ABSTRACT

A transition to an agriculture based on agroecological principles would provide rural families with significant socioeconomic and environmental benefits. If agroecology has such great potential to feeding the world, why it is not adopted more widely by farmers? Most research analyzing factors needed for scaling up agroecology focuses on the social and policy dimensions. Herein we argue that a key challenge for the amplification of agroecology lies in the translation of agroecological principles into practical strategies for soil, water, and biodiversity management to enhance production and resilience. We use old and recent case studies to understand how amplification of agroecology has happened, both in numbers of farmers and at a larger geographical scale. We focus on two main strategies that have proven effective in the past: (a) the revival of traditional agricultural systems which offer promising models of sustainability and resilience and (b) the creation of “agroecological lighthouses” from which principles radiate out to local communities, helping them to build the basis of an agricultural strategy that promotes efficiency, diversity, synergy, and resiliency. Such agroecological strategies must be complemented by policies and solidarity market arrangements to provide economic viability to the amplification of agroecology.