Development of the Concept of Agroecology in Europe: A Review

Abstract

Abstract:The concept of Agroecology is still not widely discussed in European countries. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present a qualitative and quantitative mixed analysis of this conceptualization based on research papers to provide initial answers to the following questions: How has the agroecology been used in terms of social movement, science and agricultural practice in the European countries? At which scales has it been applied? Which factors have influenced its application? Speech analysis and multivariable techniques are applied to systematized information. According to found results, the concept of agroecology is mainly conceived as science, then as practice and to a lesser degree as a social movement. There is a predominance of studies at plot level, with a tendency to include physical-biological factors; and at agroecosystem, regional and agri-food system levels, including designers, landscapes and consumers. There is a conceptual evolution in extensive quantitative and intensive qualitative standings when the agroecology incorporates more factors, such as economic, social, and, to a lesser extent, cultural and political, and becomes more transdisciplinary as a response to more complex phenomena that support the genesis and development of this concept. In this regard, a greater balance between its conceptions (science, practice and social movement) is recommended to achieve a better dialogue between abstract and empirical levels.

Global vision of heliconias research as cut flower: a review

“…The last two were used to download the complete PDF documents. For the analysis of the information, a textual analysis was conducted in documents by a priori analysis categories (Gallardo-López et al, 2018) such as methodological approach, research axes, year, countries and varieties-cultivars (Table 1). NVivo 11 Pro software was used for Windows (Nvivo, 2011) applying the content analysis technique and using quotes (Verbeke et al, 2015).…”

Using co-constructed mental models to understand stakeholder perspectives on agro-ecology

“…Furthermore, there is a significant degree of geographical variation in the way agro-ecological terms and concepts are understood (Gallardo-López et al, 2018). For example, the French approach to agroecology seeks to transform the social, economic, and environmental performance of the agricultural sector by 2025 and is backed by an innovative regulatory framework and multi-pronged research program (Gliessman, 2014).…”

Foundations and developments of pest management in Uruguay: a review of the lessons and challenges

“…Certified by this Program, there are 150 farmers dedicated to the production of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products for the domestic market whose farms' average is of 7 hectares (132) (133) . Likewise, there are 1,207,000 hectares of certified organic meat production farms in the country, for export purposes; integrating 400 properties with an average surface of 2,900 hectares.…”

“…The current reality of organic production is closely linked to the concept of agroecology, which comes hand in hand with the increase in the world interest in promoting sustainable agriculture due to indisputable signs of environmental degradation, uncontrolled economic growth, social marginalization, etc. Gallardo-López and others (133) point out that the beginning of agroecology at the international level can be set in 1928, when this concept was used for the first time by Russian Basil M. Bensin to describe the use of ecological methods in research of commercial crops. According to Gazzano Santos and Gómez Perazzoli (132) , in Uruguay the first mention of the term agroecology appeared in 1939, in a publication by the Association of Agricultural Engineers of Uruguay (134) .…”