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History and Development of Agroecology and Theory of Agroecosystems

  • Chapter
Law and Agroecology

Abstract

This work provides a knowledge contribution in order to understand agroecology as evolution of both a scientific discipline and a philosophical paradigm for promoting sustainability in agriculture. The peculiar character of agroecology as an applied, transdisciplinary science based on the systems paradigm is explored in its theoretical and practical foundations. The agroecosystem concept is regarded as an epistemological tool for creating an ontology or representation of agriculture based on a systems view. Hierarchy, emergence, communication and control are shown as agroecosystem properties. Integration is viewed as an ontological link operating in the construction of agriculture as a human activity system. Integration is regarded as an organisational capability for connecting different hierarchical levels, which is critical for achieving the goal of agriculture sustainability. Development of sustainability indicators is considered a crucial step of enquiry for providing elements of assessment, evaluation and anticipation of solutions for both farm design and management, and land use policy. Sustainability in agriculture will depend on the capacity of harmonic integration between contrasting trade-offs in the search of a balance among human nutrition, ecological integrity and economic development. Convergence of agroecological principles between global and local levels of planning will be a crucial component for success towards sustainable agriculture.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Caporali (2010), pp. 1–71.

  2. 2.

    Foucault (1966).

  3. 3.

    O’Leary and Chia (2007), pp. 392–406.

  4. 4.

    Foucault (1966).

  5. 5.

    Chandrasoma and Lee (2012).

  6. 6.

    Caporali (2004).

  7. 7.

    Gliessman (1998).

  8. 8.

    Francis (2009).

  9. 9.

    Caporali (2006), pp. 415–429.

  10. 10.

    Caporali et al. (1989), pp. 579–595; Caporali (2010).

  11. 11.

    Francis (2004), pp. 21–43.

  12. 12.

    Francis (2004).

  13. 13.

    International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) (2006).

  14. 14.

    Tomich et al. (2011), pp. 193–222.

  15. 15.

    Tomich et al. (2011).

  16. 16.

    Francis et al. (2003), pp. 99–118; Caporali (2004); Altieri and Toledo (2011), pp. 587–612.

  17. 17.

    El-Hage Scialabba and Hattam (2002) and Caporali (2006).

  18. 18.

    Checkland (1993).

  19. 19.

    Caporali (2006).

  20. 20.

    Spedding (1975).

  21. 21.

    Harper (1974), pp. 1–6.

  22. 22.

    Spedding (1975).

  23. 23.

    Caporali (2006).

  24. 24.

    Lotka (1925).

  25. 25.

    Cato Marcus Porcius, De agricultura. Varro, Marcus Terentius Rerum rusticarum libri tres. English edition: Cato and Varro On Agriculture (1934) (trans: Hooper WD, Ash HB). Harvard University Press (Loeb Classical Library 283), Cambridge, MA.

  26. 26.

    Cuppari (1862).

  27. 27.

    Draghetti (1948).

  28. 28.

    Spedding (1975).

  29. 29.

    Auerbach (1958), pp. 522–529.

  30. 30.

    Witkamp (1971), pp. 85–110.

  31. 31.

    Ikerd (2009), pp. 41–52.

  32. 32.

    Lowrance et al. (1984).

  33. 33.

    Ikerd (2009).

  34. 34.

    Caporali (2006).

  35. 35.

    Gliessman (2004), pp. 61–80.

  36. 36.

    Gliessman (2001).

  37. 37.

    Richardson (1977).

  38. 38.

    Woodwell et al. (1967), pp. 821–824.

  39. 39.

    Phelan (2009), pp. 97–135.

  40. 40.

    Swinton et al. (2007), pp. 245–252.

  41. 41.

    Altieri (1995), pp. 31–36.

  42. 42.

    Caporali (2004).

  43. 43.

    Caporali (1991); Marshall (2006), pp. 365–404.

  44. 44.

    Caporali (2004).

  45. 45.

    Lowrance et al. (1986), pp. 169–173.

  46. 46.

    Westra and Boody (2009), pp. 213–233.

  47. 47.

    Caporali et al. (1989); Tellarini and Caporali (2000), pp. 111–123; Caporali et al. (2003), pp. 67–72; Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (1997, 1999, 2001, 2013).

  48. 48.

    Edwards et al. (1993), pp. 99–121; Tellarini and Caporali (2000).

  49. 49.

    Brouwer and Crabtree (1998) and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) (2005).

  50. 50.

    Tellarini and Caporali (2000); Caporali et al. (2003); Di Felice et al. (2012), pp. 119–126.

  51. 51.

    OECD (1999).

  52. 52.

    OECD (2001).

  53. 53.

    OECD (2013).

  54. 54.

    OECD (2013).

  55. 55.

    Edwards et al. (1993).

  56. 56.

    Phelan (2009).

  57. 57.

    Phelan (2009).

  58. 58.

    Phelan (2009).

  59. 59.

    Caporali et al. (1989).

  60. 60.

    OECD (1999).

  61. 61.

    Reganold et al. (2001), pp. 926–930; Mader et al (2002), pp. 1694–1697; Caporali et al. (2003); Di Felice et al. (2012).

  62. 62.

    Caporali and Mancinelli (2013), pp. 29–36.

  63. 63.

    House (2009), pp. 283–296.

  64. 64.

    Daily (1997) and Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) (2005).

  65. 65.

    Turner et al. (2007), pp. 20666–20671.

  66. 66.

    Stinner (2009), pp. 13–20.

  67. 67.

    Bunce (1998), pp. 233–247; Engelke and Vancutsem (2010).

  68. 68.

    Warner (2007).

  69. 69.

    Jordan and Warner (2010), pp. 60–66.

  70. 70.

    Wilson (2007); Jordan et al. (2007), pp. 1570–1571; Renting et al. (2009), pp. S112–S123.

  71. 71.

    Lyson (2004).

  72. 72.

    Jordan and Warner (2010).

  73. 73.

    Steyaert and Jiggins (2007), pp. 575–586.

  74. 74.

    Altieri and Francis (1992), pp. 89–93.

  75. 75.

    Caporali (1991, 2004).

  76. 76.

    Francis et al. (2001), pp. 89–95.

  77. 77.

    Stark Jr (1995), pp. 180–183.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture, Forest, Nature and Energy, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy

    F. Caporali

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  1. F. Caporali
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Correspondence to F. Caporali .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Massimo Monteduro

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche; Institute for the History of Law, Università del Salento; University of Münster, Münster, Germany, Lecce, Italy

    Pierangelo Buongiorno

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Saverio Di Benedetto

  4. Dipartimento di Storia, Societ a e Studi sull’Uomo, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Alessandro Isoni

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Caporali, F. (2015). History and Development of Agroecology and Theory of Agroecosystems. In: Monteduro, M., Buongiorno, P., Di Benedetto, S., Isoni, A. (eds) Law and Agroecology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46617-9_1

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