Agroecology and Sustainable Development

Agroecology and Sustainable Development Agroecology provides a robust set of solutions to the environmental pressures and crises facing agriculture in the 21st century. Source: IAASTD Global Report Figure 3-6, from Altieri, M. A. , and C. I. Nicholls,... More

Agroecology and Sustainable Development Agroecology provides a robust set of solutions to the environmental pressures and crises facing agriculture in the 21st century. Source: IAASTD Global Report Figure 3-6, from Altieri, M. A. , and C. I. Nicholls, 1999. Biodiversity, ecosystem function, and insect pest management in agricultural systems. p. 6984. In W. W. Collins and C. O. Qualset(ed) Biodiversity in Agroecosystems. CRC Press, NY. Agroecology is the science behind sustainable agriculture. Drawing on the natural and social sciences, agroecology provides a framework for assessing four key systems properties of agriculture: productivity, resilience, sustainability and equity. Taking account of agriculture’s multi-functionality, agroecology measures sustainability in terms of social, environmental and economic impacts. Because these impacts are context-dependent, agroecology is a place-based, pragmatic science, uniquely suited to delivering on the promise of propoor develop Less