Vision of the AgroEcology Research Group – University of Bologna
Most of the planetary problems: energy shortages, water scarcity, environmental degradation, climate change, economic inequality, food insecurity, sanitary problems, poverty, obesity and others are clearly interconnected and their solution requires a novel vision, a novel education and a real change of paradigma. The coronavirus pandemic clearly highlighted the linkages among human, animal and ecological health and the tangible vulnerability of industrial agricultural and food systems as a consequence of extremely heavy losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services at planetary level.
The agricultural and cattle breeding systems based on the use of pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics cause soil, air and water pollution, consume excessive amounts of natural resources, contributing to the loss of biodiversity, the appearance of resistance phenomena and viral infections.
Our action recognizes AgroEcology as an essential pillar in safeguarding agriculture, environment and the planet and identifies it as a powerful educational tool, highly functional to the transmission of scientific knowledge. It is believed that the agroecological approach, in research and teaching, is able to stimulate scientific curiosity in students and people, and the ability to grasp the essence of processes, the complexity of the world, ability, unfortunately affected by serious erosion phenomena, which the Higher Education has a duty to counter.
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