Abstract
As it stands, agriculture is unsustainable—economically, ecologically and socially. Its fundamental problem is the gross simplification of farming practice in pursuit of profit, aided and abetted by application of more power, more fertilizer , and more agrochemicals . A new concept of agricultural intensification is needed to make better use of natural resources and do less damage to the environment and society. Agroecology provides a rigorous basis for sustainable intensification. It draws on close observation of natural ecosystems ; integrates biological and ecological processes such as soil regeneration , nutrient cycling , nitrogen fixation , allelopathy , and competition; and minimizes use of non-renewable inputs that harm the environment or the health of farmers and consumers. It also makes full use of farmers ’ knowledge and skills, building self-reliance and substituting human capital for costly external inputs; and draws on collective capacity to solve common agricultural and natural resource problems. Fundamental features of natural ecosystems that should be respected in agroecosystems include: perennial vegetative cover or the nearest practical alternative that may include intercropping and cover crops as well as crop residues that protect the soil surface and conserve water; a regular supply of fresh organic matter that maintains soil biological activity; recycling augmented by a greater diversity of crops integrated with animal husbandry that regulate pests and diseases through heterogeneity at the field and landscape levels. A good example of mimicking natural ecosystems is the use within crop rotation of mixtures of perennial grasses , analogous to steppe or prairie vegetation. Structural changes in agriculture are needed to incorporate these principles into the existing farming systems . We should also undertake life cycle analysis of the whole food system —not only food production but also processing, marketing and consumption. Raising consumer awareness about the food quality and environmental health can assist the transition sustainability .
New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.
Essay on human understanding. John Locke 1671.
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Boincean, B., Dent, D. (2019). Agroecology: Science for Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture. In: Farming the Black Earth. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22533-9_2
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