Agroecology and the Struggle for Food Sovereignty ... - Yale University

farming, forests, and biodiversity
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that has spread in the last century. In fact, these agro-ecosystems are the sites of vast
quantities of biodiversity. In regions where these lands are converted to monocultures,
significant species loss has been documented. Perfecto suggested that “the main
problem with agriculture [in terms of loss of biodiversity] is not agriculture per se, but
. . . the intensification and simplification of agriculture [e.g., increased pesticide and
fertilizer application, shorter fallows, fewer crop species and varieties].”
Therefore, Perfecto concluded that, in addition to all of the arguments in favor of
small-scale, alternative, and traditional agriculture from social, cultural, and political
perspectives, a profound argument can also be made from an ecological point of view.
Balancing Conservation and Agricultural Production
Integrating ecological principles and socioeconomic needs requires that farmers
strike a balance between conservation and production needs, explained Robin Sears
of Columbia University. In her presentation, she described how the smallholder farmers
on the Amazon floodplain creatively use and steward the natural resources of their
region while maintaining agro-biodiverse landholdings.
Sears identified three failures of the conventional conservation and development
agenda from the point of view of non-indigenous rural farmers. First, rural assistance
from the public sector to the poor is rarely sufficient to drive changes in their
economic status. Second, development initiatives that promote land use alternatives
or introduced technology often fail because they do not consider local customs and
tastes, do not provide market access or market stability, and ignore site-specific
environmental conditions. Third, conservation initiatives that focus on strict
protection areas are most often detrimental to the local residents, displacing them
with little or no compensation for the loss of land and livelihood.
In the face of these failures, she noted, rural landholders strive to create their own
food security; adapt the knowledge, resources, and technologies offered by extension
programs to their local conditions; and diversify their production systems to include
fisheries and forestry as a way to increase opportunities for earning cash income.
Sears described the complex production landscapes of the Amazon floodplain,
where agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are ecologically interconnected, one
dependent upon the other. This landscape of smallholder farmers is a mosaic of
multi-storied and multi-species forests, fallow stands, and crop fields at different
stages of development. Each of these stand types contains useful species of trees,
fruits, vegetables, and non-timber products that are harvested for household
consumption and sale. They also provide habitat for native plants and animals and
food for small mammals, birds, and even fish.
To demonstrate the notion of optimization and balance of production and conservation,
Sears identified the multifunctional role of trees and stands in floodplain
production landscapes and the management strategies employed by residents of these
landscapes. She highlighted the diversity of useful tree species, the abundance and
management of one particular tree (Calycophyllum spruceanum, Rubiaceae), and the
silvicultural techniques used throughout agricultural production stages to promote
timber and fruit production.
Robin Sears. Photographer:
Steve Taylor.
“Smallholder farmers are environmental
engineers, balancing
their production needs with a
suite of ecosystem goods and
services.”
– Robin Sears
yale school of forestry & environmental studies