Converting to Ecologically Based Management - Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems - page 289

20 Converting to Ecologically Based

Management

Farmers have a reputation for being innovators and experi-
menters, willingly adopting new practices when they per-
ceive that some benefit will be gained. Over the past 40
to 50 years, innovation in agriculture has been driven mainly
by an emphasis on high yields and farm profit, not only
resulting in remarkable returns but also an array of nega-
tive environmental and social side effects. Despite the
continuation of this strong economic pressure on agricul-
ture, however, many conventional farmers are choosing to
make the transition to practices that are more environmen-
tally sound and have the potential for contributing to long-
term sustainability for agriculture. Others are starting agri-
cultural enterprises from scratch that incorporate a variety
of ecologically informed approaches. Both types of efforts
represent “conversion” in the broad sense.
The remarkable growth of organic, alternative, and
ecological agriculture in developed countries during the
past several decades indicates that a transformation in the
way we grow food is already underway. Between 1996
and 2001, the number of acres of organic cropland in the
U.S. more than doubled, reaching 1.3 million. During this
time, consumer demand for organic products rose about
20% annually, and continues to increase (USDA, 2003).
Clearly, a more-sustainable approach to growing food, one
that challenges conventional agricultural wisdom, is gain-
ing ground both culturally and economically.
The conversion to ecologically based management is
grounded in the principles discussed in the preceding
chapters. In this chapter, we discuss how those principles
can come into play in the actual process of changing the
way food is grown. Farmers engaged in the conversion
process know, through intuition, experience, and know-
ledge, what is unsustainable and what is, at the very least,
more sustainable. Nevertheless, there is a clear need to
study the process in more detail. This chapter makes a
contribution toward that goal by proposing a protocol for
converting conventional systems into more-sustainable
systems (Figure 20.1). Determining what constitutes sus-
tainability itself is the topic of Chapter 21

purchased-input-dependent systems that dominate agri-
culture today. Yield increasing technologies, farm sup-
port programs, and research developments helped push
agriculture toward fewer larger farms. But some years
ago, many farmers began to transition into what today
we call “alternative agriculture” (National Research
Council, 1989). The adoption of alternative practices has
since accelerated, with several factors encouraging farm-
ers to question conventional practices and manage agro-
ecosystems in more sustainable ways.

• The cost of energy has risen dramatically and

continues to rise.

• Crops produced with conventional practices

have low profit margins.

• New practices with demonstrated potential for

success have been and are being developed.

• Environmental awareness among consumers,

producers, and regulators is increasing.

• There are new and stronger markets for alter-

natively grown and processed farm products.

Despite the fact that farmers often suffer a reduction
in both yield and profit in the first year or two of the
transition period, most of those that persist eventually
realize both economic and ecological benefits from having
made the conversion. Part of the success of the transition
is based on a farmer's ability to adjust the economics of
the farm operation to the new relationships of farming
with a different set of input and management costs, as well
as adjusting to different market systems and prices.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CONVERSION

The conversion process can be complex, requiring changes
in field practices, day-to-day management of the farming
operation, planning, marketing, and philosophy. The fol-
lowing principles can serve as general guidelines for navi-
gating the overall transformation:

• Shift from throughflow nutrient management to

recycling of nutrients, with increased depen-
dence on natural processes such as biological
nitrogen fixation and mycorrhizal relationships.

FACTORS PROMOTING CONVERSION

Agriculture is always evolving and adopting new prac-
tices. In the 20th century, agriculture responded to a
complex of economic and technological pressures that
led to the development of the highly specialized and

• Use renewable sources of energy instead of

nonrenewable sources.

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