Agroecology and permaculture (journal)

Agroecology and permaculture: addressing key ecological problems by rethinking and redesigning agricultural systems

This paper explores how industrial agriculture is a key contributor to many ecological problems and how redesigning agricultural systems using agroecological principles could address many of these problems.  Agroecological methods have the potential to boost production and farm incomes, particularly in the global South. Permaculture, perhaps the most widely practiced form of agroecology, also provides an ethical framework and principles that serve as a basis for discerning actions that enable the design of diverse, sustainable systems. Widespread adoption of agroecological methods and permaculture principles could significantly reduce energy, pesticide, and freshwater usage while simultaneously restoring degraded soil, sequestering carbon, creating more biodiverse agricultural systems, and satisfying human needs for healthy, nutritious food.