principles, it is necessary to have analysis, communication and evaluation tools that support and allow the evaluation of positions. Indicators are quantifiable tools that make the obtention of numerical variables possible to compare the different models. This study aims to establish a proposal of quantifiable indicators to evaluate the direct impact of aspects related to food and nutritional quality, responding to the demand for an integrated evaluation of agroecological systems, thus improving the tools for calculating current indicators. The proposed parameters cover aspects that have a greater or lesser impact on the daily diet, such as the variability of the foods that make up the dish, their contribution to food safety, the nutritional composition and bioactive components, organoleptic aspects, degree of processing and transformation of the food consumed, environmental aspects that influence the production model and their influence on human well-being. As well as parameters of the social sphere, such as the impact on the economy of scale, on attributes of proximity, temporality, as well as indicators related to social justice. The proposal can help to obtain assessment before or after the implementation of agricultural policies towards the agroecological transition, allowing self-assessment, and provide verifiable data after a change in agricultural policies when redesigning or introducing agroecological strategies.

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Biografía del autor/a

María Dolores Raigón Jiménez, Instituto Universitario de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.

She holds a PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de València and a Masters in Personalised and Collective Nutrition from the Universitat de València. She is Professor of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry at the Universitat Politècnica de València, where she develops teaching and research activities at the University Institute for the Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV). Researcher and science communicator. Expert in organic farming and its impact on food quality. From 2012 to 2018 she was President of the Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture (SEAE) and since 2018 she is First Vice-President (https://agroecologia.net/quienes-somos/#junta-directiva). She is a member of the Spanish Scientific Committee of "5 a day". Member of the Advisory Board of CEMAS (World Centre for Sustainable Food), an FAO agency, and of Valencia City Council (Spain). Member of the EGTOP subgroup on detergents and disinfectants of the European Union. Member of the Advisory Committee of the European AGROSUS project. Author of scientific and popular publications (www.upv.es/ficha-personal/mdraigon). Her research has demonstrated the relevance of organic production in promoting biodiversity, food quality, sustainability and its balance with nature, landscape, culture and human societies.

Francisco Javier Vélez Zabala, Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca-UCEVA, Colombia

He is an Agronomist Engineer, Master in Agricultural Sciences with specialisation in Soils, Doctoral Candidate (in progress) in Agroecology at the National University of Colombia - Palmira Campus. He is a professor at the Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca - UCEVA, associate researcher at MinCiencias. The research topics of his studies are framed in food security, soil biology with emphasis on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, green manure as an agroecological and environmental strategy in agroecosystems, sustainable production systems, among others. He has participated as a speaker in national and international congresses.

Paloma Leandro Baladrón, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain

Paloma holds a PhD in Agricultural Technologies and Natural Resources from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain) and the American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates); she is also a graduate in agricultural engineering, currently based in Basel, Switzerland. She has international experience in ecology for different Spanish institutions (Department of Landscaping of the Generalitat de Valencia, VAERSA, UPV, Escorpion Golf Club and El Saler), in the United Arab Emirates (AUS, EAD and EMEG) and is currently an evaluator of agricultural projects for LATAM from Switzerland with Basaid-Novartis. Paloma is also a volunteer in various solidarity projects of the Spanish Mission in Basel for LATAM. Dr. Paloma defines herself as a research engineer, developer/evaluator of social projects, intermediary, environmentalist, focused on agroecology and with a broad international vision thanks to her experience in different countries.

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