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Cited by 294Agriculture, Land Use, Rural DevelopmentPlant and soil sciencesSustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis

Agroecology versus input substitution: A fundamental contradiction of sustainable agriculture

Rosset, Peter M., Altieri, Miguel A.·1997·Society & Natural Resources
DOI 10.1080/08941929709381027
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Abstract

The central question posed by this essay is whether sustainable agriculture will be able to rescue modern industrial agriculture from its present state of crisis. To answer this question this article begins by outlining the economic, social, and ecological dimensions of the crisis, each of which must be addressed by an alternative paradigm in order to pull agriculture out of crisis. It then examines a persistent contradiction in the alternative agriculture movement: that of input substitution versus agroecologi‐calty informed transformation of farming systems. It is argued that the prevalence of input substitution, which emphasizes alternatives to agrochemical inputs without challenging the monoculture structure of agricultural systems, greatly diminishes the potential of sustainable agriculture. By only addressing environmental concerns, this dominant approach offers little hope of either reversing the rapid degradation of the resource base for future production or of resolving the current profit squeeze and debt trap in which the world's farmers are caught.

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Crossref · 10.1080/08941929709381027

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32 of 32 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • As pointed out by Rosset and Altieri already in 1997, agricultural science in developed countries has been geared towards maximizing production with minimal labor-'the most limiting factor.'

    “As pointed out by Rosset and Altieri already in 1997, however, agricultural science in developed countries has been geared towards maximizing production with minimal labor -' the most limiting factor. '”

    From Delivering “less but better” meat in practice—a case study of a farm in agroecological transition (2022) · cites this paper as Rosset and Altieri 1997

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Authors
Rosset, P. M., & Altieri, M. A.
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (US)
ORCID
Venue
Society & Natural Resources
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
1997-05
Volume
10
Issue
3
Pages
283-295
ISSN
  • 0894-1920 (ISSN-L)
  • 1521-0723
DOI
10.1080/08941929709381027
OpenAlex
W2023348638
Cited by
294
References
32
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 13
FWCI
33.67
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Society & Natural Resources (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant and soil sciences
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
Keywords
agroecology, factor substitution, sustainable agriculture, monoculture, agrochemical alternatives, farm debt, profit squeeze

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