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Although many agroecology advocates take a strict stance against the use of modern agricultural tools and technology, advocates in Ghana have noted that they are open to a more inclusive approach.
“There are some misconceptions about agroecology that I would like to correct,” said Dr. Charles Nyaaba, head of advocacy and programs for the Ghana Peasant Farmers Association, one of the organizations promoting agroecology in the country. “Usually, when we talk about agroecology, what comes to mind for many people is that it does not involve the use of machinery, it does not involve the use of external inputs, it is necessarily a mixed crop. [rather than monoculture] and it cannot be scaled. That is not the case. Agroecology, like conventional agriculture, can be scaled. If there was a definition, before we started promoting our own, which includes not expanding our agricultural activities or confusing agroecology with organic farming, then that is not what we are seeking to promote ”.
Nyaaba, who made his comments during an Alliance for Science (AfS) Live webinar He said that modern technological inventions, including synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, can be applied even in agroecological production, as long as the fundamental principle of environmental protection is not violated.
“There is a clear distinction between agroecological agriculture and organic agriculture,” explained Nyaaba, who is also a professor of agribusiness at the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana. “When you are starting to do [an] agroecology farm and there is dead soil, in that case you want to bring that dead soil back to life. What we do is maintain that soil with a minimum of inorganic fertilizer. We do not encourage the use of heavy machinery such as tractors to overturn the soil and destroy the soil structure, but we use rippers and other machinery for planting ”.
Different definitions
His stance marks a departure from the approach promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and international aid organizations such as Help in Action and Oxfam, who have been promoting a narrower definition of agroecology as the future of agricultural production in Ethiopia, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal and other African countries.
FAO defines agroecology as the application of ecological principles with the aim of protecting the environment. It ensures the sustainable renewal of the natural resources necessary for production such as water, soil and biodiversity. And it makes moderate use of non-renewable resources. By phasing out the use of chemicals, it strives to implement organic agriculture, thereby helping to improve the health of farmers and consumers alike.
In their website, AFSA’s list of agroecological principles includes defending small African family farming / production systems based on agroecological and indigenous approaches, resisting industrialization of African agriculture, emphasizing African-driven solutions to African problems, and rejecting genetic engineering. and the privatization of living organisms. Some Western academics and NGOs, including the Pesticide Action Network, the Community Alliance for Global Justice, and Regeneration International, are also pushing Africa to adopt a narrow definition of agroecology, excluding other forms of production.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6r1GZsxCoE
Bernard Guri, executive director of the Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development in Ghana, pointed out during the AfS Live webinar that agroecology is not anti-science, as some opponents describe it. “The agroecology movement is not saying that science is not important… Agroecology is looking at indigenous knowledge. But also looking at the good scientific practices that we can incorporate, he said. “So, for example, we say we don’t accept pesticides, but if we’re in a pandemic situation, you should be able to use some specific pesticides to knock down [the pests]. But don’t take it as a practice and then supply and use volumes of pesticides every day. “
Agroecology is evolving
Nyaaba added: “Just as conventional agriculture is evolving, we also continue to obtain new technologies in agroecology. Personally, my position on agroecology is not ideological. It is flexible. But what I recognize is that we need to protect our biodiversity and agroecosystems. So, any practice that does not compromise agrobiodiversity and the agroecosystem, I personally have no problem with that ”.
Irene Egyir, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Ghana who has been a strong critic of agroecology, said the redefinition of the concept makes it worth adopting. “When we did agroecological agriculture, when we said agroecology, we did not want to plow and use improved seeds. It was the frontier and conservation model. But if now the scope is changing and the typology is changing, then it is good. That’s what I call climate-smart agriculture, ”he observed.
Nassib Mugwanya, a Ugandan agricultural communications specialist who previously worked with the National Crop Resources Research Institute, believes that the holistic definition of agroecology creates an opportunity to embrace emerging technologies, such as genetically modified (GM) seeds. “For example, what matters to agroecology today is minimizing damage to the environment,” Mugwanya said. “What if I tell you about the transgenic crop that has been designed to reduce the application of pesticides? If what matters to agroecology is that farmers choose what works for them, what if I told you that there is a farmer in Uganda who is interested in the virus resistant cassava variety that is genetically modified? That is the conversation I want to hear, which is rooted in the contextual realities of what agriculture is in Africa. “
Agroecology and agricultural biotechnology
To date, anti-GMO activism has been at the center of agroecology movements in Africa. But Ghanaian advocates indicated some receptivity to the improved seeds.
“In terms of GMOs, agroecology is about ecology,” Nyaaba explained. “So we don’t put more emphasis on GMOs or plant species. We believe that modern farming methods are encouraging GMOs to increase productivity because with our current land, if you use indigenous seeds, you will not get the yield you are looking for. But with agroecology, whether with GMOs or indigenous seeds, without the fertilizer, you are still going to increase your yields. Therefore, you do not need to spend money and try to bring seeds from other places. That is why our emphasis is not on GMOs. “
Guri has a more open position. “If that biotechnology does not go against nature and produces artificial things, it is acceptable. But most biotechnology like GMOs is about messing with genes and creating something. And we don’t know the long-term effects of those GMOs. That kind of thing is not accepted in agroecology. But if it is a natural process, and using biotechnology to improve a natural process, that is acceptable in agroecology … anything that reduces the use of artificial inputs is acceptable … Agroecology is not anti-technology. It’s the way technology develops. “
