term) are made of its results in terms of cost benefits. Agroecology has the potential to efficiently reverse the trend towards degradation of the environment and to contribute to food security, as it has demonstrated, despite the limited investment and attention that it has received (CIFAA, 2006).
     Agroecology seeks a balance between, on the one hand, agroindustry that holds the promise of achieving the goals of poverty reduction through the production of food and other agricultural, forestry and livestock goods and, on the other, the maintenance of biodiversity and other environmental services while also pursuing the goal of social well-being. The basic paradigm is that the more similar the agricultural, forestry and cattle-farming ecosystems are to the natural ecosystem the more sustainable are medium- and long-term production and other environmental services, such as the recycling of nutrients, carbon sequestration in soils, and water percolation, detoxification, regulation and storage (Altieri, 1995). Agroecology cannot be developed without the active participation of an entire social network. One possibility is therefore to introduce agroecology into agricultural research and extension programs and in rural schools. It is also necessary to promote internal changes in the institutions seeking to adopt this new paradigm (Sanchez, 1994; Caporal and Costabeber, 2004; Guzman, 2004; EMBRAPA, 2006). Local and regional agroecological experiences with change must be systematized by promoting exchanges between different regions and between the different social actors. The crisis of the agroindustry model requires new alternatives that are less harmful to the environment and to producers and consumers (FAO, 2003; Caporal and Costabeber, 2004; Guzman, 2004). However, extension activities and the sharing of experiences are not sufficient by themselves. Knowledge and innovation must also be further developed with a view to mainstreaming the agroecological approach into production systems (Vandermeer, 1995).
     In order to develop ecological production systems compatible with the sustainable management of natural and human resources, a development style consistent with these goals must be sought. For this reason, basic research should also be complemented by market research and economic studies to both demonstrate and increase the profitability of agroecology (Vandermeer, 1995; Swift et al., 1996). Comprehensive studies are also needed to analyze and objectively test the assumptions about the low productivity of unconventional systems (for example, organic productions (Badgley et al., 2007). Agroecology should be viewed as a strategic factor for development in Latin American countries, not only as a factor for economic development but also as a key input in social and environmental policy. This
requires a series of standard-setting initiatives, institutional reorganization and the allocation of significant economic resources as countries progress towards their broad objective of sustainable development.
     Most Latin American countries lack regulatory frameworks for the implementation of an incentive system for agroecological production. It would be helpful if such frameworks included a review of the external factors affecting agroecological production compared with conventional production.
This means that, among other things, governments should offer institutional support in the form of technical assistance to producers for production, processing and marketing; a

reduction in the costs of certification; and the launching of demonstration projects that facilitate the supply of inputs and services, manage financing, promote arrangements for marketing and finaning of production, and help provide the equipment necessary for production (Ortiz, 2004).

4.2.1.5 Redirecting new areas of research towards
development and sustainability goals AKST systems in Latin America and the Caribbean can seek to increase their technical training in the new areas of knowledge and those generated under the conventional system, although with a critical and cautious attitude (applied to biotechnology, niche agriculture, nanotechnology, organic farming). In order for advances in new technologies to be useful in tropical conditions, they must be adapted and improved for the particular conditions of the agroecosystems. The research priorities for these new areas should first consider the environmental and social development goals and not the profit potential. Consequently, a critical evaluation is needed in order to determine whether or not reputed leading-edge technologies satisfy the goals of sustainable development and which sectors benefit. Conventional knowledge has made it possible, through the Green Revolution, to fulfill urgent needs for an increase in the production of foodstuff (Wood et al., 2005), but this has not necessarily meant greater access by the poor to food (see chapters 1 and 2). This type of know-how must continue to be developed with special emphasis on those types of research that take particular account of the need for the development of a multi-functional agriculture (one that provides ecological services) that meets the socioeconomic and environmental Millennium Goals. Synthesis with the agroecological approaches mentioned in the above paragraph is an essential phase of this process.
     Educational systems should also promote solid ethical principles. It is becoming increasingly necessary to incorporate into educational programs a philosophical discussion of the ethical principles of justice, equality, reciprocity, autonomy and responsibility, applying them to the topic of the management of resources, both private and public (Hardin, 1998).

4.2.2 Sustainable environmental and socioeconomic development.
There is currently no state policy that does not set as a priority goal sustainable environmental and economic development. Achieving this goal requires greater efforts in the search for technical solutions, a more practical knowledge of the dynamic of soil and water resources, and urgent reform of management systems to mitigate their negative impact on the environment.

4.2.2.1 Emphasis on the search for more effective
solutions to prevent environmental degradation The degradation caused by improper management of water, soils and forests is a serious regional problem throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Many unsound management practices have had a severe impact on natural resources (Natural Capital) and environmental services (Adis, 1989; Brown, 1993; Cairns, 1994; Polcher, 1994; Brosset, 1996; Neill, 1997; Rasmussen, 1998; Fearnside, 1999; ElfromCK