Agroecology Saves the Day!
Has your environmental studies professor ever drank fermented cow manure? Well, mine has and, surprisingly, for good reason…
Upon receiving a visitor to his agroecological farm, Pacho Gangotena of Finca Chaupi Molino was questioned as to why he takes the time to create his own fertilizer (Bocashi) rather than using inputs from the store. After all, they are premade, easy, and seemingly cheap. His response to this was a challenge: go to the store, buy your product, and bring it back to the farm. Now drink it. Pacho, unafraid, guzzled his agroecologically made concoction down. Unsurprisingly, the visitor would not – this product would surely kill him. Would you rise to this challenge with the inputs you are putting into our earth?
Since the introduction of industrial farming techniques from Green Revolution technologies, agriculture has been forever changed. The prolific use of agrochemical inputs (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) and massive upscaling of industrial production have contributed majorly to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and put our planet in jeopardy. Agriculture, as it is performed by industrial standards, is accountable for nearly thirty percent of GHG emissions that contribute to uncertainty in future climate outcomes. In this age marked by agricultural intensification, agroecology provides an alternative option – one that gives our planet an escape from this dangerous trend towards further climate disasters, global strife, hunger, and extinction.
Agroecology is an applied science method that takes advantage of works in partnership with our world’s natural systems to produce ideal growing outcomes. Agroecology includes methods of design that capitalize on farmers’ specific needs and climates to produce ethically, sustainably, and cohesively with other earth beings.
One method encouraged in agroecology is polyculture planting – the planting of multiple species together. This method directly contrasts industrial agricultures’ use of monocultures (the planting and maintenance of only one species). Planting multiple species together can prevent pesky insects and fungus from munching on your plants. Let’s look to the example of partner plants basil and tomato for some insight. Basil helps to repel mosquitos, fungus, white flies, and makes tomatoes taste better to boot! Planting these two together serves simultaneous purposes: promotes healthy growth for both plants, protection of the crop, and improves taste. Industrial farming, by comparison, would solve the same issues with chemical pesticides that work against biology, killing insects and genetically modifying plants. Agroecology works with biology, it works to find a solution that benefits and supports life rather than promoting harm.
Another example of agroecological techniques comes from our dear Pacho. His preferred fertilizer is Bocashi, a mixture of microorganisms, minerals, and manure. This fertilizer eliminates the need for artificial growing supplements that contain urea – a substance which artificially fixes nitrogen for the plants. Artificial inputs starve microorganisms in the soil and make them inactive, which depletes the richness of the soil.
But of course, industrial farming has a solution! They promote purchasing another artificial input to replenish the soil. This vicious cycle is perpetuated with the additional use of herbicides and pesticides which reduce biodiversity, making the plant environment even more homogenous and unhealthy. This reduction of biodiversity due to prolific chemical use is a detriment to soil health, plant health, and environmental health.
Industrial Farm, United States of America.
Photo by Pesticide Action Network of North America.
Finca Chaupi Molino, Ecuador. Agroecological Farm.
Photo by Noelle Bergere.
In using agroecological methods, farmers’ needs are prioritized to create a nuanced approach to each farmer’s situation. Materials are sourced locally and the best materials are often free; wood chips, food waste (non meat), manure, and native seeds for example can be acquired from networks of farmers or even your local restaurant! Agroecology focuses on cost effective, environmentally responsible, and localized solutions to tackle every farmers’ situation. Using this method increases biodiversity, maintains ecological balance, and reduces waste pathways. Agroecology is the method of farming that will liberate our world from malnourishment, corporate control, and climate catastrophe. Growers and their communities become seed sovereign, food sovereign, cutting off the deep roots that perpetuate global hunger.
Agroecosytems bring much needed solutions in the face of climate change. Agroecology is knowledge intensive and is informed by local systems of knowledge production with inclusion of indigenous and peasant actors as key purveyors of this knowledge. However, one ‘cookie cutter’ solution will not solve diverse issues across various disparate climate regions and situations. This is where agroecology also rings true in comparison with store bought inputs: with its nuanced, synergetic systems rooted in millennia of tried-and-true knowledge, a network of growers provides insight to solve issues through biological controls (such as partner plants) that vary based on environment and region. Modifications and adaptations are necessary for effective farming and here, agroecology works well to revitalize productivity of small farming systems through its malleability.
Putting agroecology to the test, researchers Jules Pretty and Rachel Hine examined over two hundred agroecological projects from over fifty countries, including nine million farmers from Asia, Africa and Latin America. In one of their examples, starring Maize, they found that using agroecological methods increases the crop yield by fifty to one hundred percent. Another example demonstrates an increase of one hundred and fifty percent for root (potato, sweet potato and cassava) farmers. These nine million farmers are seeing incredible results using agroecological methods – let’s join them!
Agroecological methods liberate farmers from producing only for international markets, nourishes humans and our earth, and centers community over commodity. Consumers are also liberated through access to nutritious, environmentally conscious produce at a price that supports local economies. With community resilience, we can all gain true sovereignty from corporate monopolies of our food. Reach out to your local producers today and reorient yourself towards agroecologically sound food webs to stop Big Agriculture from further harming food systems, communities, and our earth!