Presentation by Joe Tohme for the CIAT KSW 2009

1. Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor
CIAT, Knowledge Sharing Week
May 18, 2009

2. Eco-efficiency
The term eco-efficiency was coined by the
World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) in its 1992 publication
quot;Changing Course”
“concept of creating more goods and services while
using fewer resources and creating less waste and
pollution”
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

3. Eco-efficiency
• The 1992 Earth Summit endorsed eco-efficiency as a means for companies
to implement Agenda 21 in the private sector, and the term has become
synonymous with a management philosophy geared towards
sustainability.
• WBCSD definition: eco-efficiency is achieved through the delivery of
quot;competitively priced goods and services that satisfy human needs&bring
quality of life while progressively reducing environmental impacts of
goods and resource intensity throughout the entire life-cycle to a level at
least in line with the Earth's estimated carrying capacity.”
(Schmidheiny, 1992)
The reduction in ecological impacts translates into an increase in resource
productivity, which in turn can create a competitive advantage
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

4. Eco-efficient Agriculture
Eco-efficient agriculture uses resources more effectively
to generate sustainable increases in productivity and
more abundant food supplies.
– enables family farms to compete in local and regional
economies, thus reducing poverty.
– limits the natural resource degradation caused by
agriculture, thereby diminishing its negative ecological
footprint.
– resilient in the face of environmental shocks, such as
climate change.
– contributes to greater equity in rural areas, for example, by
creating new opportunities for women in agriculture.
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

5. Eco-efficiencyis a means to achieve a healthy balance
between economic competitiveness, social equity
and environmental sustainability
Eco-efficient agriculture isachieved through better adapted
crops, better use and management of inputs, labor and
natural and genetic resources
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

6. How to achieve Eco-Efficient?
• Increase agricultural productivity under a
changing climate to provide the poor with
inexpensive food;
• Make agriculture more competitive, offering
the poor new opportunities to increase their
incomes;
• Realize agricultural growth that is sustainable
and less harmful to the environment
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

7. Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor
Challenges ahead:
– Achieve a clear message across the Center
– Establish baseline indicators to measure progress
and success
– Define an action plan with specific goals
– Identify and implement key flagship projects
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

8. Today’s Objectives
Definition of components for a successful Eco-
Efficient Agriculture
Discussions on areas of integration
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

9. Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor
Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor