agroecology: the foundation for food system sustainability

Agroecology:Agroecology:The Foundation for Food System The Foundation for Food System

SustainabilitySustainability

Steve GliessmanSteve Gliessman

International Symposium on Agroecology International Symposium on Agroecology For Sustainable Agriculture and Food SystemsFor Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

Kunming, Yunnan, China Kunming, Yunnan, China 29-31 August 29-31 August

20162016

AgroecologAgroecologyyThe applicatioThe application of ecological principles n of ecological principles and concepts to the design and and concepts to the design and management of sustainable food management of sustainable food systems.systems.

1. Principles and concepts of ecology1. Principles and concepts of ecology2. Design2. Design3. Management3. Management4. Food Systems4. Food Systems5. Sustainability5. Sustainability

Transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented!Transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented!

Agroecology - Why?Agroecology - Why?

Factors Promoting the Factors Promoting the Transformation ProcessTransformation Process

• Increasing energy costs and impacts. Increasing energy costs and impacts. • Low economic return from conventional practices.Low economic return from conventional practices.• Development of viable new practices. Development of viable new practices. • Global climate change and variability. Global climate change and variability. • Growing environmental awareness on the part of Growing environmental awareness on the part of

consumers, producers, and politicians.consumers, producers, and politicians.• Globalization of the food system. Globalization of the food system. • New and strong markets for products grown and New and strong markets for products grown and

produced alternatively and locally.produced alternatively and locally.• Growing alternative food system movement. Growing alternative food system movement.

Agroecology-What For?Agroecology-What For?

Moving agriculture from simplified monocultures to diversified food

systemsInternational Panel of Experts on Sustainable

Food Systemswww.ipes-food.org

Climate ChangeClimate Change

Farmer Share of Consumer Dollar 1910-1997

Stewart Smith, University of Maine, 2005

Agroecology – How?

Atmosphere and rain

CropsAnimals and

their products

Soil

Human inputs

Decomposers

Consumption and

Markets

LossLoss

LossLoss

LossLoss

LossLossEnergy

Nutrients

AgroecosystemAgroecosystem

Soil

Atmosphereand rain

Primary Producers

Herbivorous consumers

Carnivorous consumers

Decomposers

LossLoss LossLoss

EcosystemEcosystem

Differences betweenDifferences between Ecosystems and Ecosystems and AgroecosystemsAgroecosystems

• More open energy flow:More open energy flow:- More inputs (fuel, organic matter). More inputs (fuel, organic matter). - More outputs (harvest).More outputs (harvest).

• More open nutrient cycles. More open nutrient cycles.

• Reduction of capacity for self-Reduction of capacity for self-regulation: regulation: - Less diversityLess diversity- Simplification of structure and trophic Simplification of structure and trophic levels.levels.

- Control of populations of organisms.Control of populations of organisms.

The greater the structural and The greater the structural and functional similarity of an functional similarity of an agroecosystem to the natural agroecosystem to the natural ecosystems in its biogeographic ecosystems in its biogeographic region, the greater the likelihood region, the greater the likelihood that the agroecosystem will be that the agroecosystem will be sustainable. sustainable.

A General PrincipleA General Principle

The value of local The value of local knowledgeknowledge

Agricultural PracticesAgricultural PracticesAgrobiodiversityAgrobiodiversity

Local Food CustomsLocal Food Customs

Traditional/local AgroecosystemsTraditional/local Agroecosystems• Do not depend on commercial inputs.Do not depend on commercial inputs.• Use renewable and locally available resources.Use renewable and locally available resources.• Emphasize the recycling of nutrients.Emphasize the recycling of nutrients.• Benefit the environment both off and on the farm.Benefit the environment both off and on the farm.• Adapted to local conditions.Adapted to local conditions.• Make maximum use of microclimates.Make maximum use of microclimates.• Maximize yields while also maintaining productive Maximize yields while also maintaining productive

capacity. capacity. • Maintain spatial and temporal diversity and continuity. Maintain spatial and temporal diversity and continuity. • Prioritize production to satisfy local needs. Prioritize production to satisfy local needs. • Depend on and conserve local genetic diversity.Depend on and conserve local genetic diversity.• Depend on and conserve local knowledge and cultureDepend on and conserve local knowledge and culture. .

Agroecosystem

Ecological

TecnologicalSocio-economic and cultural

Research on the Research on the Transition Process from Transition Process from Industrial to Sustainable Industrial to Sustainable

Food Systems. Food Systems.

Agroecology and the Agroecology and the transition of food systemstransition of food systems

• Level 1Level 1:: Increase input use efficiency, reducing the use of costly, scarce, or environmentally damaging inputs.

• Level 2:Level 2: Substitution of conventional inputs and practices with alternatives.

• Level 3:Level 3: Redesign the agroecosystem so that it functions on the basis of a new set of ecological processes.

Agroecology and the Agroecology and the transition of food systemstransition of food systems

•Level 4:Level 4: Reconnecting the two most important parts of the food system - consumers and producers, through the development of alternative food networks.

direct marketslocal food movementfood hubsurban and periurban agriculturerelationship-based exchange

Relationship-based Markets

www.CanUnite.org

Agroecology ensures food security

Agroecology and the Agroecology and the transition of food systemstransition of food systems

•Level 5:Level 5: On the foundation created by the sustainable farm-scale agroecosystems of Level 3 and the sustainable food relationships of Level 4, build a new global food system, based on resilience, participation, localness, fairness, and food security, that is not only sustainable but also helps restore and protect Earth’s life-support systems – bring about a full paradigm shift.-The future of food is more than ending hunger.-The future of food is more than increasing production-The future of food brings “culture” back into agri-culture

Indicators of SustainabilityIndicators of SustainabilityTransdisciplinary, participatory, and action-orientedTransdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented

• Soil resourcesSoil resources

• Hydrological resourcesHydrological resources

• Biotic resourcesBiotic resources

• Ecosystem-level resourcesEcosystem-level resources

• Economic resourcesEconomic resources

• Social resourcesSocial resources

• Cultural resourcesCultural resources

AgroecologAgroecologyyResearch, education, action and change Research, education, action and change that brings sustainability to all parts of the that brings sustainability to all parts of the food system: ecological, economic, and food system: ecological, economic, and socialsocial. It’s transdisciplinary, participatory, an . It’s transdisciplinary, participatory, an action oriented.action oriented.

Agroecology as scienceAgroecology as scienceAgroecology as practiceAgroecology as practiceAgroecology as a change processAgroecology as a change process

It has to be all three to be an Agroecology that It has to be all three to be an Agroecology that can really create food system sustainability! can really create food system sustainability!

Xie Xie – Thank you.

Steve Gliessmangliess@ucsc.edu