Agroecology Knowledge Hub

Efficiency : innovative agroecological practices produce more using less external resources

Increased resource-use efficiency is an emergent property of agroecological systems that carefully plan and manage diversity to create synergies between different system components. For example, a key efficiency challenge is that less than 50 percent of nitrogen fertilizer added globally to cropland is converted into harvested products and the rest is lost to the environment causing major environmental problems.

Agroecological systems improve the use of natural resources, especially those that are abundant and free, such as solar radiation, atmospheric carbon and nitrogen. By enhancing biological processes and recycling biomass, nutrients and water, producers are able to use fewer external resources, reducing costs and the negative environmental impacts of their use. Ultimately, reducing dependency on external resources empowers producers by increasing their autonomy and resilience to natural or economic shocks.

One way to measure the efficiency of integrated systems is by using Land Equivalent Ratios (LER). LER compares the yields from growing two or more components (e.g. crops, trees, animals) together with yields from growing the same components in monocultures. Integrated agroecological systems frequently demonstrate higher LERs.

Agroecology thus promotes agricultural systems with the necessary biological, socio-economic and institutional diversity and alignment in time and space to support greater efficiency.

Database

The Mi Huerto Web uses technology to create a fairer and more direct relationship between producers and consumers, supporting an inclusive, local and sustainable agriculture. "We are convinced that is fundamental to be conscience about what and how we eat, to be responsible towards our neighboring producers. We need to establish...
Chile
Website
2014
The Fouta Djallon Farmers' Federation in Guinea has chosen to turn to agroecology in order to better respond to the climatic, economic and food challenges faced by farming communities. The first episode of "Entrance to Agroecology" explains the difficulty of orienting farmers to agroecology without first checking its true effectiveness....
Guinea
Video
2020
Regenerative agriculture’ captures a diverse range of land management and agricultural techniques and practices, which have in common a principled and ethical commitment to caring for the land to support its health and vitality. Regenerative agriculture (more commonly known as agroecology outside Australia) is not new. There are scholars around the world looking at...
Journal article
2019
The importance of Agroecology to advance the sustainability of cotton production systems in agricultural schools in Paraguay and in communities of indigenous peoples of Bolivia. Associated with the concept that sustainable production systems is  the key to reducing the impact on natural resources and thus achieving the SDGs, since 2014 the regional...
Brazil
Project
2019
Definire il suo significato e la sua messa in pratica
Website
2019