WEEK 13: AGROECOLOGY SUSTAINABILITY

Question 1

How is agroecology a science?

Answer 1

• science = uses ecological principle to study relationship between organisms in different agricultural systems
• focuses on environmental impact on farm scale

Question 2

How is agroecology a practice?

Answer 2

• promotes a productive, sustainable, resilient farming system with minimal external inputs
• achieved by optimizing processes and interactions in agroecology
• incorporates various off farm practices
• development of local markets, democratic social organizations, Indigenous

Question 3

How is agroecology a movement?

Answer 3

• transform the social political, and economic structures
• advance food sovereignty
• social justice

Question 4

What is the history of agroecology?

Answer 4

• 1970s-80s
• popular among small scale farmers in global south
• minimize costs by building on traditional farming systems
• farmer to farmer teaching

Question 5

What are arguments against AE?

Answer 5

• cannot feed growing population

- yields are lower than industrial farming

Question 6

What are advantages of AE?

Answer 6

• empowers small scale farmers and marginalized producers
• helps address rural poverty
• provides healthy nutritious food

Question 7

What are sustainability approaches in agriculture?

Answer 7

• community based (food localism/sovereignty)
• sustainable standard, metric, certification, initiative
• sustainable intensifications

Question 8

Why do we need food system resilience?

Answer 8

• almost 1 billion hungry
• growing 1.5b are overweight
• food systems are exposed to internal/external drivers of change
• slow but major shifts adding pressure
• must be able to fulfill goals in unpredictableness

Question 9

What is food system resilience?

Answer 9

dynamic capacity to continue to achieve goals despite disturbances and shocks

Question 10

How are resilience and sustainability related?

Answer 10

sustainability is measure of system performance and resilience can be seen as a means to achieve during times of disturbance

Question 11

How can we increase food system resilience?

Answer 11

• support wider range of suppliers
• promotion of food sovereignty
• equity for farm and value chain workers