The definite definitions

How agroecology can help your garden grow

Convinced that growing with nature is the way to…grow, I know I am preaching to the choir. But how do you do that, effectively, efficiently and produce great plants?

There are several practises developed that farmers, growers and now gardeners are using. They all have inspiring adjectives for the type of farming. Sometimes they seem to appear interchangeable all in all really good. What actually are they, which is best and how can I do this at home in my garden or on my plot?

This series is all about just that. This week I am getting clear on the different types of let’s say sustainable farming practises before next week introducing you to the methods that all of these utilise and how they are applicable to the home or small scale grower.

The main ones are organic and regenerative practises but I see the terms of agroecology and permaculture used too. What are they? How do they differ? Which are you drawn to? Which is best!

For a start, these are all agroecological farming systems that intend to benefit society and the environment.¹

Currently most farming systems rely on degenerative systems whereby soil is eroded, water systems polluted with chemicals and run off, insect and biodiversity loss, antibiotic resistance and pandemic threats.

We need to rapidly move away from degenerative systems and towards restorative methods of farming immediately.

Within agroecology, there are essentially two different approaches, regenerative and organic farming.

Organic.

This is a legal definition; to call your produce organic, you must be certified. Most organic goods or land is certified by the Soil Association and Of&G.

Whilst even Organic practise has its limitations but it is a comprehensive whole-system approach. With an aim to sustain people, animals, ecosystems and soils, rather than harming them.

Some of the main elements in include -

• Working with nature to increase biodiveristy and habitats

• Protecting the soil and building fertility naturally

• Not using artificial weedkillers, pesticides or fertilisers

• Not growing GM crops

• Highest animal welfare standards of all farming

• Minimising waste and feeding back into the farm

Regenerative Farming

This is not a standardised system like organic but more of a mindset or practise. There are lots of overlapping principals. The aim is to restore, soils, water and biodiversity.

Groundswell, the UK’s annual gathering of regenerative farmers, describes five key principles:

• Don’t disturb the soil by tilling, which damages its complex structure and biology.

• Keep the soil surface covered with plant-life, to protect it from erosion.

• Keep living roots in the soil, to feed the bacteria and fungi that keep it fertile, and also prevent erosion.

• Grow a diverse range of crops, rather than growing one crop intensively and repeatedly.

• Bring grazing animals back to the land, as part of a fertility-boosting rotation of crops and animals.

Two major differences between regenerative practise and organic farming is how soil is look after; regenerative practise avoids the plough and turning the soil (or tilling) which is very much how Charles Dowding ‘no dig’ practise works for the smaller grower. But regenerative farming doesn’t explicitly preclude chemical use (especially glyphosate). Organic farmers in principal look like they prefer to use the plough to kill weeds instead.

Both are damaging - there are organic farmers that use ‘no till’ methods and regenerative farmers that don’t use chemicals

“The best organic farmers are regenerative, and the best regenerative farmers are organic,” says Harriet Bell, regenerative farming lead at organic veg box company Riverford.

Agroecology

Is a set of farming practises but also a social and political movement, and scientific discipline.

By studying the relationship between the soils, animals, people and plants, ecologists inform agroecologists to design farming methods that mimic natural ecosystems.

It’s an umbrella term that covers both organic and regenerative practise.

Ideally, an agroecological system

• Provides nutritious food

• In a way that empowers and benefits the local community

• While being rich in biodiversity

• Resilient in the face of climate change

• And using natural resources, such as soil and water, as part of a regenerative system.

It is not just a farming system but also a human system considering how people are affected by farming the land - land justice, food secrurity and wages. Organic certification doesn’t have to reflect this. Riverford ‘bakes’ this into it’s company being employee owned, paying a living wage and having a supplier charter.

Permaculture

Finally, permaculture. I keep coming across this principal but admit to not knowing much about it. The other methods being more visible both in terms of labelling, marketing and public use.²

But thinking about the differences between organic and regenerative and their principals, I’ve still got questions about chemical use, green washing and impact.

There is no one definition for permaculture - it is a an ecological design system and can be used in practise and in anywhere from a flat or balcony right through to farms, towns and whole regions. Even the Permaculture association doesn’t give a clear answer but instead, they embrace that, enjoying the nuance and ways in which that can be applied to almost anything.

permaculture.co.uk has had a stab at it though -

1. An innovative framework for creating sustainable ways of living.

2. It is a practical method of developing ecologically harmonious, efficient and productive systems that can be used by anyone, anywhere.

Sounds amazing but I can see how the lack of clarity makes it hard for a gardener or grower to easily apply it’s principals to their own space.

One of the issues I have found researching this piece is that bar the legal definition of Organic, agroecology is full of great principals and practise but cynically I see greenwash for larger brands and little support for farmers and growers working at the highest agroecological level and combining all practises.

Organic being certified is certainly creates assurance of sound practise, but is it enough? And what about the smaller grower or gardener?

I’m confused and like I always do at times like this, I’m off to get my hands in the soil and think this through.

In the next episode of ‘How’, I want to start exploring general principals of agroecology, which seems to cover all of these practises and how we can apply them to our growing spaces, no matter what the scale.

1. Soil Association April 2024

2. Just look at wildfamed regenerative campaigns here Sexy right?