agroecology

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

an interdisciplinary approach to agriculture that applies ecological principles and concepts to the design and management of food systems, treating farming as an ecosystem rather than an industrial production process; agroecology draws on the ecological relationships between crops, soil organisms, pests, predators, water, and atmospheric systems to create farming approaches that are productive, resilient, and sustainable without heavy dependence on synthetic inputs; the approach is associated with researchers including Miguel Altieri and Vandana Shiva and with traditional indigenous farming systems that have maintained productivity over centuries through ecological management; agroecology has gained significant policy attention as an alternative to the industrial agriculture model in international food security discussions, supported by evidence that well-designed agroecological systems can match conventional yields while dramatically reducing environmental impacts