The Union of Concerned Scientists has come out with a helpful infographic to bring the idea of agroecological production methods closer to interested citizens. Through a model farm that you can explore via a mouseclick, you can learn about the benefits of:
- Cover crops
- Crop diversity and rotation
- Landscaping approaches
- The integration of crops and livestock
- Environmental health
- etc.
None of the concepts are new – in fact, I was astounded by how many of these ideas are already encouraged through policy measures in Switzerland, for example – but it is great to have a visual tool like this to explain the interrelation of different aspects of agriculture and the environment. I would encourage you to check it out!
Bonus: If you want to go beyond the infographic, check out the UCS’ website and their policy brief on what their vision of healthy US farms is!