Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain
The urgent need to implement agricultural systems that provide greater sustainability and resilience to the challenges of the climate change process has meant that alternative paradigms for agri-food systems and agriculture have become more relevant in recent times. In this study, we present the bui...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/10/1024 |
| _version_ | 1797411119660269568 |
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| author | Manuel González-Rosado Luis Parras-Alcántara Jesús Aguilera-Huertas Beatriz Lozano-García |
| author_facet | Manuel González-Rosado Luis Parras-Alcántara Jesús Aguilera-Huertas Beatriz Lozano-García |
| author_sort | Manuel González-Rosado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The urgent need to implement agricultural systems that provide greater sustainability and resilience to the challenges of the climate change process has meant that alternative paradigms for agri-food systems and agriculture have become more relevant in recent times. In this study, we present the building process and consolidation of an agro-ecological project (Extiercol) in a rural area of southern Spain, with a prolonged depopulation process and close connections to nearby urban areas. Through participatory action research, the specific objectives of this study are (1) to describe the agroecological collective process from its creation by a youth association to its establishment as a viable agricultural project; (2) to identify the drivers for the development of this type of transition process towards agricultural sustainability and (3) to analyse urban-rural alliances in the establishment of agroecological projects. Finally, the replicability of this project was assessed, with a special focus on the main barriers to be addressed in order to implement this agricultural system such as difficult to land access or a negative perception of sustainable management by farmers. Through this study we have shown how the connection between the food production area and nearby urban areas can be achieved through an agroecological project. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:40:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cfcc080e4c574f8bb4738bab664845e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:40:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-cfcc080e4c574f8bb4738bab664845e72023-12-03T13:22:45ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722021-10-011110102410.3390/agriculture11101024Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern SpainManuel González-Rosado0Luis Parras-Alcántara1Jesús Aguilera-Huertas2Beatriz Lozano-García3SUMAS Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agri-Food Campus of International Excellence—ceiA3, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, SpainSUMAS Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agri-Food Campus of International Excellence—ceiA3, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, SpainSUMAS Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agri-Food Campus of International Excellence—ceiA3, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, SpainSUMAS Research Group, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Agri-Food Campus of International Excellence—ceiA3, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, SpainThe urgent need to implement agricultural systems that provide greater sustainability and resilience to the challenges of the climate change process has meant that alternative paradigms for agri-food systems and agriculture have become more relevant in recent times. In this study, we present the building process and consolidation of an agro-ecological project (Extiercol) in a rural area of southern Spain, with a prolonged depopulation process and close connections to nearby urban areas. Through participatory action research, the specific objectives of this study are (1) to describe the agroecological collective process from its creation by a youth association to its establishment as a viable agricultural project; (2) to identify the drivers for the development of this type of transition process towards agricultural sustainability and (3) to analyse urban-rural alliances in the establishment of agroecological projects. Finally, the replicability of this project was assessed, with a special focus on the main barriers to be addressed in order to implement this agricultural system such as difficult to land access or a negative perception of sustainable management by farmers. Through this study we have shown how the connection between the food production area and nearby urban areas can be achieved through an agroecological project.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/10/1024sustainable agriculturerural-urban interactionagroecologyyouthhuman-nature connectednesssustainability transitions |
| spellingShingle | Manuel González-Rosado Luis Parras-Alcántara Jesús Aguilera-Huertas Beatriz Lozano-García Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain Agriculture sustainable agriculture rural-urban interaction agroecology youth human-nature connectedness sustainability transitions |
| title | Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain |
| title_full | Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain |
| title_fullStr | Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain |
| title_short | Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain |
| title_sort | building an agroecological process towards agricultural sustainability a case study from southern spain |
| topic | sustainable agriculture rural-urban interaction agroecology youth human-nature connectedness sustainability transitions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/10/1024 |
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