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Farming for the Future – the

Agroecological Approach

Martin Wolfe

The Organic Research Centre – Elm Farm, at Wakelyns Agroforestry, Fressingfield, Suffolk,

UK

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Agricultural Revolution

- from 1700 to 1900, leading to and driven by the Industrial Revolution and the

Enclosures

Tools: soluble, synthetic

fertilisers, pesticides, farm

machinery – and the use of

clover

- particularly in the Norfolk Four-Course Rotation (wheat-barley-turnips-clover; imported from Flanders)

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But Darwin was barely heard ...........

The drive was to MONOCULTURE - and the loss of biodiversity

- and this monoculture drive was exported all over the world -

A schism between agriculture and the natural world was created which grew, and grew......

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Wheat monoculture in space and time

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Problems with Monoculture 1: loss of biodiversity and thus of ecosystem

services – and of resilience

Provisioning (food and water, materials, energy);

Regulating (carbon sequestration, climate regulation, decomposition and detoxification,

purification of water and air, pests and diseases, pollination);

Supporting (nutrient dispersal and cycling, seed dispersal, primary production);

Cultural (aesthetic, recreational and other benefits)

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Problems with Monoculture 2: cereal powdery mildew – a serial spore-

producer

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The yield stability of a variety mixture

W a k e l y n s A g r o f o r e s t r y

6 0

7 0

8 0

9 0

1 0 0

1 1 0

1 2 0

H e r e w a r d M a l a c c a S h a m r o c k H e / M a / S h

Re

lati

ve

yie

ld (

%)

2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 2

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The GDR and barley mildew

• 1980's – 350,000 hectares of variety mixtures

• National mildew level fell from 50% to 10%

• Fungicide imports plummeted

• Other diseases also restricted

• High quality malt and beer

- until November 1989 and the return of the monoculture behemoth!!

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Wheat population in a hardwood alley

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We need to re-integrate

Agriculture and the Natural World

-and the best way?

AGROFORESTRY

- the integration of tree management into agriculture

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Advantages of tree integration

• Achieves ecosystem intimacy• Carbon capture and storage• Ammonia abatement• Nutrient cycling• Produces food, fuel and fibre• Biodiversity• Crop and animal protection and nutrition• Also protects soil, water and air• Employment opportunities; pension scheme

Inputs needed:• Soil, sun, air, water – and some labour

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WakelynsAgroforestry

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Winter wheat and hazel in 2006

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Clover ley in 2008

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Potatoes in 2009

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Continuous winter wheat on 50 ha.

10-11 t/ha – mostly needed to pay for the synthetic inputs

Continuous winter wheat on 50 ha.

10-11 t/ha – mostly needed to pay for the synthetic inputs

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Surveying the food web ..........diverse hardwoods and hidden ley

Highly diverse outputs – no external inputs except for some diesel

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The Balance Sheet

Monoculture Eco-agroforestry

Artificial inputs High Low

Outputs High, simple High, complex

Labour Low High

Resilience Low High

Biodiversity Low High

Sustainability Low High