Agroecological approaches are highly location specific as they connect the links between the food needs, livelihoods, local culture, environment and the economics. Education on agroecology is therefore a holistic approach connecting these links, where farmers are in the centre of the entire process.

With the realisation of the ill effects of chemical pesticides and fertilizers on the environment and the health of the people, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) have been promoting non-chemical approaches in agriculture, since many years. These are being promoted under various names, like sustainable agriculture, organic farming, bio-dynamic agriculture, natural farming, regenerative agriculture, agroecological approaches, Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA), cow-based farming, etc. With agriculture being reported as a major contributor to the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions as per the third biennial report of India to The United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), Government of India is also encouraging agroecological approaches in the name of natural farming all over the country.

Understanding the local ecosystem is crucial for trainers

Modern agriculture is more geography independent compared to the agroecological approach. Also, modern agriculture technology has turned farmers into mere consumers of technology. With this, farmers are getting de-skilled or losing their traditional skills like selecting seed suitable to their land, based on the soil type, assessing the weather and planning the activities, selecting better seed varieties from the crops etc.

In agroecological approaches, one has to understand the ecosystem of the agriculture. Ecosystem is not just about the biotic and abiotic environment but also about the economic and socio-political environment. All the ecosystems that influence farmers and farming need to be considered. Farm ecosystem is different from farmer’s ecosystem. The educators need to understand this.

Farming is not about how efficiently resources are used to produce food. Farming is what farmer does in a given agro ecological situation with the resources he or she has. It is a livelihood option connected to the local culture, the local conditions and the local environment. Hence, agroecological education should enable farmers make rational decisions that not only enables food production but also protect the health of fellow humans and the environment. Education that connects the food needs, livelihoods, culture, environment and the economics is the need of the day.