Agroforestry: An agroecological practice in the light of Ecological Economics

Lenti, Attila (2023) Agroforestry: An agroecological practice in the light of Ecological Economics. GAZDASÁG ÉS TÁRSADALOM, 16 (4). pp. 93-120. ISSN 0865-7823

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the comprehension of the relationship between the concepts of agroforestry, agroecology, and ecological economics. The main concept I study in this paper is agroforestry, whose understanding requires the analysis of both its definitions and its relation to these other key concepts. I applied focused literature review, employing the scientific databases of ScienceDirect and Springer, as well as the Google Scholar search engine. I used relevant academic publications in English, Spanish, and Hungarian. Agroforestry manifests as a sustainable landuse practice, exhibiting myriad ecological, social, and economic advantages both at the level of individual farms and on a broader landscape scale while aligning with agroecological principles. The findings reveal a robust alignment of agroforestry and agroecology with the beliefs and assumptions of ecological economics. All three concepts underline the unsustainability of contemporary farming within a global economy constrained by ecological limits. Agroecology further emphasizes embeddedness in nature, socioecological interactions, and recognition of nature's intrinsic value. All three concepts genuinely apply transdisciplinary approaches, while their shared commitment to systems thinking helps to understand complex human-environment interactions. Synergy between these concepts presents a promising avenue for fostering sustainable food systems amid global environmental challenges.

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