Agroecology
The word agroecology, less often agroecology, can denote a science, a movement or a practice.
history
At first, agroecology referred to plant production and protection . In the last few decades there have been environmental, social, economic, ethical and development-related aspects.
The term agroecology was first used in its English equivalent in 1928. Until the 1960s, agroecology was a purely scientific discipline. Then different branches developed. The environmental movements of the 1960s, which were directed against industrial agriculture, gave rise to agro-ecological movements in the 1990s. Since the 1980s, agroecology also emerged as a practice that was often linked to the movements. In the last 80 years the range of considerations of agroecology has also increased from the field to the agroecosystem level.
Today agroecology has various scientific meanings and is also used to describe a movement or an agricultural practice. Different emphases of the term can be identified in different regions. In Germany, agroecology has a long tradition as a scientific discipline and is not linked to other meanings. In the United States and Brazil, all three meanings are understood by the term, with the scientific dominating in the United States and the others in Brazil. In France, agroecology has long been understood as a practice.
Meanings, systematics
In German-speaking countries, agroecology is a sub-area of ecology or a sub-area of agriculture.
| Agroecology ... | ... as part of ecology | ... as part of agriculture |
|---|---|---|
| ... to be distinguished from | - Urban ecology - Human ecology - ... |
- ecological agriculture (organic farming) - industrial agriculture - ... |
| Science, Movement or Practice? | Agroecology as a scientific discipline | Agroecology as a social movement or agricultural practice |
| formulated: | The ecology of agro-ecosystems | Agro-ecological agriculture (land management model) |
Agroecology as a science
As a science, agroecology is a part of ecology or landscape ecology . It deals with the ecological conditions and processes of agro-ecosystems and the agro- landscape ecosystem complex as a whole. Agroecology not only takes into account the ecosystems that are directly subject to agricultural use, such as arable land and grassland , but also the functionally related, more natural ecosystems such as forests and moors and their indirect influence through agriculture (e.g. via atmospheric material inputs or lateral material shifts) .
In terms of basic scientific research, agroecology deals with the control variables of the biodiversity of agroecosystems and the agricultural landscape. Taking into account the biotic hierarchy levels ( genes , species , populations , communities) , it examines and examines individual organisms , groups of organisms or the largest possible proportion of the totality of all organisms and their interrelationships with one another (e.g. trophic interactions, competition, mutual benefits) in particular the relationships between site properties , land use and biodiversity as well as the importance of spatial patterns and the dynamics of use for biodiversity. In terms of applied scientific research, agroecology aims at the nature conservation evaluation of agricultural land use and the support of the development of ecologically sustainable agricultural use concepts.
The methods of agroecological research vary with the respective ecosystems and groups of organisms examined and show the proximity to adjacent scientific disciplines such as ecological geography and landscape ecology with site surveys, aerial and satellite image interpretations , applications of geographic information systems and ecological modeling .
Agroecology is taught at universities with different content focuses as a subject , subject , course of study or interdisciplinary program. The subject of agroecology is located in different departments (e.g. biology , geography , agricultural sciences ).
Agroecology as a movement
Beginning in the United States and Latin America in the 1990s, agroecology was adopted as a self-label by movements to express a novel image of agriculture and its relationship to society. In Brazil, agroecology as a science never existed; there it has its roots in traditional agriculture. In the 1970s, movements critical of agricultural modernization began to campaign for alternative agriculture, family farms, and food sovereignty. A well-known supporter of these movements was José Lutzenberger . In the 1980s these movements were formalized. In 2001 the "National Meeting of Agroecology" took place with the aim of promoting agroecology. In 2003, the Brazilian government formally recognized agroecology under the umbrella of organic farming.
In Germany, agroecology as a movement is more or less non-existent, as most producers of non- conventional agriculture feel more like permaculture or organic farming .
Agroecology as a practice
“Agro-ecological agriculture” goes beyond the standards and requirements of organic farming , which can now also be practiced on a large scale. In German-speaking countries, however, terms such as permaculture or biodynamic farming have become more popular as categories that create identity. It is very difficult to draw clear lines between the individual terms. What all these forms of agriculture have in common is that they are in clear contrast (and mostly also in conflict) with conventional agriculture .
literature
- Konrad Martin, Joachim Sauerborn: Agroecology . Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-8252-2793-6 .
- Stephen R. Gliessman: Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems. 2nd Edition. CRC Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8493-2845-4 .
- Keith Douglass Warner: Agroecology in Action: Extending Alternative Agriculture through Social Networks . The MIT Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-262-73180-5 .
- Anil Shrestha, David Clements: New Dimensions In Agroecology . CRC Press, 2004, ISBN 1-56022-112-7 .
- C. Francis, G. Lieblein, S. Gliessman, T. Breland, N. Creamer, R. Harwood, L. Salomonsson, J. Helenius, D. Rickerl, R. Salvador, M. Wiedenhoeft, S. Simmons, P. Allen, M. Altieri et al .: Agroecology: The Ecology of Food Systems. In: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture. Vol. 22, No. 3, 2003, pp. 99-118. (as Word document)
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d A. Wezel, S. Bellon, T. Doré, C. Francis, D. Vallod, C. David: Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A review. ( Memento of November 4, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) In: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 29, 2009, p. 503, doi: 10.1051 / agro / 2009004 .