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.
Highlights
Agroecology emerged as an approach to understand the ecological principles of traditional agricultural systems, and as a discipline that defines, classifies and studies agricultural systems from an ecological and socioeconomic perspective, fostering, through their methods and principles, the sustainable development of agroecosystems [1,2]
Agroecology has existed for several decades, different concepts and interpretations have emerged and been discussed in recent years, some of them interpret agroecology as a science, as a social movement or as an agricultural practice [6]; others consider agroecology as a transdisciplinary, participatory and action-oriented approach [2]; and some even suggest to adopt it as a political action [7]
According to the general analysis, in Europe, agroecology is mainly conceived as a science, followed by as a practice and to a lesser degree as a social movement (Figure 1)
Summary
Agroecology emerged as an approach to understand the ecological principles of traditional agricultural systems, and as a discipline that defines, classifies and studies agricultural systems from an ecological and socioeconomic perspective, fostering, through their methods and principles, the sustainable development of agroecosystems [1,2]. Wezel et al [9] proposed a regional scale or “agroecological territories” to characterize certain defined areas in transition towards sustainable agriculture based on agroecological practices. This evolution has led to the generation and accumulation of knowledge with an integrating approach that demonstrates its contribution to the productivity of agricultural systems from their different perspectives and in their different scales of study (at plot, agroecosystem, regional and food system level)
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