A presentation written by Miguel Altieri, Professor of Agroecology at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, with the participation of Angela Hilmi. You can choose to download the short or the long version; both of them are in Power Point format and available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese download at ag-transition.org

1. AGROECOLOGY
Principles and Practices
(Long version)
By Miguel Altieri
With the participation of Angela Hilmi
Design Francesca Lucci

5. Modern Practices
- Interventionist
paradigm
- Therapeutic
approach
- Specialization/ - High import/
centralization
high export
System/
Community
Erodes inherent
pillar strengths
Inherent Strengths of System

6. WATER
CONTAMINATION
Pesticides; Nittrates;
Phosphates, Bacteria
Dead Zones
AIR EMISSIONS
Methane; Ammonia;
Notrous Oxide
Carbon Dioxide
SOIL LOSSES
Erosion; Loss of
organic matter
and Carbon dioxide
Above
the cost of
Food at the
Checkout
Counter
DISAPPEARING
WETLANDS
Draining and Tilling;
Dewatered Rivers;
Impact on Species
BIODIVERSITY LOSS
Wildlife and habitat;
Hedgerow and woodland loss;
Bee colony decline;
Vanishing Crops and
Breeds
HUMAN HEALTH
Pesticides; Asthma;
Bacteria and viral diseases;
Antibiotic resistance;
Mad Cow and E.Coli;
Bbesity

9. Intensive agricutlure replaces ecological services
Fertilizers
Soils
Crop genetic
Commercial
varieties in
and species
monoculture
diversity
Nutrient GroundWater
water
cycling
pumping
Climate
Pest
Honey
Pesticides Pollination
bees
control
Mechanization
Domestic
animals
Feed lots
AGRICULTURE
Meat, grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds, fibers, fuels
EXTERNALITIES: eutrophication, pollution; salinization; soil erosion and compaction, greenhouse
Healthy ecosystems
gas emissions, biodiversity loss, human health issues
Monoculture landscapes
Farmscapes, recreation, biodiversity

10. DFS: restoring ecological services in farms
PLOT
FIELD
Polyculture;
Plants and
Animals
Insectary
Strips
NUTRIENTS
Crop Rotation/
Cover Crop
WATER
LANDSCAPE
Crop Border/
Buffer Strips
SOILS
Riparian
Corridors
PEST
CONTROL
Nature
Reserves
POLLINATION

11. Ecology
Anthropology
Sociology
Ethnoecology
AGROECOLOGY
Biological
Control
Ecological
economics
Basic
agricultural
sciences
Principles
Specific technological
forms
Traditional
Farmers’
knowledge
Participatory
research in
farmers’
fields

12. AGROECOLOGY
 integrates natural and social processes joining political ecology, ecological
economics and ethnoecology among the hybrid disciplines;
 uses a holistic approach therefore it has long been considered as a
transdiscipline as it integrates the advances and methods of several other
fields of knowledge around the concept of the agroecosystem viewed as a
socio-ecological system;
 is not neutral and is self-reflexive, giving rise to a critique of the
conventional agricultural paradigm;
 recognizes and values local wisdom and traditions, creating a dialogue with
local actors via participatory research that leads to a constant creation of
new knowledge;
 adopts a long-term vision that sharply contrasts with the short-term and
atomistic view of conventional agronomy; and
 is a science that carries an ecological and social ethics with a research
agenda of creating nature friendly and socially just production systems.

13. THE HIDDEN CONNECTIONS
Principles of Ecology
Networks
At all scales of nature, we find living systems nesting within other living systems – networks within
networks. Their boundaries are not boundaries of separation but boundaries of identity. All living
systems communicate with one another and share resources across their boundaries.
Cycles
All living organisms must feed on continual flows of matter and energy from their environment to stay
alive, and all living organisms continually produce waste. However, and ecosystem generates no net
waste, one species’ waste being another species’ food. Thus, matter cycles continually through the
web of life.
Solar energy
Solar energy, transformed into chemical energy by the photosynthesis of green plants, drives the
ecological cycles.
Partnership
The exchange of energy and resources in an ecosystem are sustained by pervasive co-operation. Life
did not take over the planet by combat but by co-operation, partnership, and networking.
Diversity
Ecosystems achieve stability and resilience through the richness and complexity of their ecological
webs. The greater their diversity, the more resilient they will be.
Dynamic Balance
An ecosystem is a flexible, ever-fluctuating network. Its flexibility is a consequence of multiple
feedback loops that keep the system in a state of dynamic balance. No single variable is maximized; all
variables fluctuate around their optimal values.

14. Agroecological principles underlying
productivity, sustainability and resiliency
of agroecosystems
 Spatial and temporal genetic and species diversity at farm
and landcape level
 Crop and animal integration
 Biologically active organic matter rich soils
 Hi biomass recycling rates and tight nutrient cycles
 Optimization of the use of space (agroecological redesign)

15. Agroecosystem Processes to Optimize
• Organic matter accumulation and nutrient cycling
• Soil biological activity
• Natural control mechanisms (disease
suppression, biocontrol of insects, weed
interference)
• Resource conservation and regeneration
(soil, water, germplasm, etc)
• General enhancement of agrobiodiversity

16. Sustainable agricultural systems are conceptualized here as being low in material input
(pesticides, inorganic fertilizer, etc.) and high in information input (applied ecological knowledge of
the system). High chemical input practices conceal and depreciate the importance of ecological
processes occurring in agricultural systems. However, as pesticides, fertilizer, etc. are
reduced, greater knowledge of the interaction occurring in agroecosystems is required for success.
Furthermore, this knowledge must be applied in a practical manner to maintain agroecosystem
productivity.

21. Input susbstitution vs
agroecological approach
• Symptoms
• Root causes
• limiting factors
• processes
• external inputs
• interactions/synergy
• maximize yields
• stabilization
• monoculture
• diversification
• ususally one product
• multiple functions and
products

22. The pillars of agroecosystem health
Agroecological
Principles
Agroecosystem
Design
“Below ground”
“Above ground”
Habitat Management,
Plant Diversification
and enhancement of
beneficial fauna
Habitat Management
Biota Activation and Diversification
(Soil Organic Matter Nutrient
Management)
Crop Health
Agroecosystem Health

25. The ecological role of biodiversity in agroecosystem function and the provision of
ecosystem services by diversified farming systems (Lopez-Ridaura et al. 2002)

26. Rotational-intercropping design to reduce
soil-nitrate losses

30. Biodiversity corridor in Fetzer Vineyard

31. Crop
production
Integrated
System
Animal
production

33. This model shows an integrated barn with spatial and temporal design of
crops, pasture, serials and trees. The pasture constitutes the changing
phase of the rotation as grazing animals deposit manure improving soil
fertility for the annual crops that use the nutrients thus representing the
extracting phase of the rotation

36. An integrative scheme
of peasant knowledge of Nature

38. Indigenous Mexican maize varieties

41. Features of appropriate technologies
for poor farmers
 Based on indigenous knowledge and rationale
 Economically viable, accessible and based on
local resources
 Environmental sound, socially and cultural
sensitive
 Risk averse, adapted to heterogeneous
circumstances
 Enhance total farm productivity

42. Agroecological strategies
Polycultures
Organic
amendments
Animal
integration
Green manures
Rotations

44. Finca “Del Medio” – José A. Casimiro
Sancti Spíritus

45. Characteristics of an integrated farm
Area (ha)
10
Energy (GJ/ha/yr)
50.6
Protein (kg/ha/yr)
867
People fed by produced energy (Pers/ha/yr)
11
People fed by produced protein (Pers/ha/yr)
34
Energy efficiency
30

46. Findings from a study of
MASIPAG organic farmers
in the Philippines
 Food security is significantly
higher for organic farmers.
 Organic farmers have grow 50%
more crops thus eating more
diverse, nutritious and secure
diet.
 Organic farms exhibit better soil
fertility, less soil
erosion, increased tolerance of
crops to pests and diseases and
climate change
 Health outcomes were also
substantially better for the
organic group.

47. 1: org.=conven.
< l: conven. mayor que org. >1: org. mayor que conven.
Casi 300 estudios comparativos de agricultura orgánica/agroecológica y
agricultura convencional

48. Agroecology
 is socially activating as its diffusion requires constant farmers
participation;
 is a culturally acceptable approach as it builds upon
traditional knowledge and promotes a dialogue of wisdoms
with more western scientific approaches;
 promotes economically viable techniques by emphasizing use
of indigenous knowledge, agrobiodiversity and local
resources, avoiding dependence on external inputs;
 is ecologically sound as it does not attempt to modify the ergy
and efficiency of existing production systems, but rather tries
to optimize their performance promoting diversity and
synergies

49. The Campesino a Campesino Movement
• The Campesino a Campesino
movement is an extensive
grassroots movement in Central
America and Mexico.
• It is a cultural phenomenon, a
broad-based movement with
campesinos as the main actors
• The Campesino a Campesino
movement is an excellent
example of how alternative
technologies and practices can be
disseminated bypassing "official
channels".
• It is a bottom up, horizontal
mechanism for knowledge
sharing and technology transfer

50. Pilars of food sovereignty
Agroecological strategies
Social
movements
Land reform
Access to land,
water, seeds
State support
Markets, Credit, extensions,
Research etc

51. Agroecology, resilience and the three types of
sovereignty to be reached in a rural community.

52. Hypothetical threshold values established for an
agricultural community for each type of sovereignty

53. Alta
Low external
inputs, high recylcling
rates, crop –livestock
integration
High inputs, industrial
monocultures
Low
High
Eficiency
Baja
Productivity
Agroecosystem Diversity
Low external
inputs, diversified with
low levels of integration
Specialized systems with
low external inputs
Medium-Low
Medium
Alta
Baja

54. The basic requirements of a Viable and
durable agricultural system …
The basic requirements of a Viable and durable agricultural system capable of
confronting the challenges of the 21st century while carrying out its productive
goals within certain threshold established locally or regionally.

55. Thank you for your attention!