From uniformity to diversity: a paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems
Many of the key problems in food systems are linked specifically to industrial agriculture: uniform crop monocultures relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, industrial feedlots (the infamous "CAFOs" using preventive antibiotics. This form of agriculture is generating negative outcomes on multiple fronts: widespread degradation of land, water and ecosystems; high GHG emissions; biodiversity losses; persistent hunger and micro nutrient deficiencies alongside the rapid rise of obesity and diet related diseases; and livelihood stresses for farmers around the world.