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{{short description|Study of ecological processes in agriculture}}

'''Agroecology''' is an [[academic discipline]] that studies [[Applied ecology|ecological processes]] applied to [[agriculture|agricultural]] production systems. Bringing [[ecology#Fundamental principles of ecology|ecological principles]] to bear can suggest new management approaches in [[agroecosystem]]s. The term can refer to a science, a movement, or an agricultural practice.<ref name=Wezel2009>Wezel, A., Bellon, S., Doré, T., Francis, C., Vallod, D., David, C. (2009). [https://www.socla.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/wezel-agroecology.pdf Agroecology as a science, a movement or a practice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030002645/https://www.socla.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/wezel-agroecology.pdf |date=2019-10-30 }}. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development</ref> Agroecologists study a variety of agroecosystems. The field of agroecology is not associated with any one particular method of [[farming]], whether it be [[Organic farming|organic]], [[regenerative farming|regenerative]], [[Integrated farming|integrated]], or [[Industrial agriculture|industrial]], [[Intensive farming|intensive]] or [[Extensive farming|extensive]], although some use the name specifically for alternative agriculture.

==Definition==
Agroecology is defined by the [[OECD]] as "the study of the relation of agricultural crops and environment."<ref>{{cite web|url = http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=81|title = Agro-ecology|website = Glossary of Statistical Terms|publisher = OECD|date = February 22, 2003|access-date = December 7, 2008|archive-date = March 3, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210655/http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=81|url-status = dead}}</ref> Dalgaard ''et al''. refer to agroecology as the study of the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment within agricultural systems.<ref name=dalgaard>Dalgaard, Tommy, and Nicholas Hutchings, John Porter. "[https://www.academia.edu/12996644 Agroecology, Scaling and Interdisciplinarity]." Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 100(2003): 39-51.</ref> Francis ''et al''. also use the definition in the same way, but thought it should be restricted to growing food.<ref name=francis>{{cite journal |last=Francis |date=2003 |title=Agroecology: the ecology of food systems |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233138094 |journal=Journal of Sustainable Agriculture |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=99–118 |doi=10.1300/J064v22n03_10|bibcode=2003JSusA..22c..99F |s2cid=4138242 |display-authors=etal}}</ref>

Agroecology is a holistic approach that seeks to reconcile agriculture and local communities with natural processes for the common benefit of nature and livelihoods.<ref name="Ewert">{{cite journal |last1=Ewert |first1=Frank |last2=Baatz |first2=Roland |last3=Finger |first3=Robert |title=Agroecology for a Sustainable Agriculture and Food System: From Local Solutions to Large-Scale Adoption |journal=Annual Review of Resource Economics |date=5 October 2023 |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=351–381 |doi=10.1146/annurev-resource-102422-090105 |url=https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-102422-090105 |access-date=5 June 2024 |language=en |issn=1941-1340|hdl=20.500.11850/621594 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Agroecology is inherently multidisciplinary, including sciences such as [[agronomy]], [[ecology]], [[environmental science]], [[sociology]], [[economics]], [[history]] and others.<ref name="dalgaard" /> Agroecology uses different sciences to understand elements of ecosystems such as soil properties and plant-insect interactions, as well as using social sciences to understand the effects of farming practices on rural communities, economic constraints to developing new production methods, or cultural factors determining farming practices.{{Citation needed|date=October 2019}} The system properties of agroecosystems studied may include: [[Crop yield|productivity]], [[Ecological stability|stability]], [[sustainability]] and [[equitability]].<ref>Conway, Gordon R. 1985. Agroecosystem analysis. Agricultural Administration, 20, 31-55.</ref> Agroecology is not limited to any one scale; it can range from an individual gene to an entire population, or from a single field in a given farm to global systems.<ref name="dalgaard" />

Paul Wojtkowski differentiates the ecology of natural ecosystems from agroecology inasmuch as in natural ecosystems there is no role for economics, whereas in agroecology, focusing as it does on organisms within planned and managed environments, it is human activities, and hence economics, that are the primary governing forces that ultimately control the field.<ref name=Wojtkowski2002>Wojtkowski, Paul A. (2002) Agroecological Perspectives in Agronomy, Forestry and Agroforestry. Science Publishers Inc., Enfield, New Hampshire, 356p.</ref><ref>Wojtkowski, Paul A. (2006) Introduction to Agroecology: Principles and Practices. Haworth Press, Binghamton, NY, 404p.</ref> Wojtkowski discusses the application of agroecology in [[agriculture]], [[forestry]] and [[agroforestry]] in his 2002 book.<ref name=Wojtkowski2002/>

===Varieties===
Frederick Buttel identifies four varieties of agroecology in a 2003 conference paper. The main varieties he calls ''ecosystem agroecology'', which he claims derives from the [[ecosystem ecology]] of [[Howard T. Odum]] and focuses less on rural sociology, and ''agronomic agroecology'', which he identifies as being oriented towards developing knowledge and practices that will make [[sustainable agriculture|agriculture more sustainable]]. The third long-standing variety Buttel calls ''ecological political economy'', which he defines as critiquing the politics and economy of agriculture and weighted to radical politics. The smallest and newest variety Buttel terms ''agro-population ecology'', which he says is very similar to the first, but is derived from the science of ecology, primarily based on the more modern theories of [[population ecology]], such as [[population dynamics]] of constituent species, their relationships to [[climate]] and [[biogeochemistry]], and the role of [[genetics]].<ref name=buttel>{{cite conference |url=https://www.dphu.org/uploads/attachements/books/books_2044_0.pdf |title=Envisioning the Future Development of Farming in the USA: Agroecology between Extinction and Multifunctionality? |last=Buttel |first=Frederick H. |date=2003 |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison |book-title=New Directions in Agroecology Research and Education |pages=1–14 }}</ref>
 
Dalgaard ''et al''. identify different points of view: what they call early "integrative" agroecology, such as the investigations of [[Henry Gleason]] or [[Frederic Clements]]. The second version they cite Hecht (1995) as coining "hard" agroecology which they identify as more reactive to environmental politics but rooted in measurable units and technology. They themselves name "soft" agroecology which they define as trying to measure agroecology in terms of "soft capital" such as culture or experience.<ref name=dalgaard/>

The term agroecology may be used by people for a science, movement or practice.<ref name=Wezel2009/><ref name=wezel>Wezel, A., Soldat, V. (2009). [https://wp.ufpel.edu.br/consagro/files/2010/09/WEZEL-Historical-analysis-Scientific-Agroecology.pdf A quantitative and qualitative historical analysis of the scientific discipline agroecology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206195651/https://wp.ufpel.edu.br/consagro/files/2010/09/WEZEL-Historical-analysis-Scientific-Agroecology.pdf |date=2023-02-06 }}. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 7 (1): 3-18. |doi=10.3763/ijas.2009.040</ref> Using the name as a movement became more common in the 1990s, especially in the Americas.<ref name=wezel/><ref>Wibblemann et al. (2013) Mainstreaming Agroecology: Implications for Global Food and Farming Systems. {{cite web |url=http://futureoffood.org/pdfs/Coventry_University_2013_Maintstreaming_Agroecology.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160522154628/http://futureoffood.org/pdfs/Coventry_University_2013_Maintstreaming_Agroecology.pdf |archive-date=2016-05-22}}</ref><ref>Vandermeer, J. 1995. The ecological basis of alternative agriculture. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 26: 201-224</ref> [[Miguel Altieri]], whom Buttel groups with the "political" agroecologists,<ref name=buttel/> has published prolifically in this sense.<ref name=wezel/> He has applied agroecology to [[sustainable agriculture]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.agroecology.org|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422150352/http://www.agroecology.org/|url-status=dead|title=Agroecology.org|archivedate=April 22, 2006}}</ref> [[alternative agriculture]]<ref>Altieri, M.A. 1987. Agroecology: the scientific basis of alternative agriculture. Boulder: Westview Press</ref><ref>Altieri, M.A. 1992. Agroecological foundations of alternative agriculture in California. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 39: 23-53</ref> and [[traditional knowledge]].<ref>Miguel Altieri [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226799563 Applying Agroecology to Enhance the Productivity of Peasant Farming Systems in Latin America]</ref>

==History==
=== Overview ===
The history of agroecology depends on whether it is considered a body of thought or a method of practice. Many indigenous cultures around the world have historically applied, and still apply, practices that today would be recognized as agroecological knowledge. Examples include [[Māori people|Maori]], [[Nahuatl]], and many other indigenous peoples.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.maramatanga.ac.nz/project/indigenous-agroecology|title = Indigenous Agroecology|website = Maramatanga}}</ref>
The [[Mexica]] people that inhabited [[Tenochtitlan]] pre-colonization of the Americas used a process called [[chinampas]] that in many ways mirrors the use of composting in sustainable agriculture today.<ref>{{cite web|url =  http://www.fao.org/3/I9159EN/i9159en.pdf |title = Chinampa Agricultural System of Mexico City|date = July 7, 2017|publisher = FAO.org}}</ref> The use of agroecological practices such as [[nutrient cycling]] and intercropping occurs across hundreds of years and many different cultures.<ref name = gari2001>{{cite journal|last = Garí|first= Josep|date= 2001|title = Biodiversity and Indigenous Agroecology in Amazonia: The Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza|journal = Etnoecologica|volume= 5|pages= 21–37|url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284034435}}</ref> Indigenous peoples also currently make up a large proportion of people using agroecological practices, and those involved in the movement to move more farming into an agroecological paradigm.<ref>Suárez-Torres, J., Suárez-López, J. R., López-Paredes, D., Morocho, H., Cachiguango-Cachiguango, L. E., & Dellai, W. (2017, June 1). Agroecology and Health: Lessons from Indigenous Populations. Current Environmental Health Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-017-0146-z</ref>

===Pre-WWII academic thought===
According to Gliessman and Francis ''et al''., agronomy and ecology were first linked with the study of crop ecology by Klages in 1928. This work is a study of where crops can best be grown.<ref name=francis/><ref name=gliess>Gliessman, Stephen. R Agroecology: Ecological Processes in Sustainable Agriculture. Ann Arbor: Sleeping Bear Press, 1998.</ref><ref>Klages, K.H.W. 1928. [https://search.nal.usda.gov/discovery/search?vid=01NAL_INST%3AMAIN&search_scope=pubag Crop ecology and ecological crop geography in the agronomic curriculum]. J. Amer. Soc. Agron. 20:336-353.</ref>

Wezel ''et al''. say the first mention of the term agroecology was in 1928, with the publication of the term by Basil Bensin.<ref name=wezel/> Dalgaard ''et al''. claim the German zoologist Friederichs was the first to use the name in 1930 in his book on the [[zoology]] of agriculture and forestry,<ref name=dalgaard/><ref>Friederichs, K. (1930) Die Grundfragen und Gesetzmäßigkeiten der land- und forstwirtschaftlichen Zoologie. Vol. 1: Ökologischer Teil, Vol. 2: Wirtschaftlicher Teil. Verlagsbuchhandlung Paul Parey, Berlin, Germany, 417 and 443 pp.</ref> followed by American crop physiologist Hansen in 1939, both using the word for the application of ecology within agriculture.<ref name=dalgaard/>

===Post-WWII academic thought===
Tischler's 1965 book ''Agrarökologie'' may be the first to be titled 'agroecology'. He analyzed the different components (plants, animals, soils and climate) and their interactions within an agroecosystem as well as the impact of human [[agricultural management]] on these components.<ref>Tischler, W. (1965). Agrarökologie. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, Germany, 499 pp.</ref>

Gliessman describes that post-WWII ecologists gave more focus to experiments in the natural environment, while [[agronomist]]s dedicated their attention to the cultivated systems in agriculture, but in the 1970s agronomists saw the value of ecology, and ecologists began to use the agricultural systems as study plots, studies in agroecology grew more rapidly.<ref name=gliess/> More books and articles using the concept of agroecosystems and the word agroecology started to appear in 1970s.<ref name=wezel/> According to Dalgaard ''et al''., it probably was the concept of "process ecology" such as studied by [[Arthur Tansley]] in the 1930s which inspired Harper's 1974 concept of [[agroecosystem]]s, which they consider the foundation of modern agroecology.<ref name=dalgaard/> Dalgaard ''et al''. claim [[Frederic Clements]]'s investigations on ecology using social sciences, [[community ecology]] and a "landscape perspective" is agroecology, as well as [[Henry Gleason]]'s investigations of the [[population ecology]] of plants using different scientific disciplines.<ref name=dalgaard/> [[Ethnobotanist]] Efraim Hernandez X.'s work on [[traditional knowledge]] in [[Mexico]] in the 1970s led to new education programs in agroecology.<ref name=francis/>

Works such as ''[[Silent Spring]]'' and ''[[The Limits to Growth]]'' caused the public to be aware of the environmental costs of agricultural production, which caused more research in sustainability starting in the 1980s.<ref name=dalgaard/> The view that the socio-economic context are fundamental was used in the 1982 article ''Agroecologia del Tropico Americano'' by Montaldo, who argues that this context cannot be separated from agriculture when designing agricultural practices.<ref name=francis/> In 1985 [[Miguel Altieri]] studied how the consolidation of the farms and cropping systems impact pest populations, and Gliessman how socio-economic, technological, and ecological components gave rise to producer choices of food production systems.<ref name=francis/>

In 1995, Edens ''et al''. in ''Sustainable Agriculture and Integrated Farming Systems'' considered the economics of systems, ecological impacts, and ethics and values in agriculture.<ref name=francis/>

=== Social movements ===
Several social movements have adopted agroecology as part of their larger organizing strategy. Groups like [[Via Campesina|La Via Campesina]] have used agroecology as a method for achieving [[food sovereignty]].<ref name = territory>{{Cite journal|last1=Giraldo|first1=Omar Felipe|last2=Rosset|first2=Peter M.|date=2018-03-19|title=Agroecology as a territory in dispute: between institutionality and social movements|journal=The Journal of Peasant Studies|volume=45|issue=3|pages=545–564|doi=10.1080/03066150.2017.1353496 |s2cid=149061121|issn= 0306-6150}}</ref> Agroecology has also been utilized by farmers to resist global agricultural development patterns associated with the [[Green Revolution|green revolution]].<ref name = territory/>

=== Agroecology as a tool to counter colonialism ===
Agroecology emerges as a response to the agricultural model imposed by colonialism, which historically has prioritized monocultures for export and the dependence on external inputs, displacing local knowledge and local farmers.<ref name="Tilzey">{{Cite journal |last=Tilzey |first=Mark |date=2024-04-04 |title=Food democracy as radical political agroecology: securing autonomy (alterity) by subverting the state-capital nexus |journal=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |language=English |volume=8 |article-number=1044999 |doi=10.3389/fsufs.2024.1044999 |bibcode=2024FrSFS...844999T |doi-access=free |issn=2571-581X}}</ref> This method uses locally available resources to restore soil fertility and sustain crop productivity at low cost. This type of agriculture not only regenerates degraded soils but also empowers the local community to reduce the dependency on imported agrochemicals.<ref name="Tilzey"/>

This discipline has become a pathway to food sovereignty, honor ancestral knowledge, and adapt to local environmental conditions [https://usfoodsovereigntyalliance.org/what-is-food-sovereignty/].

In Puerto Rico, as in many other colonized Latin American countries, the legacy of colonialism is evident in the widespread adoption of ultra-processed foods, often imported and of lower nutritional quality.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Eisenkraft Klein |first1=Daniel |last2=Shawanda |first2=Amy |date=2024-06-01 |title=Bridging the commercial determinants of Indigenous health and the legacies of colonization: A critical analysis |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/17579759231187614 |journal=Global Health Promotion |language=EN |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=15–22 |doi=10.1177/17579759231187614 |issn=1757-9759 |pmc=11363465 |pmid=37522186}}</ref> These products dominate the modern diet despite the island’s fertile soil and biodiversity which produces high nutrients food and free from the excessive chemicals and additives found in imported goods ([https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7399967/]).

Agroecology promotes the growth and harvest of locally grown foods, helping to restore diets that are both culturally adapted and nutritionally superior.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Batal |first1=Malek |last2=Johnson-Down |first2=Louise |last3=Moubarac |first3=Jean-Claude |last4=Ing |first4=Amy |last5=Fediuk |first5=Karen |last6=Sadik |first6=Tonio |last7=Tikhonov |first7=Constantine |last8=Chan |first8=Laurie |last9=Willows |first9=Noreen |date=January 2018 |title=Quantifying associations of the dietary share of ultra-processed foods with overall diet quality in First Nations peoples in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario |journal=Public Health Nutrition |language=en |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=103–113 |doi=10.1017/S1368980017001677 |pmid=28738909 |pmc=10260810 |issn=1368-9800}}</ref> By prioritizing locally produced crops, communities not only improve health outcomes but also reduce dependency on imported foods that travel long distances, often losing quality and flavor in the process ([https://www.unicef.org/media/47636/file/UNICEF-StateOfFoodSecurity.pdf]). This reconnection with local agriculture strengthens food sovereignty while fostering a palate attuned to the country’s own flavors and nutritional wealth and season.

El Josco Bravo, located in the town of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, is an active example of this movement. Founded by agronomist Ian Pagán Roig, the project aims to transform Puerto Ricans’ relationship with the land and food. Pagán Roig describes agroecology as “an act of rebellion” against a system that has devalued local agriculture and fostered dependency on imported food ([https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/23/puerto-rico-agroecology-farmers]).

=== Agroecology as a strategy to combat climate change. ===
Industrial agriculture is one of the major contributors to global climate change, producing around 22% of all greenhouse gas emissions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lin |first1=B. B. |last2=Chappell |first2=M. J. |last3=Vandermeer |first3=J. |last4=Smith |first4=G. |last5=Quintero |first5=E. |last6=Bezner-Kerr |first6=R. |last7=Griffith |first7=D. M. |last8=Ketcham |first8=S. |last9=Latta |first9=S. C. |last10=McMichael |first10=P. |last11=McGuire |first11=K. L. |last12=Nigh |first12=R. |last13=Rocheleau |first13=D. |last14=Soluri |first14=J. |last15=Perfecto |first15=I. |date=2011-07-27 |title=Effects of industrial agriculture on climate change and the mitigation potential of small-scale agro-ecological farms. |url=https://doi.org/10.1079/pavsnnr20116020 |journal=CABI Reviews |pages=1–18 |doi=10.1079/pavsnnr20116020 |issn=1749-8848|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In comparison, agroecological farming uses far less energy and emits considerably fewer greenhouse gases than industrial systems.<ref name="hal.science">{{Cite journal |last1=Altieri |first1=Miguel A. |last2=Nicholls |first2=Clara I. |last3=Henao |first3=Alejandro |last4=Lana |first4=Marcos A. |date=2015 |title=Agroecology and the design of climate change-resilient farming systems |url=https://hal.science/hal-01309778 |journal=Agronomy for Sustainable Development |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=869–890 |doi=10.1007/s13593-015-0285-2 |bibcode=2015AgSD...35..869A }}</ref>

The conventional farming often results in what can be characterized as eco-cide, devastating biodiversity.<ref>{{Citation |title=ECOCIDE AND GLOBALIZATION |date=2015-11-30 |work=Ecocide |pages=86–102 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt18dzv1d.10 |access-date=2025-10-19 |publisher=Pluto Books |doi=10.2307/j.ctt18dzv1d.10 |isbn=978-1-84964-159-3|url-access=subscription }}</ref> With the intensive tillage, large amounts of carbon are released from the soil, it promotes deforestation for monocultures of crops like soy and corn, and the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides drives chemical pollution.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Horrigan |first1=Leo |last2=Lawrence |first2=Robert S |last3=Walker |first3=Polly |date=May 2002 |title=How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture. |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |volume=110 |issue=5 |pages=445–456 |doi=10.1289/ehp.02110445 |pmc=1240832 |pmid=12003747 |bibcode=2002EnvHP.110..445H }}</ref>

When this form of degrading agriculture is practiced in mountainous regions or areas with near water sources, the resulting erosion—along with runoff of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides—enters water bodies, disrupting local fauna and flora and eventually reaching the sea, where marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, are affected.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Worley |first=Sara |date=2015-01-23 |title=Truth, Theories of |url=https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118625392.wbecp485 |journal=The Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology |pages=1–8 |doi=10.1002/9781118625392.wbecp485 |isbn=978-0-470-67127-6 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In contrast, agroecology offers solutions to all these problems. By adopting practices such as minimal tillage or no-till, cover cropping, agroforestry, diversified crop rotations, and organic composting, agroecological systems can: enhance soil structure and organic carbon content, thereby sequestering CO₂ rather than releasing it; reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, cutting nitrous oxide (N₂O) and chemical runoff; maintain ground cover and root systems, which stabilize soils on slopes and prevent erosion and sediment run-off into water bodies; diversify landscapes in ways that preserve natural habitats and biodiversity rather than clearing them for monocultures; and improve resilience of the farming system to climate variability while supporting ecosystem services rather than degrading them.<ref name="hal.science"/>

== By region ==
=== Latin America ===
{{Excerpt|Agroecology in Latin America}}

=== Africa ===
Garí wrote two papers for the FAO in the early 2000s about using an agroecological approach which he called "agrobiodiversity" to empower farmers to cope with the impacts of the AIDS on rural areas in Africa.<ref>Garí, Josep A. (2003). [https://www.popline.org/node/249980 Agrobiodiversity strategies to combat food insecurity and HIV/AIDS impact in rural Africa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730213104/https://www.popline.org/node/249980 |date=2019-07-30 }}. FAO / Population and Development Service, Rome.</ref><ref>Garí, Josep A. (2004). Plant diversity, sustainable rural livelihoods and the HIV/AIDS crisis. Bangkok: UNDP & FAO, 2004. Published in English and Chinese. {{ISBN|974-92021-4-7}}.</ref>

In 2011, the first encounter of agroecology trainers took place in Zimbabwe and issued the Shashe Declaration.

In Ethiopia, the Private Sector Incentives and Investments (PSii) project, following in the footprints of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture), exemplifies the practical application of agroecology in developing nations. In October 2024, a PSii project in the Doyogena region of Ethiopia was awarded praise from local and agricultural officials. The project stressed the importance of practices such as rotation of faba beans and wheat to help enhance soil health, reduce chemical reliance, and increase productivity. These initiatives were put in place to promote climate resilient methods of agriculture and to diversify the many clusters of wheat farms in the area. The project has shown signs of immense success in both improvements in soil quality and crop yields, which has sparked conversations about possibilities of wider adoption in similar regions throughout the local area and throughout Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Capacity-building for sustainable agricultural production |url=https://alliancebioversityciat.org/stories/capacity-building-sustainable-agricultural-production-ethiopia |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT |language=en}}</ref>

===Europe===
The [[European Commission]] supports the use of sustainable practices, such as [[precision agriculture]], [[organic farming]], agroecology, [[agroforestry]] and stricter [[animal welfare]] standards through the [[European Green Deal|Green Deal]] and the [[Farm to Fork]] Strategy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=EUR-Lex - 52019DC0640 - EN - EUR-Lex|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1576150542719&uri=COM:2019:640:FIN|access-date=2020-06-24|website=eur-lex.europa.eu}}</ref>

== Debate ==
Academic research areas that focus on topics related to agriculture or ecology, such as agronomy, veterinary science, environmental science, and others, are heatedly debating which model of agriculture or agroecology should be supported through policy. Agricultural departments of different countries support agroecology to varying degrees, with the UN perhaps its most prominent proponent.

==See also==
{{Portal|Agriculture and agronomy|Ecology}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* [[Agricultural biodiversity]] 
* [[Agriculture in Concert with the Environment]] 
* [[Agriculture effluent]]
* [[Agroecological restoration]] 
* [[Agroecology in Latin America]]
* [[Agroecology in West Africa]]
* [[Agroecosystem]] 
* [[Agrophysics]] 
* [[Effects of climate change on agriculture]]
* [[Community development]] 
* [[Conventional agriculture]] 
* [[Climate change adaptation]] 
* [[Edaphology]] 
* [[Ecological economics]]
* [[Ecosystem services]]
* [[Environmental economics]] 
* [[Environmental impact of agriculture]]
* [[Food-feed system]]
* [[Genetic erosion]] 
* [[Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture]]
* [[International volunteering]]
* [[Landscape ecology]] 
* [[Life cycle analysis]] 
* [[Nutrient management]] 
* [[Pollinator decline]] 
* [[Push–pull agricultural pest management]]
* [[Regenerative agriculture]]
* [[Rural development]]
* [[Seed saving]]
* [[Soil science]] 
* [[Sustainable agriculture]]
* [[System of Rice Intensification]]
* [[Sustainable development]]}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|2}}
*Buttel, F.H. and M.E. Gertler 1982. Agricultural structure, agricultural policy and environmental quality. Agriculture and Environment 7: 101–119.
*Carrol, C. R., J.H. Vandermeer and P.M. Rosset. 1990. Agroecology. McGraw Hill Publishing Company, New York.
*Paoletti, M.G., B.R. Stinner, and G.G. Lorenzoni, ed. Agricultural Ecology and Environment. New York: Elsevier Science Publisher B.V., 1989.
*Robertson, Philip, and Scott M Swinton. "Reconciling agricultural productivity and environmental integrity: a grand challenge for agriculture." [[Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment]] 3.1 (2005): 38–46.
*{{cite web |last1=Moore Lappé |first1=Frances |title=Farming for a Small Planet: Agroecology Now |url=https://greattransition.org/publication/farming-for-a-small-planet |website=Great Transition Initiative |language=en-gb |date=April 2016}}
*Monbiot, George. 2022. "Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet."

'''Advances in Agroecology Book Series'''
*Soil Organic Matter in Sustainable Agriculture (Advances in Agroecology) by Fred Magdoff and Ray R. Weil (Hardcover - May 27, 2004)
*Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems (Advances in Agroecology) by Louise E. Buck, James P. Lassoie, and Erick C.M. Fernandes (Hardcover - Oct 1, 1998)
*Agroecosystem Sustainability: Developing Practical Strategies (Advances in Agroecology) by Stephen R. Gliessman (Hardcover - Sep 25, 2000)
*Interactions Between Agroecosystems and Rural Communities (Advances in Agroecology) by Cornelia Flora (Hardcover - Feb 5, 2001)
*Landscape Ecology in Agroecosystems Management (Advances in Agroecology) by Lech Ryszkowski (Hardcover - Dec 27, 2001)
*Integrated Assessment of Health and Sustainability of Agroecosystems (Advances in Agroecology) by Thomas Gitau, Margaret W. Gitau, David Waltner-ToewsClive A. Edwards June 2008 | Hardback: 978-1-4200-7277-8 (CRC Press)
*Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Agroecosystems (Advances in Agroecology) by [[Mario Giampietro]] 2003 | Hardback: 978-0-8493-1067-6 (CRC Press)
*Soil Tillage in Agroecosystems (Advances in Agroecology) edited by Adel El Titi 2002 | Hardback: 978-0-8493-1228-1 (CRC Press)
*Tropical Agroecosystems (Advances in Agroecology) edited by John H. Vandermeer 2002 | Hardback: 978-0-8493-1581-7 (CRC Press)
*Structure and Function in Agroecosystem Design and Management (Advances in Agroecology) edited by Masae Shiyomi, Hiroshi Koizumi 2001 | Hardback: 978-0-8493-0904-5 (CRC Press)
*Biodiversity in Agroecosystems (Advances in Agroecology) edited by Wanda W. Collins, Calvin O. Qualset 1998 | Hardback: 978-1-56670-290-4 (CRC Press)
*Sustainable Agroecosystem Management: Integrating Ecology, Economics and Society. (Advances in Agroecology) edited by Patrick J. Bohlen and Gar House 2009 | Hardback: 978-1-4200-5214-5 (CRC Press)
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{div col}}

===Topic===
* [https://agroeco.org/ Agroecology]
* [https://regeneration.org/nexus/agroecology/ Agroecology by Project Regeneration]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170709093605/http://www.iaean.org/ International Agroecology Action Network]
* [http://www.agroecologia.net/ Spain]
*[http://www.fao.org/3/i9037en/i9037en.pdf The 10 elements of Agroecology]

===Organisations===
* [https://www.agroecology-europe.org/ Agroecology Europe - A European association for Agroecology]
* [https://agroecologymap.org/ Agroecology Map]
* [https://onemillionvoices.agroecologymap.org One Million Voices of Agroecology]

===Courses===
* [https://agroecology.wisc.edu/ University of Wisconsin–Madison]
* [http://www.agropolis.org/agronomy/seminar-agroecology.php Montpellier, France] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224144523/http://www.agropolis.org/agronomy/seminar-agroecology.php |date=2021-02-24 }}
* [https://agroecology.nres.illinois.edu/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]
* [http://www.agroecos.fr/ European Master Agroecology]
* [https://www.nmbu.no/en/studies/study-options/master/master_of_science_in_agroecology Norwegian University of Life Sciences]
* [https://agroecology.ucsc.edu/index.html UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems]
{{div col end}}

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