The economic potential of agroecology: Empirical evidence from Europe

van der Ploeg, Jan Douwe, Barjolle, Dominique, Bruil, Janneke, Brunori, Gianluca, Costa Madureira, Livia Maria, Dessein, Joost, Drąg, Zbigniew, Fink-Kessler, Andrea, Gasselin, Pierre, Gonzalez de Molina, Manuel, Gorlach, Krzysztof, Jürgens, Karin, Kinsella, Jim, Kirwan, James ORCID: 0000-0002-4626-9940, Knickel, Karlheinz, Lucas, Veronique, Marsden, Terry, Maye, Damian ORCID: 0000-0002-4459-6630, Migliorini, Paola, Milone, Pierluigi, Noe, Egon, Nowak, Piotr, Parrott, Nicholas, Peeters, Alain, Rossi, Adanella, Schermer, Markus, Ventura, Flaminia, Visser, Marjolein and Wezel, Alexander (2019) The economic potential of agroecology: Empirical evidence from Europe. Journal of Rural Studies, 71. pp. 46-61. doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.09.003

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Abstract

This article discusses the economic dimensions of agroecological farming systems in Europe. It firstly theoretically elaborates the reasons why, and under what conditions, agroecological farming systems have the potential to produce higher incomes than farms that follow the conventional logic. This theoretical exposition is then followed by a presentation of empirical material from a wide range of European countries that shows the extent to which this potential is being realized. The empirical data draw upon different styles of farming that can be described as ‘proto-agroecological’: approaches to farming that are agroecological by nature, but which may not necessarily explicitly define themselves as agroecological. The empirical material that we present shows the huge potential and radical opportunities that Europe's, often silent, ‘agroecological turn’ offers to farmers that could (and should) be the basis for the future transformation of European agricultural policies, since agroecology not only allows for more sustainable production of healthier food but also considerably improves farmers' incomes. It equally carries the promise of re-enlarging productive agricultural (and related) employment and increasing the total income generated by the agricultural sector, at both regional and national levels. While we recognise that agroecology is a worldwide and multidimensional phenomenon we have chosen to limit this analysis to Europe and the economic dimension. This choice is made in order to refute current discourses that represent agroecology as unproductive and unprofitable and an option that would require massive subsidies.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Agroecological farming; Agroecology; Europe
Subjects:	S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S560 Farm Economics S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S589.75 Agriculture and the environment S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S589.7 Agricultural ecology (General)
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > Countryside and Community Research Institute
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Marta Kemp
Date Deposited:	02 Oct 2019 10:14
Last Modified:	04 Feb 2022 15:02
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/7272

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