About the Course

This course focuses on the principles of agroecology and topics that integrate ecological with agricultural principles to optimize resource conservation, productivity, societal benefit, and profitability. There is a need for students trained broadly in agriculture, including agriculture’s role in ecology as farming systems become more complex. This context is found in the “triple bottom line” of economics, environment, and society. This course will emphasize greater understanding of this triple bottom line in agricultural production in an ecosystem context, often termed agroecology. It will focus on the global trends of increasing population and land-use pressure; diminishing soil, water, nutrient, and energy resources; concern over the negative impacts of agricultural production on the environment; and increasing awareness of the potential ecosystem service benefits from agriculture.