Everything in our society must have a name. Agroecology is one such name that represents a certain type of farming practices. While we should therefore expect to have a clear definition of what agroecology actually is, and thereby be able to distinguish it from other systems, we may encounter certain difficulties. Although initially, agroecology was viewed as a scientific discipline, it subsequently gained new dimensions, being referred to as a social movement as well as an agricultural practice. At the same time, the latter is based on a set of very concrete principles that can help to identify a farm in agroecological transition.
Science of agroecology: working with nature
Agroecology initially emerged as a scientific discipline in the 1930s, being at the interface between agricultural production and ecology. Thus, it describes ‘biodiverse, energy-efficient, resource-conserving and resilient’ food production systems (Nicholls et al, 2020). Each of the abovementioned characteristics is de facto reflected in six principles which are at the core of the agroecological design. These include nutrient recycling, fostering diversity of e.g. species of plants, animals ‘over time and space at the field and landscape-level’, ‘strengthening the ‘immunity’ of agricultural system through enhancement of functional’ diversity (i.e. what organisms actually do), minimizing energy, water, and nutrient losses, providing ‘the most favourable soil conditions for plant growth’ and, lastly, enhancing beneficial interactions and ‘cooperation’ among living components (e.g. insects, birds, soil organisms) of the system with the purpose of imitating ecological processes (Nicholls et al, 2020). These processes appear to reflect the strengths of natural systems mainly because they do not need human maintenance, and life has been thriving thus for hundreds and millions of years. Interestingly, science has discovered how this is possible which is through ‘…inter-dependency, self-regulation, self-renewal, self-sufficiency, efficiency and diversity’ (Altieri, 2015).
Agroecological producers learn to replicate these strengths as much as possible in their own production systems, thereby making them viable in the long term. Agroecology also helps producers to be more autonomous and self-sufficient, as the cyclical use of on-farm resources allows them to reduce or fully abandon the use of off-farm inputs (for more details see the article). This autonomy, however, also encompasses several other aspects, e.g., seed production and sales, thus developing agroecology to become a broader socially relevant concept.
Social aspect as one of the key foundations
As environmentalists began to speak out against industrial agriculture in the 1960s, agroecology evolved to form a social movement. According to the largest international farmers’ association recognized by FAO, Via Campesina, agroecology represents a social movement where farmers defend ‘the right to define their own food and agriculture systems’ as well as their rights over food (Patel, 2009). In this sense, agroecology encapsulates both an ecological transition and social justice and thus a truly inclusive approach as opposed to the conventional (industrialized) agricultural model. This being so, it becomes easier to discern between agroecology and the ‘junk agroecology’ used by some actors to advance their interests through ‘either preserving or deepening the inequality, exploitation, and power imbalances behind the current agrifood system’. (FOEI, 2020)
