This course program will provide the theoretical basis on what agroecology means; i.e. definitions and history of agroecology as a scientific discipline, a set of agricultural and social practices, as well as a movement that aims at a transition from the globally predominant agricultural systems. The program will further focus on how agroecology fits into the transition towards and implementation of sustainable agricultural production systems. It will build on true-life examples from the field presented and discussed by thematic (inter)national experts. Ex cathedra class work will be complemented by selected readings as a foundation for class discussion, and essay writing and group/individual assignments whose results will be presented to the student group that will also peer-review and -mark the written and live presentations. Visits to examples of what the community of practice has to offer will provide additional insights into state-of-the-art progress on what agroecological production systems can offer. Technical-issue presentations and discussions will be complemented by (controversial) debates on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of agroecology, the intrinsic relations between agroecology and agricultural output, soil fertility management and biodiversity conservation, as well as the role of policy/politics, and the debate on whether ‘can agroecology feed the world’. A special emphasis will go to students’ ability to come up with new research ideas, formulate research questions, choose suitable research methods and interpret research results feeding into concrete development initiatives. Self-study will be supported by the obligatory and recommended literature, together with learning objectives and feedback exercises via Moodle.
Lectures:
- History, definitions, approaches, and concepts/principles of agroecology
- Socio-economic (including emancipatory) and political aspects of transition of “modern” agriculture to agroecology
- Agroecology in practice: invited lectures/presentations
- Research on agroecology: how to scientifically organize field testing of agroecological farming systems
- Local/traditional perspectives on agroecology (from the Global South)
- Ecosystems management for greater agroecological resilience
Seminars
- Comparative study of agroecological production methods in the respective course participants’ countries: literature survey of past and present-day methods, and
- Students’ restitution seminars and analysis of differences and shared principles
- Student debate: future of agroecology in crop production systems
- What’s in a name? Organic agriculture versus regenerative agriculture versus agroecology. Same of different concepts?
- Agro-sylvopastoral versus agroforestry versus agro-ecology versus ‘modern’ agriculture: a comparative analysis and SWOT analysis
