Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Section I
Introduction to Agroecology
Agriculture is in crisis. Although the world's agricultural lands continue to produce at least as much food as they have
in the past, there are abundant signs that the foundations of their productivity are in danger.
The first chapter of this section describes the many problems confronting agriculture today and explains their roots
in modern agricultural practices. It concludes with an explanation of how applying ecological concepts and principles
to the design and management of systems of food production — the essence of agroecology — can help us produce
food more sustainably. Chapter 2 outlines the basic conceptual and theoretical framework of agroecology, which will
be used to study and analyze food production systems (agroecosystems) throughout the remainder of the text.