Agroecology: Roots of Resistance to Industrialized Food Systems

Méndez, V. Ernesto; Bacon, Christopher M.; Cohen, Roseann; Gliessman, Stephen R.

doi:10.1201/b19500-8

Cited by 19 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…They often foreground capitalist and neoliberal food production relations, which reduce social and natural worlds to labour and commodities [5,8,24,25]. Its proponents predominantly focus on critiques of what they view as the dominant agri-food hegemony, such as the debate over 'food versus fuel' in relation to bioenergy [26].…”

Section: Streams Within the Agroecology Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Against this narrow productivist argument, proponents of agroecology point out that current mainstream demands to increase food production by 70% by 2050 to meet the needs of an expanding population-the so-called "new green revolution" [43]-actually reinforce the intensification of the neoliberal agri-food hegemony, despite, it is argued, this being responsible for the food crisis in the first place [24] and ignoring the fact that 90% of farms worldwide have less than 2 hectares [44] with most food consumed domestically and locally. In that context, the concept of sustainability has been appropriated and used-in the form of sustainable intensification, for example [45]-to reinforce the power of large companies and their business allies.…”

Section: Conceptual and Political Barriers To Transformation In The Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Addressing the Knowledge Gaps in Agroecology and Identifying Guiding Principles for Transforming Conventional Agri-Food Systems

Bellamy

Ioris

2017

Sustainability

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Abstract:Today's society faces many challenges when it comes to food production: producing food sustainably, producing enough of it, distributing food, consuming enough calories, consuming too many calories, consuming culturally-appropriate foods, and reducing the amount of food wasted. The distribution of power within the current mainstream agri-food system is dominated by multinational agri-businesses that control the flow of goods and wealth through the system. This hegemony has implemented a regime whose structures reinforce its control. A growing response to the current agri-food regime is the rise of agroecology, in both developed and developing country contexts. This is not a new phenomenon, but it has evolved over time from its Latin American origins. However, agroecology is not a monolithic block and represents many different perceptions of what it means to advance agroecology and ways in which it can help today's society tackle the crisis of the agri-food system. This paper addresses these sometimes discordant view points, as well as the gaps in our knowledge regarding agroecology in an effort to lay out some guiding principles for how we can move forward in transforming the current agri-food system to achieve sustainability and a more equitable distribution of power and resources.

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Section: Streams Within the Agroecology Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual and Political Barriers To Transformation In The Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the Knowledge Gaps in Agroecology and Identifying Guiding Principles for Transforming Conventional Agri-Food Systems

Bellamy

Ioris

2017

Sustainability

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“…Die Hinwendung zu agrarökologischen Fragestellungen in diesen neuen Doppelbewegungen grün-det auf einer Kritik an den ökologischen Verwerfungen von Grüner Revolution und globalisierter industrieller Landwirtschaft. Food Sovereignty Bewegungen wie La Vía Campesina (Martínez-Torres und Rosset, 2014) bündeln ihre Kritik an der Prekarisierung kleinbäuerlicher Landwirtschaft in einer Infragestellung der grundsätzlichen Paradigmen und Ontologien kapitalistisch-industrieller Landwirtschaft: "Agroecology is one of the central arenas in which radical grassroots movements are actively constructing an alternative value system" (Meek, 2014:48 Altieri, 2012;Edelman, 2014;Patel, 2009) eine alternative Ontologie der Landwirtschaft: "Food sovereignty is [. .…”

Section: Politische öKologie Von Land Als Bodenunclassified

Land als Ressource, Boden und Landschaft: Materialität, Relationalität und neue Agrarfragen in der Politischen Ökologie

Münster

Poerting

2016

Geogr. Helv.

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Kurzfassung. The Anthropocene reorients the agrarian question as an ecological question of planetary scale. Rather than resolving the inherent tension between political economy and the biophysical environment by moving political ecology closer to the natural sciences, we propose an active engagement with impulses from the environmental humanities and anthropological engagements with alternative ontologies. The relational political ecology of agriculture that we outline in this article draws on feminist science studies, multispecies ethnography, new materialism and critical geography. We show the relevance of a relational approach to agriculture as a natureculture entanglement by reviewing three conceptualisations of land in political ecology in relation to our anthropological research in South India (Münster) and geographical research in Northern Pakistan (Poerting). Notions of land as resource, land as soil and land as landscape respectively exemplify shifts in theoretical and political engagements with agriculture in the Anthropocene. A relational political ecology of agriculture incorporates these theoretical sensibilities and brings them in conversation with ontological politics of agro-ecological movements who respond to the variegated crises of the anthropocene. We suggest a perspective on agrarian landscape assemblages as coproduced by histories of capitalist transformations and the (affective) relations between humans, other species and materials.

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“…The alternative agriculture movement, which has been described as 'new,' 'sustainable,' 'regenerative' and 'agroecological' agriculture, seeks to develop production models and food systems which support local economies, reduce impacts on the environment, deliver high quality food directly to consumers and strengthen food sovereignty (Hamilton, 1996;Feenstra, 1997;Kloppenburg et al, 2000;Pearson, 2007;Gliessman, 2012;Holt-Giménez and Altieri, 2012). The complexity of goals associated with alternative agriculture was addressed by Kloppenburg et al (2000) who worked with a group of 'competent, ordinary people' to expand the definition of a sustainable food system, concluding, '[i]t is through honoring and understanding the multiple dimensions of motivation and intent that people bring to the transformation project [of food system sustainability] that it can actually be brought to fruition.'…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant breeding for local food systems: A contextual review of end-use selection for small grains and dry beans in Western Washington

Brouwer

Murphy

Jones

2015

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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The rapid growth and co-option of the local agriculture movement highlights a need to deepen connections to placebased culture. Selection of plant varieties specifically adapted to regional production and end-use is an important component of building a resilient food system. Doing so will facilitate a defetishization of food systems by increasing the cultural connection to production and consumption. Today's dominant model of plant breeding relies on selection for centralized production and end-use, thereby limiting opportunity for regional differentiation. On the other hand, end-user-driven selection of heirloom varieties with strong cultural and culinary significance may limit productivity while failing to promote continued advances in end-use quality. Farmer-based selection may directly reflect local food culture; however, increasing genetic gains may require increased exchange of germplasm, and collaboration with trained plant breeders. Participatory farmer-breeder-chef collaborations are an emerging model for overcoming these limitations and adding the strength of culturally based plant breeding to the alternative food movement. These models of variety selection are examined within the context of small grain and dry bean production in Western Washington.

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Agroecology: Roots of Resistance to Industrialized Food Systems

Cited by 19 publications

References 13 publications

Addressing the Knowledge Gaps in Agroecology and Identifying Guiding Principles for Transforming Conventional Agri-Food Systems

Addressing the Knowledge Gaps in Agroecology and Identifying Guiding Principles for Transforming Conventional Agri-Food Systems

Land als Ressource, Boden und Landschaft: Materialität, Relationalität und neue Agrarfragen in der Politischen Ökologie

Plant breeding for local food systems: A contextual review of end-use selection for small grains and dry beans in Western Washington

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