Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Enhance the recycling of biomass with a view to optimizing organic matter
decomposition and nutrient cycling over time.
Strengthen the 'immune system' of agricultural systems through enhancement of functional
biodiversity - natural enemies, antagonists, etc.
Provide the most favourable soil conditions for plan growth, particularly by managing
organic matter and by enhancing soil biological activity.
Minimize losses of energy, water, nutrients and genetic resources by enhancing conservation
and regeneration of soil and water resources and agrobiodiversity.
Diversify species and genetic resources in the agroecosystem over time and space at
the field and landscape level.
Enhance beneficial biological interactions and synergies among the components of
agrobiodiversity, thereby promoting key ecological processes and services.
Fig. 3 Agro-ecological principles.
Source
Altieri (
2012
:7)
Based on these principles, a wide range of agroecological practices have been
identi
ed or developed (see Table
2
). Many of them are of interest for a sustainable
agricultural system based on wastewater irrigation.
However, agroecology is not only a set of agricultural techniques to promote
ecological interactions in agricultural systems. It also puts a strong emphasis on the
importance of social factors.
Agroecology is more than merely the promotion of new technologies or practices, but rather
a fresh understanding of how to optimize the configuration of biological and technological
components of farming systems informed by ecological principles. This necessarily requires
a shift in roles among growers and extensionists so that they can actively participate in
networks of social learning (Warner
2006
: 84).
Such a shift must put farmers in a central role in learning networks (Altieri
2002
;
Holt-Giménez
2006
). This view is not con
ned to an agroecological perspective. In
fact, there is wide agreement about the need for more respect for farmers and for
participatory approaches to agricultural development. This recognition ranges from
the global report on the state of agriculture (IAASTD
2009
) to the literature on
wastewater reuse (cf. Faruqui et al.
2004
; Clemett and Ensink
2006
; Keraita et al.
2007
).
A
first step towards learning networks is the recognition of innovative ways in
which farmers are already using wastewater as a resource.
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