Can agroecology feed the world?
Agroecology is a style of sustainable farming spreading quickly around the globe, transforming the way food is grown.
Industrial agriculture requires chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides that harm natural systems and people alike, but by working with (and even enhancing) ecosystems, agroecology provides an alternative that encompasses many familiar practices--from composting to organic gardening and seed saving--and many less widely implemented ones, like agroforestry, while bringing modern technology like mobile apps and SMS to bear.
And studies show that it can indeed feed the world's people: food systems expert and author Anna Lappe\u0301 joins the show to discuss why the idea that it's a \u201clow yield\u201d practice is a myth and how the adoption of agroecological practices around the globe is key to a sustainable future.
And behavioral scientist Philippe Bujold of Rare Conservation\u2019s Center for Behavior & the Environment discusses his organization\u2019s program that employs behavioral science to encourage farmers in Colombia to adopt agroecology in the face of changing climate conditions, like drought and heat, which are causing traditional growing methods to fail.\xa0
Episode artwork: Vegetable farmer watering plants at an organic farm in Boung Phao Village, Lao PDR, via Flickr.
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