Agroecology designs sustainable agroecosystems by applying ecological and agronomic concepts and principles. Ecosystem services functional to crop growth (e.g. soil quality, pollination, natural pest control) are maximised through appropriate resource management and farming practices. The use of synthetic inputs is reduced to the minimum or eliminated. The nutrient cycle is closed at the farm gate or through exchange of inputs (e.g. manure) and outputs (e.g. feed) within neighbouring farms. Such design addresses the whole agroecosystem in all its aspects, jointly: soil, water, trophic chains of plants, pests and their predators, biogeochemical cycles, etc.

Agroecology has the unique comparative advantage to avoid incurring into negative externalities (to air, biodiversity, soil, and water) linked to specialisation, simplification of farmland, intensification and mechanisation. Moreover, it can be a vector of improved socio-economic resilience for rural communities.