Education to spread agroecology (report)

Education for Agroecology

In this report, Nicole Vosper shares the key findings of her research exploring education and agroecology. She presents successful models from around the world that have been inspiring and supporting people to practice agroecology. This report shares insights into how successful agroecology learning opportunities have been designed, structured and resourced. It also includes commentary on the various curriculums, as well as the common forms of pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching). Finally, it highlights the role of education in accelerating agroecology and gives recommendations to organisers and educators in this field.

New UK agroecology database

Agroecology Research.net/work

This website provides a platform for networking, research, and engagement related to agroecology in the UK. The platform hosts the outputs of a scoping study into agroecological business models in the UK. A central output of the study is a database of agroecological businesses, projects, and initiatives in the UK. All of the information contained in the database is publicly available online and was not provided by the individual initiatives. The database available here is intended to be an interactive and growing resource. This site also provides a history of agroecology, extensive related literature and external resources, and a forum for those interested in agroecology to interact.

More support for diverse agroecological systems (report)

From uniformity to diversity:A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems  

A report from the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems.

Industrial agriculture and the ‘industrial food systems’ that have developed around it are locked in place by a series of vicious cycles. For example, the way food systems are currently structured allows value to accrue to a limited number of actors, reinforcing their economic and political power, and thus their ability to influence the governance of food systems.

Tweaking practices can improve some of the specific outcomes of industrial agriculture, but will not provide long-term solutions to the multiple problems it generates. What is required is a fundamentally different model of agriculture based on diversifying farms and farming landscapes, replacing chemical inputs, optimising biodiversity and stimulating interactions between different species, as part of holistic strategies to build long-term fertility, healthy agro-ecosystems and secure livelihoods, i.e. ‘diversified agroecological systems’.

Change is already happening. Industrial food systems are being challenged on multiple fronts, from new forms of cooperation and knowledge-creation to the development of new market relationships that bypass conventional retail circuits. Political incentives must be shifted in order for these alternatives to emerge beyond the margins. A series of modest steps can collectively shift the centre of gravity in food systems.

Pages 62-74 gives a number of recommendations including research priorities and valuing grassroots movements.

Prefer something shorter?  Here is a News article about the report.

Agroecology in the tropics (journal)

The Role of Trees in Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics

Shifting agriculture in the tropics has been replaced by sedentary smallholder farming on degraded land. To address low yields and low income both, the soil fertility, the agroecosystem functions, and the source of income can be restored by diversification with nitrogen-fixing trees and the cultivation of indigenous tree species. Biodiversity studies indicate that mature cash crop systems, such as cacao and coffee with shade trees, provide wildlife habitat that supports natural predators. This review offers suggestions on how to examine these agroecological processes in more detail for the most effective rehabilitation of degraded land.

Agro-ecology in Zimbabwe (report)

Zimbabwean Smallholder Support at the Crossroads: Diminishing Returns from Green Revolution Seed and Fertiliser Subsidies and the Agro- Ecological Alternative 

This research report is the first piece of research being conducted in Zimbabwe by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). It forms part of a regional research programme which aims to engage directly with farmers, farmer associations, farmer support organisations, extension workers, scientists, donors and government officials, to explore the complex impacts on small-scale farming households of the introduction of Green Revolution technologies, as well as their socio-ecological contexts in the region.

Getting access to growing land in Europe (video)

The Land for our Food 

This documentary movie takes us on the journey of Gavin Bridger, a grower from a Community Supported Agriculture project in England, through various European countries in his quest of accessing land for agroecological farming. All over Europe the difficulty to find suitable and affordable land is posing a great barrier to the development of sustainable and often small-scale agriculture. Gavin meets some of the initiatives from the Access to Land network, and also meets farmers and journalists to better understand the scope and historical roots of access to land issues.

New EU project supports diverse food systems

DIVERSIFOOD: High quality  food systems

 DIVERSIFOOD (2015-­‐2019) is an EU funded research and innovation programme that will increase    the    performance    and    resilience    of    different    agro-ecosytems and    develop    new    healthy    and    tasty    produce. By  integrating    existing    experienced    networks    and    using    specific    and    relevant    cases across    Europe,    the    project    will    strengthen    food    culture to    improve    economic    viability    of    local    chains    resulting    in    a    greater    diversity    of    produce    with    a    cultural    identity.

Organic food is better for you (journal)

Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses

  

This study analyzes 343 peer-reviewed publications that indicate statistically significant differences in composition between organic and non-organic crops/ foods. The concentrations of a range of antioxidants were found to be substantially higher in organic crops. Many of these compounds have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases and certain cancers. Additionally, the occurrence of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventional crops, which also contained significantly higher concentrations of the toxic metal cadmium. Significant differences were also detected for some other minerals and vitamins.

Scaling up agro-ecology (online)

Overcoming Obstacles to Agroecology

A half-century of research and practice in agroecology has yielded spectacular results for hundreds of thousands of small scale farmers around the world. Because it opens possibilities for grassroots food systems transformation, peasant movements for food sovereignty have embraced agroecology, as have many urban and organic farmers in the Global North. But despite its documented benefits, agroecology is still largely limited to localized experiences and a few, poorly funded university programs. The problem is systemic. The solution is social and political, as discussed in this article from The Huffington Post.

Scientists call for agroecology research (online)

Scientists Call for Public Investment in Agroecological Research

A distinguished group of scientists and experts from universities and colleges across the United States—including land-grant universities in agricultural powerhouse states such as Iowa and California—has launched the following statement calling for increased public investment in agroecological research. Their statement describes agroecological methods as productive, profitable and sustainable.

Adoption of conservation agriculture in Malawi (#journal)

Adoption and extent of conservation agriculture practices among smallholder farmers in Malawi

Understanding factors affecting farmers' adoption of improved technologies is critical to success of conservation agriculture (CA). This study explored why  farmers adopted the three principles of CA (minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotations), in 10 communities in Malawi. From a total of 15,854 households in the study areas, 18% of smallholders had adopted CA, on 2.1% of all cultivated land. The first stage of the research showed that hired labor, area of land cultivated, membership to farmer group, and district influenced farmers' decisions to adopt CA. The second stage suggested that total cultivated land, duration of practicing CA, and district influenced farmers' decisions. Agency and social structures influenced adoption and extent of CA. Future policy should address ways to provide access to information and long-term support to farmers to enable them to embrace the technology fully.

Land use practices to improve water quality (#journal)

Estimating water quality effects of conservation practices and grazing land use scenarios

Conservation management practices such as reduced tillage, fertilizer management, and buffer strips are well-established means by which to control erosion and nutrient losses from fields planted in annual row crops. However, agricultural systems which include perennial plant cover may represent an alternative way to reduce these losses. In this study, management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) was tested as a means by which to improve water quality on highly vulnerable row crop land, compared to more traditional conservation management schemes in Southeastern Minnesota. The effects of both sets of alternative scenarios were evaluated with a watershed-based modeling approach using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Watershed-wide implementation of all conservation management practices resulted in reductions in sediment (52%) and total P (28%) loads.

Healing the world with permaculture (#journal)

Feeding and healing the world: through regenerative agriculture and permaculture.

The study of soil is a mature science, whereas related practical methods of regenerative agriculture and permaculture are not. However, despite a paucity of detailed peer reviewed research published on these topics, there is overwhelming evidence both that the methods work and they may offer the means to address a number of prevailing environmental challenges. What is lacking is a proper scientific study, made in hand with actual development projects. By elucidating the scientific basis of these remarkable phenomena, we may obtain the means for solving some of the otherwise insurmountable problems confronting humanity, simply by observing, and working with, the patterns and forces of nature. This article is intended as a call to arms to make serious investment in researching and actualising these methods on a global scale. Permaculture and regenerative agriculture offer potentially the means to provide food and materials on the small scale, and may provide a crucial strategy in achieving a measured descent in our use of energy and other resources, rather than an abrupt collapse of civilization.

The future of legumes in Europe (#journal)

Legumes for feed, food, biomaterials and bioenergy in Europe: a review

Legume growing has many benefits; provision of plant proteins for animals and humans, fixation of atmospheric N₂, cheap and green N fertilisers, diversification crops in rotations based on oilseed rape and cereals. Yet legume crops in Europe represent less than 4 % of arable lands. The authors show that legumes can contribute to the agroecological transition for sustainable agriculture, food and energy and for sustainable agri-food systems. However high added-value niche markets are required for supporting legume production. The major research needs identified are (1) analysing the constraints of the current systems and identifying ways of moving towards systems that include more legumes, (2) identifying new and diversified uses for legumes in a sustainable food chain, (3) assessing and improving the ecosystem services provided by legumes at cropping system and territory scales and (4) promoting agroecology through and for legume crop management.

Agronomy with global impact (#journal)

 Global agronomy, a new field of research. A review

Agriculture management is influencing the quality of water, air, soil, and biodiversity at the global scale. Therefore, a research plan for global agronomy is proposed. Agronomists should update their research objects, methods, and tools to address global issues. Yield trends and variations among various regions should be analyzed to understand the sources of these variations. Crop model simulations should be upscaled to estimate potential yields and to assess the effect of climate change and resource scarcity at the global scale. Advanced methods should analyze output uncertainty of complex models used at a global scale. The meta-analysis of published data is a promising approach for addressing global issues, though meta-analysis must be applied carefully with appropriate techniques. Finally, global datasets on the performance and environmental impact of cropping systems should be developed.

Farmer designed organic systems (#journal)

Farmers and agronomists design new biological agricultural practices for organic cropping systems in France

Current innovations in organic farming such as non-inversion tillage with cover crops are promising, but investigations usually do not take farmers views into account. Therefore, research work should include farmer participation to maximize success. The authors developed a method to help farmers in designing innovative cropping systems, involving several design workshops with farmers.  The farmers generated 14 system prototypes, which differed radically from current practices because they used biological rather than mechanical methods. Cover crop use was almost four times more frequent than in current systems, moldboard plowing and mechanical weeding frequencies respectively two and eight times lower. The main benefits are (1) the involvement of volunteer farmers in the design process, (2) the combination of farmer knowledge and scientific knowledge, and (3) the use of various methodological supports.

Organic rice-prawn aquaculture (#journal)

Organic rice–prawn farming yields 20% higher revenues

Organic farming of rice and giant river prawns in rotational crops was tested in the waterlogged paddy fields of Kuttanad, Kerala as part of the Indian Organic Aquaculture Project. Rice was cultivated during November to February, followed by a crop of freshwater prawns in the same field from March to September. Farming rice organically reduced yields by 23 %. However, the organic prawn crop yield was 10 % higher than the yield of the conventional system, so although organic rice farming realized lower returns than conventional, its combination with organic prawn farming enhanced net revenue by 20 % over conventional rice/conventional prawn production.

Low input maize for biofuel (#journal)

Efficient biofuel production from traditional maize under low input

Traditional crop varieties are adapted to low inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and water. The authors tested the suitability of traditional maize varieties as solid biofuel, cultivating traditional maize varieties without pesticides and irrigation and then measuring the heating value, the ash content, and the elemental composition. Results show that plants harvested at maturity, 150 days after sowing, have about 10 % more biomass and 20–30 % less ash, N, K, and Cl than plants harvested 115 days after sowing. Traditional maize varieties can produce an energy of 15–23 · 10⁴ MJ/ha. These findings demonstrate that traditional maize cultivation can be optimized to increase the efficiency of biomass production and to reduce the environmental impact.

Uk agriculture facts website (online)

UK Agriculture 

This web site about agriculture and farming was established in 1999 in an attempt to help widen understanding about the role of agriculture in the countryside. The website attempts to provide an easy to read, visual approach to the chronology of agricultural systems and the relationship between food and farming. It is also committed to preserving the countryside and improving its biodiversity.

Soil science and soil crisis (online)

Energy Balance

These blogs (by Professor Chris Rhodes) dated 22nd April and 6th April 2014 give a lovely introduction to the science of soil, and to the current crisis of soil, which all growers without a strong background in this area should read. It is a blog so perhaps a bit light for inclusion here, but contains so much great information that I thought it was worth it. Prof. Rhodes' older blog posts deal with a huge range of environmental issues (ranging from peak oil to home-made sauerkraut), many of which will be of interest to permaculture practitioners.