Social-ecological resurgence through farmers’ traditional knowledge and agroecology in Pakistan

Abstract

There is an urgent need to transform global food systems. Basic food supply chains have been disrupted due to the structural vulnerabilities within the dominant food system. Scholars, ecologists, smallholder farmers, economists and activists are increasingly advocating for agroecology as part of a path forward, emphasizing the importance of drawing on the latest agricultural research while harnessing farmers’ traditional knowledge to drive social-ecological resurgence. Farmers’ traditional knowledge is essential to agroecology and social-ecological systems. The basic understanding that humans are an integral part of the natural world, interwoven with the environment, rather than separate from it, is necessary for comprehending the complex relationships that rule our existence. This study focuses on Pakistan, an agricultural country, constantly influenced and pushed towards industrial agriculture. Industrial agriculture relies on high yielding variety seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to boost food production. However, this approach has damaged the ability of farmers to depend on their local ecosystems for food. The research explores how traditional agroecological knowledge has been embraced as a form of social-ecological resurgence in Badin, Sindh, Pakistan. [...]