Revamping Ecosystem Services through Agroecology—The Case of Cereals

Abstract

Globally, farming systems are mostly dominated by monoculture, which has the advantage of profitability at the expense of ecological systems. Recent years have witnessed an increasing momentum in global efforts to deploy sustainable agriculture practices that mimic ecological processes, with agroecology at the forefront. In addition to the ecological aspect, agroecology also encompasses economic and social aspects targeting the whole food system. Transformative agroecology has been recognized as a stepping stone to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), due to its great potential to build climate change-resilient farming systems while enhancing ecosystem services and reducing biodiversity loss. Nonetheless, the available literature on the recent developments and future trajectories of the adoption of agroecology approaches for improving the production of cereals, the most important group of food crops, is limited. This review aims to highlight the blueprint of agroecology that can contribute to the achievements of the SDGs, allowing explicit interpretation of the term that will benefit twenty-first century agriculture. Using cereal crops as the case study, we provide insights into how far this field has come and the main barriers to its adoption, and conclude that this approach of “science for and with society” is the way forward for building a resilient future.

Appraising Agroecological Urbanism: A Vision for the Future of Sustainable Cities

“…Agroecology, which involves farming systems that mimic natural ecosystems, will be a steppingstone toward achieving a suite of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (poverty alleviation), SDG 2 (global food security), and SDG 13 (climate action) [16]. Although the term agroecology was coined in the 1920s, it was not until recently that it began to gain international attention, owing largely to its holistic and nature-based approaches to agriculture.…”

“…Although the term agroecology was coined in the 1920s, it was not until recently that it began to gain international attention, owing largely to its holistic and nature-based approaches to agriculture. The different branches and varied ideas about the field have led to confusion among researchers and members of the public [16]. Furthermore, the available literature on the adoption of agroecological approaches in urban or metropolitan areas is relatively scarce and fragmented.…”

“…The industrial philosophy emphasizes high and efficient production at the lowest possible cost, and it is heavily reliant on external inputs (such as chemical fertilizers) and simplified monocultures, which are typically involved in large-scale farming [21]. On the other hand, the agrarian philosophy recognizes biological diversity and land stewardship as having both environmental and social value, underscoring small-scale farming that emphasizes the sustainable use of ecosystem services and pest and disease management [16,21]. Within the agrarian paradigm, there are numerous alternative agriculture movements, including agroecology, which can be viewed as a social movement [20].…”

“…Input reduction, higher biodiversity, economic diversification, fairness, co-creation of knowledge, and social values and diets are among the 13 agroecological principles. Furthermore, it employs social-ecological transitions guided by a framework comprised of 10 elements [16,22,23]. In recent years, the International standards requested a low threshold of chemical residues in agricultural products.…”

“…In recent years, the International standards requested a low threshold of chemical residues in agricultural products. This contributed to a growing recognition of the importance and positive impacts of agroecological practices on food systems and climate change mitigation, particularly among researchers working toward sustainable agroecosystems [16].…”