Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology

Agroecology is an approach to agriculture that incorporates ecological and social factors. If done correctly, using sustainable agriculture practices such as agroecology can increase food production while reducing emissions and dependency on chemical companies for fertilisers and pesticides.

While it is often argued that large-scale industrial agriculture is more 'efficient', using smaller-scale sustainable agriculture can in fact increase food production. One study found in 2006 that farms practising sustainable resource conserving techniques in 57 low-income countries increased average yields by almost 80% [1].

Agriculture is a huge contributor to climate change, accounting for 14% of total annual emissions, 38% of which comes from fertilisers [2]. By using compost instead of artificial fertiliser, agricultural land can be made to absorb greenhouse gasses instead of emitting them to the atmosphere [3].

[1] Pretty, J. et al. 2006. Resource-Conserving Agriculture Increases Yields in Developing Countries Environmental Science & Technology, 40(4) pp. 1114–1119

[2] UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Save and Grow, May 2011

[3] The potential role of compost in reducing greenhouse gases Waste Manag Res February 2008 26: 61-69