Developing alternatives to predominant systems takes time. The encouraging news is that progress is underway. Around the world, communities are developing effective solutions to global food challenges, experimenting with new farming methods, food marketing, and policies that enable people and societies to feed themselves. They are also working to overcome structural injustices that impede access to food.
Much of this promising activity falls under an umbrella called “agroecology” — a science that provides ecological principles for the design and management of sustainable food systems. At the farm level, agroecology means developing and using economically viable practices that work with nature rather than against it. This means using practices — such as cover cropping — that enhance biodiversity, recycle nutrients, build healthy soils, and help adapt production to local resource conditions. It offers a systems approach to maximize interactions among crops, animals, soils, insects, and microorganisms. Agroecology offers several proven advantages: affordable ways for producers to intensify production while reducing chemical and fossil-fuel inputs; relying more on knowledge and labor as opposed to large capital investments; and ecological benefits for water, soil, natural pest control, and the climate.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Agroecology & Justice in Food Systems Are Critical to Empower People to Feed Themselves
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