Agroecological practices works with natural ecosystems to produce food sustainably. It applies ecological principles - such as biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and soil regeneration - to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. Agroecology treats the farm as an interconnected ecosystem, optimising interactions between plants, animals, humans, and the environment. It emphasises practices like crop rotation, intercropping, agroforestry, and soil-building methods that enhance resilience and biodiversity. It is also a social approach, supporting fair, local, and culturally rooted food systems while strengthening farmer livelihoods and environmental health.

Recommendations for Implementation

Applying agroecological practices involves conservation agriculture practices that maintain protective soil cover and minimise physical disturbance:

• Cover crops, green manures, crop residues and organic mulches can be used to protect soil between production periods, in an effort reduce eroson and evaporation, increase organic matter inputs and support soil biological activity.
• Reduced or no-tillage should be applied where suitable to the crop, soil and climate, avoiding unnecessary soil disturbance while retaining residues at the surface.
• Diversifying cropping systems with crops with different rooting characteristics and, where appropriate, crops to support nutrient cycling, intercropping, mixed cropping or perennial crops, and deep-rooted plants (e.g. radish, clover) to promote biological de-compaction • semi-natural elements like hedgerows, field margins, grass strips and flowering strips can be incorporated where space allows to provide habitat for pollinators and natural pest enemies.
• Compost, manure, crop residues, and other suitable organic amendments can be returned to agricultural soils according to crop requirements and soil analyses: nutrient applications should be matched to crop demand to avoid nutrient accumulation and leaching.
• Biochar may be considered in specific soil and climatic contexts, but should not be treated as a universal solution
• Agroforestry and perennial vegetation can increase above- and below-ground diversity:
  • trees or shrubs can be incorporated within fields, along field boundaries or in silvo-pastoral systems to increase structural diversity, reduce wind and water erosion, provide habitat, improve microclimatic conditions and contribute organic inputs to the soil
  • on slopes or erosion-prone land, permanent vegetation strips, grassed waterways and other vegetated buffer can be used to slow runoff and retain sediment

Applying agroecological practices should be site-specific and monitored over time: the effects of rotations, cover crops, reduced tillage and organic amendments vary according to environmental and management conditions.

Examples enhancing soil health

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Planning examples

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Technical guides and inspiring research

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