AGROECOLOGY
Agroecology is an approach that applies the concepts and principles of ecology to the design and management of food systems so that food production respects the environment, health and the rights of farmers and consumers (Gliessman et al. 2007, Barberi 2019).
Agroecology’s fields of action aim to relocalize farming systems and food, and promote the circulation of natural capital within the production system, reducing dependence on external inputs: self-production of seeds, management of soil fertility through good agronomic practices, self-production of soil improvers, fertilizers, biostimulants and biopesticides.
It is therefore essential to co-design agroecological systems based on the circularity and efficiency of the resources available in a field, a farm, a community, in order to offer viable solutions that help create systems capable of adapting to ongoing change and responding to urgent climate and nutrition challenges. To achieve this, one possible strategy for innovation in farming systems is to promote their diversification, starting with the recovery of cultivated biodiversity and innovating/readapting traditional agronomic techniques and knowledge.
By diversifying farming systems, agroecology can meet the challenge of guaranteeing food security and better nutrition for all. Agroecological techniques, taking advantage of natural cycles and synergies, promote a set of diversified agronomic practices that restore or improve soil fertility, contributing at the same time to higher yields (Altieri, 2009). The diversification of agronomic practices, and therefore of the environment in which crops are grown, is closely linked to the diversification of local genetic resources (animal and plant).
Agroecology is therefore based on a set of flexible and dynamic practices, determined and developed by local actors themselves, in contrast to industrial approaches based on universal implementation of the same technologies, hyperspecialization and intensification (both at company and regional level) and homogenization of landscapes. It is applied differently according to local realities, traditions, spirituality and social spheres, while sharing a common set of values centered on respect for people and nature.
Agroecological transition will require the gradual restoration/regeneration of natural resources (e.g. soil, water, starting germplasm), the re-diversification of the agroecosystem and the development of synergies between its various components (Côte et al., 2019). For the transition to be effective, farmers themselves need to be the promoters of change, involved right from the design and planning phases, using a participatory approach. This approach restores a central place to the farmer’s knowledge and practices, promoting the circulation of knowledge and recognizing the value of empirical knowledge, mutual learning and the restoration, where necessary, of skills and social value expropriated by the transition to an industrial agricultural system. Knowledge is passed on through participatory, intergenerational dialogue between farmers on issues ranging from the economic viability of small-scale family farming to agro-ecological innovations adapted to a given socio-cultural context (technical, mechanical and biological innovations in pest and weed management, use of certain species as fertilizers).
With this in mind, it is essential to promote biodiversity in farming systems, as well as in seed systems, by supporting both informal seed systems and the emergence of formal systems at local level. The aim of these systems is not to conserve, but to improve and support the circulation and use of germplasm, favoring indigenous species and local varieties. Support for these practices, which promote cultivated agro-biodiversity, aims to stabilize productivity over time, while gradually reducing the use of external inputs based mainly on synthetic chemicals.
A paradigm shift
Finally, a paradigm shift is needed regarding the role played by forests, forestry and agricultural practices. Agriculture is one of the causes of deforestation, but forests and trees are essential to food security and the fight against climate change: