Agroecology in Uruguay

Abstract

Agroecology in Uruguay has been linked from the start to a critical view of the dominant mod- el of industrial agriculture and to the construction of alternative thinking. Since the 80s, it has been promoted by students, university teachers, farmers, NGOs and consumers. It raises the need to protect nature, strengthen ecological processes in agricultural systems; along with concern about the concentration, foreign ownership and access to land; social and economic problems of the farming family and food sovereignty. It opposes the neoliberal model and its expression in managing nature -the agrarian productivist capitalism- that determines severe environmental, social and economic consequences. The current situation poses the deepening of the industrial model of agriculture and its versions (sustainable agricultural intensification) and it continues to resort to increasing the productivity by intensifying systems, the use of supplies, the concentration of production means and the segregation of the farming family. At the same time there is increasing evidence of its negative impacts and society poses a serious environmental concern. Different actors are promoting the construction of a National Plan of Agroecology, realizing a long history of criticism,resistance,research,construction of alternatives.They are trying to maintain a multidimensional commitment: political, social, cultural, ecological - productive, technical and ethical in this construction of sustainability in the agrifood systems. Also proposing to start agroecological transition processes, offering sustainable development options arising from the agrarian but that transcend it because they move in and emerge from society.