30 Mar Agroecology: What’s it all about?

The Second International Symposium on Agroecology is this weekend in Rome, convened by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  Sure we talk about agriculture all the time, but we hardly ever touch on the importance of agroecology. Agroecology, or the use of ecological concepts to better agricultural and social practices, is integral improving the methods, both socially and scientifically, through which we gain nutrition and promote sustainability.

By taking the ecological concepts and applying them to agricultural production we can use ecology to discover new management techniques that benefit not only agricultural production, but also society. Marrying scientific techniques with humanitarian efforts makes agroecology unique and essential to future sustainability efforts.

Agroecology practices can help farmers understand and adapt to changes in climate. Implementing these practices can also improve livelihoods of rural-area farmers.

Agroecology not only aids farmers, it also helps boost consumer nutrition by introducing more diverse diets. Not to mention, agroecology encourages agro-biodiversity, which helps serve ecosystem services like soil health and pollination.

Needless to say, agroecology plays a huge role in improving sustainability and has a significant sociological impact. Thanks to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the importance of agroecology will not go unnoticed!