Agroecology is an area of study that examines how natural processes work in farming systems. Using ideas from nature can help find new ways to manage farms. The term agroecology can describe a science, a movement, or a farming method. Agroecologists study different types of farming systems. The field of agroecology is not connected to any single farming approach, such as organic, regenerative, integrated, industrial, intensive, or extensive farming. However, some people use the term specifically to refer to alternative farming methods.

Definition

Agroecology is a way of studying how agriculture connects with nature, people, and the economy. Dalgaard et al. describe it as examining how plants, animals, humans, and the environment interact in farming systems. Francis et al. use a similar definition but focus on food production specifically.

Agroecology is a comprehensive method that helps agriculture and communities work together with natural processes to benefit both the environment and people’s lives.

Agroecology includes many areas of study, such as agronomy, ecology, environmental science, sociology, economics, history, and others. It uses these fields to understand parts of ecosystems, like soil health and how plants and insects interact. It also uses social sciences to study how farming affects rural communities, how economic challenges influence farming methods, and how culture shapes farming practices. Agroecosystems are studied for traits like productivity, stability, sustainability, and fairness. Agroecology applies to many scales, from a single plant gene to global systems.

Paul Wojtkowski explains that natural ecosystems do not involve economics, but agroecology focuses on human activities and economics because farming systems are planned and managed by people. He discusses how agroecology is used in agriculture, forestry, and agroforestry in his 2002 book.

Agroecology can be understood in different ways. One approach, called ecosystem agroecology, uses ideas from ecology to study farms as complete systems. This method looks at how energy moves, how nutrients cycle, and how living and non-living parts of a farm interact.

Some scholars note that agroecology has different historical traditions. Dalgaard et al. (2003) describe it as combining agronomy, ecology, sociology, and economics. Early integrative agroecology focuses on how plants, animals, humans, and their environment interact in farming areas.

Over time, different methods have developed based on values and goals. Some methods use numbers, technology, and ecological analysis, often called “hard agroecology.” Others focus on cultural knowledge, farmer experience, local practices, and social aspects, sometimes called “soft agroecology.” These terms are not always used in the literature, but they show that both scientific and people-centered approaches exist in the field.

Today, the term agroecology is used in different ways:

• As a scientific field that studies how agriculture can support sustainable food systems.
• As a set of farming methods that use natural processes, biodiversity, recycling nutrients, planting trees with crops, growing different plants together, and composting.
• As a movement that works to change food systems by supporting food independence, fairness, environmental justice, and respecting Indigenous and farmer knowledge.

This varied use of the term—covering science, farming practices, and social goals—has helped agroecology grow from individual farms to large-scale food systems, combining ecological, social, economic, and cultural aspects.

History

The history of agroecology depends on whether it is viewed as a set of ideas or a way of farming. Many indigenous cultures around the world have used and continue to use farming methods that are now called agroecological knowledge. Examples include the Maori, Nahuatl, and other indigenous groups. The Mexica people, who lived in Tenochtitlan before European colonization, used a farming method called chinampas, which is similar to composting in modern sustainable agriculture. Practices like recycling nutrients and growing multiple crops together have been used by many cultures over hundreds of years. Today, many indigenous people still use agroecological methods, and they are also active in efforts to shift farming toward agroecology.

In 1928, Klages connected agriscience and ecology by studying where crops grow best. Wezel et al. say the term "agroecology" was first used in 1928 by Basil Bensin. Dalgaard et al. note that Friederichs, a German zoologist, used the term in 1930 in a book about agriculture and forestry, and Hansen, an American scientist, used it in 1939 to describe applying ecology to farming.

Tischler’s 1965 book Agrarökologie was the first to use the title "agroecology." He studied how plants, animals, soil, and climate interact in farming systems and how human farming affects these elements.

Gliessman explains that after World War II, ecologists focused on natural environments, while agronomists studied farming systems. In the 1970s, agronomists began valuing ecology, and ecologists used farming systems for research. More books and articles about agroecology and agroecosystems appeared in the 1970s. Dalgaard et al. suggest that the idea of "process ecology," studied by Arthur Tansley in the 1930s, influenced Harper’s 1974 concept of agroecosystems, which became a key part of modern agroecology. They also say that Frederic Clements’ work on ecology using social sciences and a "landscape perspective," and Henry Gleason’s studies on plant populations, are examples of early agroecology. Efraim Hernandez X.’s research on traditional farming knowledge in Mexico in the 1970s helped create new agroecology education programs.

Books like Silent Spring and The Limits to Growth made people aware of the environmental effects of farming, leading to more research on sustainability in the 1980s. Montaldo’s 1982 article Agroecologia del Tropico Americano argued that the social and economic conditions of farming must be considered when designing agricultural practices. In 1985, Miguel Altieri studied how large farms and farming systems affect pests, and Gliessman examined how social, economic, and ecological factors influence farmers’ choices in food production.

In 1995, Edens et al. in Sustainable Agriculture and Integrated Farming Systems discussed the economic, environmental, and ethical aspects of farming systems.

Agroecology has been adopted by social movements, such as La Via Campesina, to support food sovereignty. Farmers also use agroecology to resist farming methods linked to the Green Revolution.

By region

Agroecology is a science that uses ideas from nature to help farms work better. It focuses on how farms are built, how well they function, and how they are managed to be sustainable. In Latin America, agroecology has been used for a long time. Practices vary in different areas but all follow three main methods: working on small plots of land, managing entire farms, and improving food systems. Agroecology helps communities in Latin America by protecting the environment, improving economic conditions, and supporting social well-being. It also helps keep many types of plants and animals safe. Because it covers many areas and can be used in different ways, agroecology is often called "a science, a movement, a practice."

Garí wrote two papers for the FAO in the early 2000s about using agroecology, which he called "agrobiodiversity," to help farmers in Africa deal with the effects of AIDS in rural areas.

In 2011, the first meeting of people who teach agroecology happened in Zimbabwe. This meeting created the Shashe Declaration.

In Ethiopia, the Private Sector Incentives and Investments (PSii) project, inspired by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, shows how agroecology is used in developing countries. In October 2024, a PSii project in the Doyogena region of Ethiopia received praise from local and agricultural leaders. The project focused on practices like rotating crops such as faba beans and wheat to improve soil health, reduce the need for chemicals, and increase food production. These efforts aimed to use farming methods that can survive harsh weather and to create more variety in wheat farming areas. The project has shown great success in improving soil quality and crop yields, leading to discussions about using similar methods in other regions of Ethiopia and across Africa.

The European Commission supports farming practices that protect the environment, such as precision agriculture, organic farming, agroecology, agroforestry, and better care for animals. These efforts are part of the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy.

Debate

Academic fields that study agriculture and ecology, such as agronomy, veterinary science, and environmental science, are strongly arguing about which type of agriculture or agroecology should be supported by government policies. Agricultural departments in different countries support agroecology to different extents, with the United Nations being one of the most important supporters. Debates about agroecology often show larger disagreements about how land and resources are managed. Puerto Rico has several examples of these issues. In recent years, conflicts have happened when farmland is changed into large solar energy projects. These changes have caused worries among local farmers and environmental groups about having enough food, controlling land, and keeping soil healthy for the future.