Baseline review of policies in India: Understanding the policy context for facilitating agroecological transition

The global discourse within the realm of agriculture has been dominated with challenges of food security (FAO, 2022), (HLPE, Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030, 2020) loss of biodiversity, environmental pollution and resource degradation and climate change. In this context, various approaches have developed to address complex challenges and one of the most comprehensive concepts emerged is called agroecological systems. The emphasis on agroecology emanates from its holistic approach, integrating ecological principles into agricultural systems to foster resilience, enhance soil health, and mitigate the adverse environmental impacts associated with conventional farming. As agroecology spans over diverse themes, studies and experts argue policies at cross-cutting levels are critical for the promotion of agroecology, as they can provide the necessary incentives and support for its implementation. To ensure the large-scale adoption of agroecology, a multiscale systems approach is needed, considering economic, technological, and policy drivers.