Transformative Agroecology: Foundations in Agricultural Practice, Agrarian Social Thought, and Sociological Theory

Wezel et al. (2009) claim that, from the rst scientic use of the term “agroecological” in the late 1920s, agroecology has developed through the intersection of agronomy and ecology. Subsequently, following the emergence of the word “agroecosystem” in the 1970s, the focus of research was extended from the eld level eventually to encompass entire food systems. By the 1990s, the word “agroecology” was also being used in reference to agrarian social movements and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. For Wezel et al. this broadening of the scope of agroecology is a source of confusion and a cause for concern. We take issue with their position on two grounds. First, by focusing on “agroecology” and cognate terminology they miss the broader historical context of peasant agricultures and agrarian social thought from which the science of agroecology has emerged.