COURSE DESCRIPTION

These days, it seems that everyone has a better,  purportedly more sustainable way to farm: organic agriculture, carbon-farming, regenerative agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, permaculture, and sustainable intensification are some such ways that have attracted significant attention. As alternatives to extractive and synthetic-input-dependent forms of industrial agriculture abound, it can be tough to tell which have real promise and which are greenwashing nonsense (or worse). 

Agroecology – an approach that blends natural and traditional science with a general set of farming practices and a growing social movement –  stands out among the alternatives.  Its philosophy is to trust farmers to work with nature to develop their own approaches that produce food while maintaining ecosystem integrity and avoiding resource depletion.

Developed by conservation leader and applied researcher Britt Basel, this course provides learners with a nuanced understanding of agroecology’s many facets. The course materials, which include carefully selected readings, resources, and recorded lectures, are enriched with practitioner interviews and exercises that encourage immediate application. 

Course Benefits

• Dig into the history and multiple dimensions of agroecology
• Explore why agroecology is important, including how and why it differs from other types of agricultural systems and movements
• Learn fundamental concepts for agroecological production systems
• Develop familiarity with practices that enable transition toward agroecological farming
• Find ways to align with and support the pursuit of sovereignty in the peoples’ movement within agroecology
• Apply agroecological knowledge and practices to one’s surroundings

This course was created through and is part of :

COURSE-AT-A-GLANCE

The topical overview of the course below provides an early taste of what you can expect as you embark on this learning journey.

• Module 1 – Why Agroecology?
• Module 2 – What is Agroecology?
• Module 3 – The Farm: Plants and Sunlight
• Module 4 – Soil and Water
• Module 5 – Temperature, Rainfall, Humidity, and Wind
• Module 6 – The Ecological Complex
• Module 7 – External and Nested Interactions
• Module 8 – Climate Trends
• Module 9 – Converting to Producing in an Agroecosystem
• Module 10 – Diversity
• Module 11 – Synergy
• Module 12 – Efficiency
• Module 13 – Recycling
• Module 14 – Resilience
• Module 15 – Sustainable Agroecosystems to Sustainable Food Systems

AUDIENCE

This course is suited for:

• Farmers and gardeners who want to farm with nature;
• Agriculture and food system professionals who want to deepen and complicate their understanding of agricultural sustainability and food movements;
• Those who seek social justice, equity and power for the peasants who truly feed the world.

COURSE DEVELOPER – Britt Basel

Britt Basel is an applied researcher and technical expert specializing in climate change resilience, food systems, and water security. 

Britt is currently conducting research with the Water Resources Management Group of Wageningen University in the Netherlands. She has published 4 peer-reviewed papers and a book chapter on climate resilience, water-security, and community-based adaptation in the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Britt holds a Master of Science in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and a Masters in Conservation Leadership. Drawing on additional experience spanning 20 years and 44 countries, she has worked for organizations ranging from the United Nations Development Program to The Nature Conservancy and National Geographic. She has a long and deep history with agroecology, and the key aspects of agroecology – diversity, synergy, efficiency, recycling, and resilience – are central to her work.

DISCLAIMER: Course descriptions on this webpage are for informational purposes only. Content may be updated or changed as planning evolves. Sterling College reserves the right to alter the program specifics, including details about course content, instructors, collaborations, field trips, facilities and pricing, at any time without notice.