Farm-Scale Agronomic and Economic Conversion from Conventional to Sustainable Agriculture

MacRae, Rod; Hill, Stuart B.; Mehuys, G. R.; Henning, John C.

doi:10.1016/s0065-2113(08)60478-2

Cited by 141 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…with a set of energy and capital intensive organic "technology packages" and input substitutions, making their operations dependent and intensive [9]. Conversion has been conceptualized as a transitional process with three marked: (1) Increased efficiency of input use through integrated pest management or integrated soil fertility management; (2) Input substitution or substitution of environmentally benign inputs; and (3) System redesign-diversification with an optimal crop/animal diversified assemblage, which encourages synergisms so that the agroecosystem may sponsor its own function [10]. Many of the practices that are currently being promoted as sustainable fall in categories 1 and 2.…”

Section: Agroecology Organic Farming and Sustainable Intensificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technological Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture at a Crossroads: An Agroecological Perspective

2017

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Most efforts to improve agricultural production remain focused on practices driven by an intensification agenda and not by an agroecological one. Agroecology transcends the reformist notion of organic agriculture and sustainable intensification proponents who contend that changes can be achieved within the dominant agroindustrial system with minor adjustments or "greening" of the current neoliberal agricultural model. In the technological realm, merely modifying practices to reduce input use is a step in the right direction but does not necessarily lead to the redesign of a more self sufficient and autonomous farming system. A true agroecological technological conversion calls into question monoculture and the dependency on external inputs. Traditional farming systems provide models that promote biodiversity, thrive without agrochemicals, and sustain year-round yields. Conversion of conventional agriculture also requires major social and political changes which are beyond the scope of this paper.

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Section: Agroecology Organic Farming and Sustainable Intensificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technological Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture at a Crossroads: An Agroecological Perspective

2017

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“…Many authors have conceptualized agroecosystem conversion as a transitional process with three marked phases [16]:…”

Section: The Conversion Of Farming Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agroecology: Principles for the Conversion and Redesign of Farming Systems

CI¹,

Ma²

2016

J Ecosyst Ecogr

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Modern agroecosystems require systemic change, but new redesigned farming systems will not emerge from simply implementing a set of practices (rotations, composting, cover cropping, etc.) but rather from the application of already well defined agroecological principles. These principles can be applied using various practices and strategies, each having different effects on productivity, stability and resiliency of the target farming system. By breaking the monoculture nature of farming systems, agroecological diversification aims at mimicking ecological processes leading to optimal nutrient cycling and organic matter turnover, soil biological activation, closed energy flows, water and soil conservation and balanced pest-natural enemy populations. All these processes are key for maintaining the agroecosystem's health, productivity and its self-sustaining capacity. By enhancing functional biodiversity, a major goal of the conversion process is achieved: strengthening the weak ecological functions in the agroecosystem, allowing farmers to gradually eliminate inputs altogether by relying instead on ecological processes and interactions.

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“…Les travaux de Lockeretz continuent d'être cités, souvent associés au rapport Brundtland (WCED, 1987). Deux préoccupations dominent alors : la dégradation des terres et la sécurité alimentaire face à la pression démo-graphique au Sud 17 , et l'évaluation et l'extension des AA, AB et ASL dans le contexte nord-américain (Keeney, 1982 ;McRae et al, 1990). Au début des années 1990, les travaux des sociologues ruraux américains caractérisant la portée paradigmatique de l'AA (Beus et Dunlap, 1990 ;Kloppenburg, 1991) sont fortement cités.…”

Section: Quelles Convergences Paradigmatiques ?unclassified

Dynamiques paradigmatiques des agricultures écologisées dans les communautés scientifiques internationales

Ollivier¹,

Bellon²

2013

Nat. Sci. Soc.

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Résumé -Les interrogations sur la modernisation agricole ne sont pas nouvelles, comme l'atteste la profusion de qualifications de l'agriculture issue de mouvements sociaux ou de la recherche. Elles proposent des réformes plus ou moins radicales et/ou conceptuellement construites de l'agriculture. Nous décrivons l'émergence de ces conceptions dans l'arène scientifique internationale pour caractériser leur nature paradigmatique puis les conditions de leur émergence. Après un inventaire des formes d'agriculture écologisées dans la littérature scientifique internationale, nous montrons les spécificités de chaque forme ainsi que les tendances communes du domaine qu'elles constituent. Même si les qualifications se différencient par leur dynamique et leurs attachements institutionnels, une convergence paradigmatique issue d'emprunts à la pensée écologique apparaît. Nous discutons les liens de ces recherches à des facteurs renvoyant à la relation entre activité scientifique et institutions politiques. Abstract -Paradigmatic dynamics of ecologized agricultures in international scientific communities.Agricultural modernization has been challenged for many years as shown by the emergence of terms giving new qualifications to agriculture (organic, sustainable…). Such proposals arising from social movements or scientific communities are more or less radical and grounded on conceptual points of view. We describe the emergence of the concepts of ecologized forms of agriculture within the international scientific arena to characterize the kind of paradigm shift they imply as well as the characteristics of their emergence. By using textual analysis and scientometrics, we identify and examine the main ecologized conceptions of agriculture in international scientific literature (CAB and Web of Science databases). We show the specificities of each conception as well as their common intellectual ground. Even though the conceptions identified differ in terms of dynamics and institutional characteristics, most show a paradigmatic convergence based on their use of postulates and concepts from ecology. We also identify some strong links between the (non-)development of many of these conceptions and socio-political supports or institutional constraints.

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Farm-Scale Agronomic and Economic Conversion from Conventional to Sustainable Agriculture

Cited by 141 publications

References 26 publications

Technological Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture at a Crossroads: An Agroecological Perspective

Technological Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture at a Crossroads: An Agroecological Perspective

Agroecology: Principles for the Conversion and Redesign of Farming Systems

Dynamiques paradigmatiques des agricultures écologisées dans les communautés scientifiques internationales

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