Agroecological Farming Systems

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 manmade 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 visà-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. ●