What is agroecology?
"Agroecology" is an alternative model for flourishing rural life, which
"Agroecosystems" are agricultural and ecological places in the same landscape, often resulting in mosaics with natural forest, slash-and-burn agriculture, and ultimately, places where wildlife and humans share the same resources.
The agroecosystems studied in my research include:
COFFEE with shade trees that birds love
PINE PLANTATIONS providing economic subsidies to farmers, and wintering habitat for migratory birds
CLOUD FOREST which supports high levels of endemism, and important foods and fibers for people
MIXED AGRICULTURE such as slash-and-burn corn, fruit tree orchards, broccoli monocultures, and diverse home garden polycultures
- provides thriving livelihoods for farmers
- produces high quality and low cost food for the region
- & rehabilitates the earth using ecological improvements to agriculture
"Agroecosystems" are agricultural and ecological places in the same landscape, often resulting in mosaics with natural forest, slash-and-burn agriculture, and ultimately, places where wildlife and humans share the same resources.
The agroecosystems studied in my research include:
COFFEE with shade trees that birds love
PINE PLANTATIONS providing economic subsidies to farmers, and wintering habitat for migratory birds
CLOUD FOREST which supports high levels of endemism, and important foods and fibers for people
MIXED AGRICULTURE such as slash-and-burn corn, fruit tree orchards, broccoli monocultures, and diverse home garden polycultures
Where is Alta Verapaz, Guatemala?
Did you know at least 60% of the people in Guatemala speak Spanish as a second language? Guatemala has the second highest percentage of indigenous peoples in Latin America, where over 20 Mayan languages are spoken. We work with the Q'eqchi' Mayan communities near Coban, Guatemala where the red balloon is pointing.
How can agriculture meet the needs of bird conservation and human welfare?
The leading threat to global biodiversity loss is habitat degradation due to conversion to agriculture. There are few large forested areas left for wildlife in Central America, and those areas continue to shrink as agriculture expands. One solution might be to save the rest of the forest in parks or protected areas, keeping agriculture out, only in intensive use areas to the side. This framework works well in North America where people tend to live outside of these protected areas, but in Central America, people are living inside of pristine forests, and have no other choice but to farm close to it.
Perhaps there is a way for agriculture to meet habitat requirements for birds, and nutritional and economic requirements for people? This idea is called "land-sharing," where people and wildlife can co-exists in multi-use landscapes, where "wildlife-friendly" agriculture ends up being "people-friendly" too! For example, when farmers use less chemicals, and plant a variety of foods with trees (polyculture), they are actually protecting their soils from erosion, decreasing their risk of flood, are helping water quality and quantity, and are providing habitat for birds at the same time!
Conservation is tricky - and requires creativity, problem-solving, and compromise. Complex environmental challenges invite ecologists, farmers, and people like you to find creative solutions for people and wildlife who share the same air, water, and land.
Our idea - Agroecosystems for communities and conservation!
Examples:
Fruit Tree agroforestry
Shaded Coffee Systems
Home Garden polycultures
Perhaps there is a way for agriculture to meet habitat requirements for birds, and nutritional and economic requirements for people? This idea is called "land-sharing," where people and wildlife can co-exists in multi-use landscapes, where "wildlife-friendly" agriculture ends up being "people-friendly" too! For example, when farmers use less chemicals, and plant a variety of foods with trees (polyculture), they are actually protecting their soils from erosion, decreasing their risk of flood, are helping water quality and quantity, and are providing habitat for birds at the same time!
Conservation is tricky - and requires creativity, problem-solving, and compromise. Complex environmental challenges invite ecologists, farmers, and people like you to find creative solutions for people and wildlife who share the same air, water, and land.
Our idea - Agroecosystems for communities and conservation!
Examples:
Fruit Tree agroforestry
Shaded Coffee Systems
Home Garden polycultures