Agroecological roots and routes
Résumé
While acknowledging the intercultural origin of agroecology, this presentation focusses on the
contributions of pioneer European scholars who contributed to the development of agroecology in the past
century. Five of them can be identified as significant contributors: Girolamo Azzi, Basil M. Bensin, Karl
H.W. Klages, Juan S. Papadakis, and Wolfgang Tischler. Some of these a uthors refer to crop and
agricultural ecology (Azzi, 1928; Papadakis, 1938), with a global vision of soil and climate conditions
likely to affect yields or agricultural production as a whole. This enabled drawing worldwide maps
of 18 soils, climates and and crops distribution. Attention was paid to the adaptation of crops to their
environment, e.g. based on “meteorological equivalent” method described by Azzi for wheat. Papadakis
(1931) contested this method, arguing that the biological effects of rainfall or temperature patterns can
widely differ. He also suggested a biological classification of environmental factors, where the same
“biotypes” exhibit similar development patterns. To study such biotypes, comparative trials were made in
a wide range of ecologic al conditions to study the influence of various factors (including cropping
methods as an ecological factor) on the relative yields of varieties. Complementary work on experimental
stations would enable isolating the influence of specific factors. Bensin (1930) likely made the first use of
the term agroecology, as part of a proposal to the then International Institute of Agriculture in Rome
(where G. Azzi was also active in the 20’s, in the commission of agricultural meteorology and ecology).
Reflecting on the role of experimental work, he draw an agroecologically based agenda for agriculture,
taking into account the economic factors, and the relation between the plant and its environment,
including cultivation. He proposed to designate the local variety types as “chorotypes” (from the greek
chora= region), and to consider adaptations to environmental changes. He also related agroecology with
other sciences and domains. Likewise, connections with geography and integration of social dimensions
were also emphasized by Klages (1928). Later on, the German zoologist Tischler (1965) emphasized the
biotic dimension that was missing in previous works, and further elaborated the need to understand
interactions within an agroecosystem as well as the impact of agricultural management on environmental
components. Interestingly all these authors had a high mobility, working in different countries and
speaking various languages, also co-citing some of the other authors. Such an academic universe only
forms part of the roots of agroecology, whose dynamics is more complex and also framed by social,
economic and cultural dimensions. A genealogic approach should also be related with the dynamics of
other disciplines, of ecologically-based agricultures and societal expectations. Since such expectations
and situations differ among countries, this program should also be implemented at regional level. This is
among the opened routes for the new association Agroecology Europe.