When I think about “why agroecology?” I crave a story that weaves a thread through my life and gently places me where I am now- a first year PhD student in the
This is a beautiful piece, Alex! Thank you for clarifying the distinction between the "ecology of communities" and "community ecology." I hadn't thought of this clarification before. Your post made me think about something... you illustrate how agroecology is community in a way, and I have experienced this. The people I meet who practice agroecology or are curious about it and want to discuss it... these people seem to "get it," and that creates a welcoming space in which to do meaningful and impactful work. But I worry what will happen if (and when) agroecology gets co-opted? Like the organic and even now the regenerative ag movements, as more people become aware of agroecology, as they try to capitalize on it and use it as an easy fix for sustainability, how will our community be affected? How can we maintain agroecology's complexity? Just some thoughts on my noggin...
It was so fun for me to read this, and re-realize all that we have in common, Alex. However, a big difference between us is that I was never around people who used the word 'agroecology' during my transition from ecology to agriculture. So much so that I'm surprised and delighted how I'm feeling more comfortable in my understanding of the term after reading the first two posts. You wonderfully capture concepts in writing here.
Thank you teal😊 yes-agroecology was a term that came up for me fairly early on (post undergrad, pre-masters). I remember searching key terms for grad school programs and agroecology emerged from those searches pretty quickly, maybe I have googles search algorithms to thank! Always love finding more we have in common, will be curious about what stood out to you at our next chat.
This is a beautiful piece, Alex! Thank you for clarifying the distinction between the "ecology of communities" and "community ecology." I hadn't thought of this clarification before. Your post made me think about something... you illustrate how agroecology is community in a way, and I have experienced this. The people I meet who practice agroecology or are curious about it and want to discuss it... these people seem to "get it," and that creates a welcoming space in which to do meaningful and impactful work. But I worry what will happen if (and when) agroecology gets co-opted? Like the organic and even now the regenerative ag movements, as more people become aware of agroecology, as they try to capitalize on it and use it as an easy fix for sustainability, how will our community be affected? How can we maintain agroecology's complexity? Just some thoughts on my noggin...
It was so fun for me to read this, and re-realize all that we have in common, Alex. However, a big difference between us is that I was never around people who used the word 'agroecology' during my transition from ecology to agriculture. So much so that I'm surprised and delighted how I'm feeling more comfortable in my understanding of the term after reading the first two posts. You wonderfully capture concepts in writing here.
Thank you teal😊 yes-agroecology was a term that came up for me fairly early on (post undergrad, pre-masters). I remember searching key terms for grad school programs and agroecology emerged from those searches pretty quickly, maybe I have googles search algorithms to thank! Always love finding more we have in common, will be curious about what stood out to you at our next chat.