Towards sustainable food systems: the concept of agroecology and how it questions current research practices. A review

Abstract

Introduction. Multiple environmental and socio-economic indicators show that our current agriculture and the organization of the food system need to be revised. Agroecology has been proposed as a promising concept for achieving greater sustainability. This paper offers an overview and discussion of the concept based on existing literature and case studies, and explores the way it questions our current research approaches and education paradigms. Literature. In order to improve the sustainability of agriculture, the use of external and chemical inputs needs to be minimized. Agroecological farming practices seek to optimize ecological processes, thus minimizing the need for external inputs by providing an array of ecosystem services. Implementing such practices challenges the current structure of the food system, which has been criticized for its lack of social relevance and economic viability. An agroecological approach includes all stakeholders, from field to fork, in the discussion, design and development of future food systems. This inclusion of various disciplines and stakeholders raises issues about scientists and their research practices, as well as about the education of the next generation of scientists. Conclusions. Agroecology is based on the concept that agricultural practices and food systems cannot be dissociated because they belong to the same natural and socio-economic context. Clearly, agroecology is not a silver-bullet, but its principles can serve as avenues for rethinking the current approaches towards achieving greater sustainability. Adapting research approaches in line with indicators that promote inter- and transdisciplinary research is essential if progress is to be made.

Design as a source of renewal in the production of scientific knowledge in crop science

“…Our analysis of the production of scientific knowledge through design echoes debates on the orientation and organization of agricultural research. In particular, the holistic and complex agroecology approach is often argued to involve interdisciplinary research, combining, notably, ecology and agronomy (see for example Hatt et al, 2016). We show that rather than being a necessity required from the outset, interdisciplinarity can be built throughout the design process, in coherence with the evolution in the representations of the ecosystemic processes of interest, and can thus sometimes be unpredictable.…”

“…Our findings add a new dimension: this relationship to local real-life situations appears to be a driver of evolution in crop scientists' representations of the ecosystemic processes they explore, and therefore, indirectly, of the production of general knowledge. Thus, in research projects, knowledge production guided by confrontation with real-life situations challenges the dominant approach to agricultural research (Hatt et al, 2016), where funding is associated with a schedule of predetermined timeframes and deliverables. The timeframe of research projects combining design and the generation of scientific knowledge seems difficult to predict: as most cases show, knowledge can be produced far into the design process.…”

Designing a research agenda for coupled innovation towards sustainable agrifood systems

“…RT1= Recycling and engineering of waste from food systems for a variety of uses Garnett et al, 2014 ;Ingram et al, 2013 ;IPES food, 2015 ;Lindgren et al, 2019 ;Rivera Ferre et al, 2012 ;Ruben et al, 2019 ;Van der Werf et al, 2014 ;Van Dijk et al, 2013 8 RT2= Assessment and management of the naturalness of food products, from farm to fork Provenza et al, 2015 1 RT3= Local food as a source of confidence and desirability: Effects of production and transformation modes, traceability, social link Bowen & Mutersbaugh,2013;Levidow et al, 2014 ;Snyder & Donovan, 2013 ;Thilmany et al, 2013 4 RT4= Territorialized Food Systems: new ways of linking production and consumption Blay-Palmer, 2013;Bowen & Mutersbaugh, 2013 ;Caron et al, 2018;Duru et al, 2015 ;El Bilali 2019 ;Gaitan Cremaschi et al, 2018 ;Hatt et al, 2016 ;IPES food, 2015 ;Levidow et al, 2014 ;OHara et al, 2013 ;Rundgren, 2016 RT13= Method of diagnosis of food systems, in order to determine the points to be improved and the fields of innovation to be explored Duru et al, 2015 ;El Bilali, 2019 ;Francis et al, 2011 ;Gaitan Cremaschi et al, 2018 ;Hatt et al, 2016 ;IPES food, 2015 ;Meynard et al, 2018 ;Reardon et al, 2012 ;Rivera Ferre et al, 2012 ;Ruben et al, 2019 ;Thilmany et al, 2013 ;Van der Werf et al, 2014 12 RT...…”

Do agroecological practices enhance the supply of ecosystem services? A comparison between agroecological and conventional horticultural farms

“…Consequently, there has been increasing awareness of the scientific community for the need to transform the industrial agricultural sector to a more sustainable system, with agroecology representing one such approach (Chabert and Sarthou, 2020). Although there is not a unified definition for the term, agroecology is widely perceived as a science, movement, and practice (Wezel et al, 2009) that emerged as an alternative to traditional conventional farm management (Hatt et al, 2016). Agroecology applies ecological concepts for the sustainable management of agrifood systems (Altieri, 1995;Wezel et al, 2009) and encompasses many practices, including reducing tillage, eliminating chemical synthesized fertilizers and pesticides, and implementing biodiversity-based solutions towards creating sustainable and resilient agroecosystems (Dendoncker et al, 2018;Duru et al, 2015a;Garbach et al, 2017).…”

“…For instance, agroecosystems depend on the specific biophysical characteristics of their location, in addition to on the type of management and practices adopted by farmers (Chabert and Sarthou, 2020;Garbach et al, 2017). Therefore, ES are co-produced by both natural and anthropogenic systems (Hatt et al, 2016;Palomo et al, 2016;Spangenberg et al, 2014). Thus, agroecology aims to enhance the supply of provisioning ES (such as food and fibre) through practices aimed at increasing several regulating ES, including soil fertility, pollination, and natural pest control (Bommarco et al, 2013).…”