Farming Systems Options for U.S. Agriculture: An Agroecological Perspective

Agricultural productivity gains since the 1950s have resulted from the development of farming systems that rely heavily on external inputs of energy and chemicals to replace management and on-farm resources. The intensity to which the natural environment has been modified to attain this productive capacity has directly resulted in degradation of the natural resources, notably land and water, that sustain these systems. The search for solutions to increasingly complex and interrelated agricultural problems including sustainable agriculture, environmental quality, food safety, and rural development requires a shift in both the scientific method and scale in which agricultural research is organized and conducted. Farming systems research and extension (FSRE) and other systems-oriented approaches fitted to agriculture are viewed as essential approaches for addressing complex agricultural problems, and for developing more efficient and sustainable farming systems. This article provides a brief synthesis of research information from several technical reports that were presented at a special symposium held during the American Society of Agronomy annual meetings in 1992. The reports cover a wide range of topics including FSRE, agricultural systems, systems engineering, information systems, and sustainable development. The ProblemWhile conventional (reductionist) agricultural research and information-technology dissemination methods have led to one of the most productive agricultural systems in the world, this productive capacity, and the tools we use to sustain it, have not come without substantial human and environmental costs. It is apparent that complementing traditional research and education approaches with alternative and innovative “systems” methods is required to address increasingly complex and interrelated agricultural problems (i.e., sustainable agriculture, environmental quality, food safety, rural economy), and to ensure that solutions developed are effective. Literature SummaryAgricultural systems research and the contemporary science of agroecology provide the theoretical basis for comprehending agricultural processes in the broadest manner, and for developing more efficient and sustainable farming systems. Understanding of ecological interactions occurring within these systems and the sustainable functioning of the agroecosystem as a whole have become the primary goals of this approach. Farming systems research and extension (FSRE) is a farmer-based systems approach originally used in low income countries. FSRE methods were developed in large part to address the needs of farmers operating more diversified farming systems in resource-poor and risk-prone environments. Although FSRE methods have not been clearly understood or widely used in the USA, there is a growing awareness of the potential benefits of maintaining farmer and other appropriate stakeholder involvement in agricultural research, education, technology development, and problem solving. Agroecology, FSRE, systems engineering, information systems, and sustainable development are examples of topics that will be examined in this report. Study DescriptionThis article provides a brief synthesis of research information from several technical reports that were presented at a special symposium held during the American Society of Agronomy meetings in 1992. Applied QuestionWhy should FSRE and other systems-oriented approaches be encouraged in U.S. agricultural research, education, and technology development? FSRE is an essential approach for involving farmers and other stakeholders from the beginning in research and technology development—from problem diagnosis, through adaptation and evaluation. FSRE and other systems-oriented methods fitted to agriculture provide a basis for identifying critical information-technology gaps and prioritizing component research needs. This reduces the incidence of redundant research (re-inventing the wheel) and the development of inappropriate farm technologies. Farm-scale ecosystems investigations can provide a better understanding of the direct influence of human action on both farming systems structure and functioning, and potential off-farm ecological impacts. Those applying systems engineering methods have found that if systems engineering principles are adopted and applied properly, agriculture will benefit from clearer problem statements, increased communication across agencies and disciplines, and an enhanced ability to design and build high-quality, user-oriented farming systems tools. Integration of agricultural research results and management information into user-oriented technologies for farm recordkeeping, budgeting, and planning can aid farm managers and agricultural practitioners in understanding complex interactions among system components, and in improving whole-farm resource management. Agriculture's role in complex, interrelated issues including environmental quality, food safety, biodiversity, and sustainable development, among others, must be critically assessed in defining and implementing future development options. Agroecology offers a useful context in which to characterize the complex relations and adaptations among natural resources (land, water, air, biodiversity) and agriculture, and provides the ecological basis for research and development of sustainable farming systems. Investigations of past and present agroecosystems should allow us to deal more effectively with the increasingly complex problems that must be addressed, and to chart a future course that will help ensure long-term agricultural viability and sustainability.