Agroecology

Agroecology applies ecological principles to agricultural systems, treating farms as ecosystems rather than factories. It maintains that sustainable food production requires diversity—of crops, practices, and knowledge—rather than the standardization promoted by industrial agriculture. A fully realized agroecology integrates not only biology but also questions of food sovereignty and power.

The discipline directly challenges the assumption that yield maximization is the sole legitimate goal of agricultural systems. Permaculture and agroecology share roots but diverge in their relationship to formal scientific methodology.