Agroecology or Regenerative agriculture is essentially a system of farming that focuses on enhancing ecosystems, with soil health at its heart. It’s a lower input style of farming, with less reliance on artificial fertilisers and pesticides, and a focus on plant and crop diversity with minimal soil disturbance. The aim is to improve soil health through rebuilding organic matter, a way of farming which is sustainable and good for nature, ensuring our countryside is productive and bursting with wildlife.
More and more farmers are employing agroecological or regenerative practices – from joining longstanding and well-established certification schemes like Organics, biodynamics, LEAF and Pasture for Life Association, or government-backed stewardship schemes, or networks like Farming and Wildlife Advisory Groups, or the Nature Friendly Farming Network.
More people are thinking about what they eat, and where it comes from.
But serious and reasonable questions persist: is it possible to feed people across the UK through agroecological farming alone? What impact would such a transition have on land use, on space for nature and biodiversity, on current and potential future farming enterprises, on food security,
on food prices and affordability, on health and wellbeing, and on meeting UK net zero carbon targets, without offshoring our impacts?
“Agroecology is based on applying ecological principles to optimise the relationships between plants, animals, humans and the environment. Through building these relationships, agroecology supports food production, food security and nutrition, while restoring the ecosystems and biodiversity that are essential for sustainable agriculture. Agroecology can play an important role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Agroecology is grounded in place-specific designs and organisation, of crops, livestock, farms and landscapes, conserving community, cultural and knowledge diversity. To harness all the benefits from adopting agroecological approaches, the right enabling conditions are required, adapting and aligning policies, public investments, institutions, and research priorities.
Agroecology is the basis for growing food systems that are equally strong in environmental, economic, social and agronomic dimensions. ” [1]
Read the report on Farming and Wildlife Advisory Groups – //ffcc.co.uk/assets/downloads/FFCC_Farming-for-Change_January21-FINAL.pdf
1 – Adapted from The 10 Elements of Agroecology: Guiding the transition to sustainable food and agriculture systems (FAO, 2016).23