- Agroecology is an approach that can increase agricultural productivity and sustainability by optimizing the use of local resources through diversification and minimizing external inputs. - Key principles of agroecology include recycling nutrients on the farm, integrating crops and livestock, and focusing on interactions across the entire agricultural system. - Agroecological practices maintain biodiversity through various techniques like crop rotation, cover crops, and agroforestry systems, which improve pest regulation, nutrient recycling, and ecosystem functions to increase yields over the long term in a sustainable way.

1. MEKELLE UNIVERSITY
College of Dry land Agriculture and Natural
Resources
Department of Dry Land Crop and Horticultural
Sciences
The Roles of Agroecology on Agricultural Productivity
and Sustainability
Nov, 2015
Presented By; Solomon Etany

2. Introduction
The three major related problems facing the world
today are
climate change,
rural poverty and
global food and nutrition insecurity
This is because the majority live in rural areas,
stallholder farmers and rely on rainfed agric.
Smallholder farmers stand higher chances of being
adversely affected by the impacts of climate change
(McCarthy and Brubaker, 2014).
Africa, where agriculture is the major employer is
more vulnerable, esp. dryland areas

3. Ctd…
 Governments and NGOs have responded by promoting the
use on inorganic fertilizer, e.g. Ethiopia
 Adoption of fertilizer use has however remained very low,
or retreated (Byerlee et al. 2007)
 Due to
High costs
Production and consumption risks
Policies do not consider the role of agroecology in enhancing
production
Lack of sustainability
 Several studies have documented the links between
agriculture and climate change
 Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the global efforts to
climate change mitigation and adaptation
 Agric dev’t should ensure ecosystem health and resilience,
and action and impacts that can be realized at scale

4. Agroecology
 an approach to increased productivity and sustainability
 Today there is increasing demand for food and fiber
population growth
changes in lifestyles
 Current policies in Agric is aimed at
achieving food and nutrition sustainably
Maintaining env’tal sustainability
Promoting rural livelihoods
 Agroecology as a discipline emerged in the 1960’s,
focusing on the study of crops and the env’t interaction
 It led to agreater understanding of the impact of;
Agriculture on its environment
Ecological zones and the agroecosystem on productivity and
agriculture practices

5. Definition
Altieri, 1987 “A discipline that defines, classifies and studies agricultural systems from
an ecological and socio- economic perspective.”
Altieri, 1995 “The application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and
management of sustainable agroecosystems.”
Francis et al.,
2003
“The integrative study of the ecology of the entire food systems,
encompassing ecological, economic and social dimensions.”
Dalgaard,
Hutchings and
Porter, 2003
“An integrative discipline that includes elements from agronomy, ecology,
sociology and economics”, “the study of the interactions between plants,
animals, humans and the environment within agricultural systems.”
Wojtkowski,
2004
“The interactions among natural processes in artificial systems designed to
meet human goals.”
Gliessman,
2007
“The science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design
and management of sustainable food systems.”

6. Agroecology…
Due to climate change, there is need for ‘climate
smart’ agriculture practices.
This would require;
An understanding of the interaction between crops
and their environment
Detailed information on other dimensions, such as
soils, weather pattern, and water availability
Agroecology ensures agricultural productivity
and conserve natural resources
It is closely related to the concept sustainable
Agric and is a climate smart agriculture practice

7. The concept of agroecology
The application of ecology to the design and
management of sustainable agro-ecosystems
A whole-systems approach to agriculture and
food systems development based on traditional
knowledge, alternative agriculture, and local
food system experiences.
Linking ecology, culture, economics and society
to sustain agricultural production, healthy
environments and viable food and farming
communities.

8. Concept…

9. Principles of agroecology
To develop a more self-sufficient and sustaining agric,
the following principles were developed
 Recycling nutrients and energy on the farm, rather than
introducing external inputs;
 Integrating crops and livestock; diversifying species and
genetic resources in agro ecosystems over time and
space; and
 Focusing on interactions and productivity across the
agricultural system, rather than focusing on individual
species.
 It is highly knowledge intensive and is dev’p based
on the farmer's knowledge and experimentation

10. Principles…

11. The roles of agroecology in
productivity and sustainability
• Optimizes the use of locally available resources by combining
the components of the farm system
i.e. plants,
animals,
soil,
water,
climate
and people,
• Reduces the use of off-farm, external and non-renewable
inputs and ensures sustainability
• Rely mainly on resources within the agroecosystem by
replacing external inputs with
nutrient cycling,
better conservation,
and an expanded use of local resources;

12. Roles…
• Improves the match between cropping patterns
and environmental constraints of climate and
landscape to ensure long-term sustainability of
current production levels;
• Values and conserves biological diversity, both in
the wild and in domesticated landscapes, and
makes optimal use of the biological and genetic
potential of plant and animal species
• takes full advantage of local knowledge and
practices, including innovative approaches not
yet fully understood by scientists although widely
adopted by farmers.

13. Agro-ecology practices
• These approaches involve the maintenance or
introduction of agricultural biodiversity
crops,
livestock,
agroforestry,
fish,
pollinators,
insects,
soil biota and
other components around production systems
• To achieve the desired results in production and
sustainability.

14. Practices…
These sustainable practices include…
Crop rotation
Polycultures
Agroforestry systems
Cover crops
Animal integration
Urban and peri-urban agriculture
Water use and conservation
Biodiversity and agro-biodiversity

15. Common features of agroecology
practices
 Maintain vegetative cover as an effective soil and water
conserving measure, met through the use of no-till
practices, mulch farming, and use of cover crops and
other appropriate methods.
 Provide a regular supply of organic matter through the
addition of organic matter (manure, compost, and
promotion of soil biotic activity).
 Enhance nutrient recycling mechanisms through the
use of livestock systems based on legumes, etc.
 Promote pest regulation through enhanced activity of
biological control agents achieved by introducing
and/or conserving natural enemies and antagonists.

16. Conclusion
• Agroecology provides guidelines to develop diversified
agroecosystems that take advantage of the effects of the
integration of plant and animal biodiversity
• such integration enhances complex interactions and
synergisms and optimizes ecosystem functions and
processes
• E.g. biotic regulation of harmful organisms, nutrient
recycling, and biomass production and accumulation, thus
allowing agroecosystems to sponsor their own functioning
• The end result of agroecological design is improved
economic and ecological sustainability of the
agroecosystem hence increased productivity

17. Thank You