Agroecology is a fast-growing agricultural model globally and is particularly relevant for South African farmers, says Prof. Kingsley Ayisi, director of the Centre of Global Change at the University of Limpopo.
Ayisi, an agroecologist and agronomist, emphasises the relevance and principles of agroecology, particularly its importance for smallholder farmers in South Africa. Indigenous knowledge and agroecosystems are crucial in local agroecological practices.
Why is agroecology important?
According to Ayisi, agroecology helps farmers deal with climate change, reduce the need for expensive chemicals, and keep the land healthy. It’s especially useful for small-scale farmers in South Africa.
Ayisi says the term agroecology is clearly defined as “an integrated approach that applies ecological and social concepts to the design and management of food and agricultural systems.”
With the rise of sustainable agriculture as a response to climate change, Ayisi describes the components of agroecology that differentiate it from the myriad of sustainable agricultural practices. He explains that there are several overlaps with other methods of sustainable agriculture, but some components are unique to agroecology.
“The key one is that it is based on bottom-up and localised processes helping to deliver solutions to local problems.
“You engage the beneficiaries that you are targeting. They play a key role in understanding the challenges and in finding solutions through technology. It’s also quite localised. You cannot generalise it on a larger scale because of the differences in agroecosystems,” he says.
What are agroecosystems?
He emphasises that understanding agroecosystems is crucial in managing systems focused on food production. The goal farmers should have is to improve ecosystem services and minimise the use of external inputs by promoting local biodiversity and sustainable practices.
Ayisi shares that the moment you start farming – growing crops or raising animals – you create an agroecosystem. These are managed systems focused on food production.
“We have the natural ecosystems, which are your wild areas. The moment you decide to manage the production of agriculture, crops or animals, you already transit into the agroecosystem. So the emphasis on agroecosystems is more on food production. We have deviated from the original practices where our forefathers used to practise.”
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Ayisi explains that modern agricultural practices have adopted monoculture, which is to cultivate one crop.
“This is where the agroecological principles that we are promoting come in. [We are] trying to deviate from single or a few species interactions and trying to bring a lot of diversity in producing the food that we need,” he said.
He explains that the reason agriculture has shifted from the farming methods of our forefathers is because there is pressure to feed the growing human population.
“But all this comes also at the expense of the environment. In agroecosystems, we’re trying to promote utilising local [biodiversity] to improve ecosystems and also minimise the input of external resources.”
Indigenous knowledge promotes biodiversity
Ayisi stresses the importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge into farming practices. He explains that the knowledge can help create more resilient farming systems adapted to local conditions.
“You are empowering the local community, so indigenous knowledge plays a key role here. They [have] farmed over the years and they know the local context and the key issues.”
He emphasises that the key objective in agroecological farming is to increase biodiversity in the agricultural fields. For example, when producing maize on large-scale land, farmers can apply intercropping instead of soil cultures to improve the biodiversity in the soil.
“Try to incorporate other crops that are complementary to enhance productivity,” he advises.
Four agroecological practices farmers can implement:
- Agroforestry: Ayisi suggests that farmers can plant trees, for example, lemon trees, in their fields along with crops like maize. This can give you extra income and help your crops grow better. “It doesn’t really interfere with normal operations, but [it] could be another source of income from an integrated system.” He also shares that his research team is conducting studies on how the presence of woody perennial species can help farmers to boost the production of their crop.
- Cover-cropping: Ayisi explains that cover-cropping is a method that utilises leguminous crops to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. “We have this leguminous crop that can tap atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. So sometimes instead of leaving the land fallow to wait for the next season, we start planting some cover crops. With the cover crops the soil is not exposed, so you help to minimise erosion,” he said.
- Crop rotation: Ayisi describes crop rotation as changing the types of crops grown on a piece of land from season to season. This practice helps to break pest and disease cycles, improve soil structure, and optimise nutrient use.
- Vermicomposting: “We’re doing things like vermicomposting, where we’re using earthworms to degrade organic matter.” Ayisi explains that it becomes a good source of nutrients for crops. Farmers are then able to minimise the input of chemical or inorganic fertilisers.
Ayisi suggests that the current climate crisis scenarios make an opportune time to emphasise and promote agroecological systems and practices in food production. The approach not only aligns with environmental sustainability but also supports the economic viability of farming in the long term, he says.
“If you depend on many external inputs and they become expensive for your soil and all the environmental issues, it might not be sustainable in the future.”
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