A/70/287 difficult ecological and social conditions. 76 For example, “farmer rice varieties” are often more productive than imported varieties of rice and can grow with less input than modern varieties and require less maintenance. 77 Furthermore, research has shown that farms run on agroecological principles can be more resilient in res ponse to natural disasters such as hurricanes. Farms in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala that relied on sustainable agricultural methods suffered considerably less damage than conventional farms following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, with sustainable farms retaining up to 40 per cent more topsoil and suffering less economic loss than neighbouring conventional farms. 78 Similar studies conducted in Mexico following Hurricane Stan and in Cuba following Hurricane Ike had similar findings. 79 Agroecological farms were also able to recover faster after the hurricane. 80 Proven success of agroecology 76. Agroecology is particularly beneficial and well suited to the needs of poor rural communities, as it is relatively labour intensive, most effectively practised on small plots of land and relies on locally produced inputs, thereby reducing dependence on access to external inputs and on subsidies. It is also of particular benefit to vulnerable groups such as smallholder farmers, women and indigenous peoples, owing to their reliance on local inputs and practices. The shift being advocated builds on the skills and experience of the world ’s small farmers. Farmers living in harsh environments in Africa, Asia and Latin America have developed traditional knowledge and skills that facilitate resilience and sustainability. 81 One of the virtues of agroecology is that it combines local knowledge with innovative technology. 77. Brazil’s agroecology policies have already experienced success. Approximately 100,000 family farms have adopted agroecological farming practices. These farms have had average yield increases of 100 -300 per cent and demonstrated greater resilience to irregular weather patterns. 82 Brazil has also developed programmes that provide access to low-interest credit for family farmers and also offered technical support for 2.3 million families in 2010. It has stimulated __________________ 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 15-10041 Alfred Mokuwa and others, “Robustness and strategies of adaptation among farmer varieties of African rice (Oryza glaberrima) and Asian rice (Oryza sativa) across West Africa”, PLoS ONE, vol. 8, No. 3 (1 March 2013). SciDev.Net, “Local rice makes the grade in West Africa”, 25 March 2013. Available from http://www.scidev.net/global/biotechnology/news/local -rice-makes-the-grade-in-westafrica.html. Eric Holt-Giménez, “Measuring farmers’ agroecological resistance after hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua: a case study in participatory, sustainable land management impact monitoring”, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, vol. 93, Nos. 1-3 (December 2002). Stacy M. Philpott and others, “A multi-scale assessment of hurricane impacts on agricultural landscapes based on land use and topographic features”, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, vol. 128, Nos. 1-2 (October 2008). Peter Michael Rosset and others, “The campesino-to-campesino agroecology movement of ANAP in Cuba: social process methodology in the construction of sustainable peasant agriculture and food sovereignty”, Journal of Peasant Studies, vol. 38, No. 1 (2011). ANAP stands for Asociación Nacional de Agricultores Pequeños (National Associati on of Small Farmers). Kaplan, Ifejika-Speranza and Scholz, “Commentary VII”. Avery Cohn and others, eds., Agroecology and the Struggle for Food Sovereignty in the Americas (International Institute for Environment and Development, Yale School of Fores try and Environmental Studies and Commission on Environmental, Economic a nd Social Policy, 2006). 21/25