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This
working group's field is described by the term "Agroecological
Farming Systems". This term covers the concepts of "agroecology"
and "farming systems". A short definition of both concepts
is useful in order to lay down the foundation for common understanding
of the theme.
A short
definition of both concepts is useful in order to lay down the foundation
for common understanding of the theme.
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"Agroecology is an integrating science which seeks to understand
flows of energy, information and matter in agricultural ecosystems
in order to optimise the outputs while minimising the use of external
inputs and avoiding the mining and pollution of natural resources."
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The following considerations from the introductory chapters of the
classical introduction Agroecology, the Scientific Basis of Alternative
Agriculture by Miguel Altieri (1983) are essential:
 The
term agroecology refers to ecosystems.
Ecosystems are characterised by aspects such as nutrient cycling,
population regulation, energy flows and a dynamic equilibrium. These
characteristics apply to natural ecosystems, and, in a much altered
form, also to man-made or agricultural ecosystems. The magnitude of
the differences between natural and agricultural ecosystems depends
mainly on the human manipulations, generally characterised by the
intensity of management or intervention, and the level of disturbance
vis-à-vis the (natural) equilibrium. Both the intensity of
management and the level of disturbance have to be considered as a
result of social and economic pressures on the human actors in the
agricultural ecosystem. This increasing intensity of management is
clearly visible in technical innovations in agriculture, often invented
under the economic pressure to become more efficient. The innovations
often require a uniformity (in crops, in soil management) by which
the agro-ecosystem moves further and further away from the natural
system.
This
interdependence of natural and social dynamics clearly illustrates
that the study or modification of Agroecological Farming Systems has
to take into account both the natural and the social sciences. It
also explains why an information system concentrating on Agroecology
has to be based on local information for a large part—it has
to represent the local combination of social, technological and natural
conditions.
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