How can we feed over nine billion people by 2050 with limited resources? This question reveals a clash between two agricultural paradigms amidst an escalating food polycrisis. The first paradigm, industrialized agriculture, practices monoculture cropping, and global production chains, often deepening divides between large and small-scale farmers and causing environmental harm. The second paradigm, agroecology, is a local, small-medium scale, sustainable food production system with the potential to redefine industrial practices, especially in the Global South. This article critically analyzes the FAO’s definition of “sustainable diets” and illustrates how Southern agroecology exemplifies sustainable food production through holistic-philosophical analysis. In contrast, industrial agriculture is seen as reductionist. The conclusions highlight the importance of holistic-systemic thinking in agriculture. Southern agroecology offers a grassroots approach to addressing the food polycrisis, mitigating socio-economic inequalities, providing nutritious food, and supporting participatory democratic policies. It secures food sovereignty as a human right, reducing poverty and hunger by reinforcing local food identity and embodying holistic thinking.