Lesson 1: Introduction

Agro ecology is an important way of challenging the conventional farming model, a model that uses large quantities of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, energy-intensive technology, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Millions of peasant farmers all over the world use agro ecology as an alternative to conventional farming. La via Campesina (the global peasants’ movement) advances agro ecology, not as a neutral science, but as an approach that gives effect to the concept of food sovereignty (people taking control of the production and distribution of their food).

For eight years, the Surplus People Project (SPP) has been promoting agro ecology as its preferred model of farming, and as a central part of the struggle for food sovereignty.

According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), agro ecology is:

…a scientific discipline, a set of practices and a social movement. As a science, it studies how different components of the agro ecosystem interact. As a set of practices, it seeks sustainable farming systems that optimize and stabilize yields. As a social movement, it pursues multifunctional roles for agriculture, promotes social justice, nurtures identity and culture, and strengthens the economic viability of rural areas.

Agro ecology is the application of the science of ecology to agricultural systems. It rejects monoculture and the use of industrial and chemical fertilizers. It promotes low-input agriculture, which reduces costs, making it easier for farmers to sustain their work. It emphasises the importance of self-reliance and using what is available in a particular setting. Agro ecology has its roots in different approaches to agriculture that all seek to return to the biological farming methods used by our ancestors throughout the world.