The concept of “eco-agriculture” was first proposed by soil scientist William Albrecht at the University of Missouri in 1970. In China, the term was introduced during a national symposium on ecological economics held in Yinchuan, Ningxia in 1982. Pioneers such as Ma Shijun, Li Wenhua, and Luo Shiming made significant contributions to the promotion of eco-agriculture in China. Li Wenhua and his colleagues conceptualized eco-agriculture as a modern agricultural development model grounded in the principles of ecology and ecological economics. This model integrates modern management practices and advanced scientific techniques into traditional agriculture to achieve higher social, economic, and ecological benefits.
In 1991, Ma Shijun and others defined the basic concept of eco-agriculture in China. They described it as a type of agriculture that, under the principles of economic and environmental harmony, applies the principles of ecology, ecological economics, and biotic and material recycling. It summarizes and assimilates successful agricultural production methods and employs ecosystem engineering to establish and develop a localized, well-arranged agricultural production model. This model combines inorganic and organic farming, using ecological principles to manage and create a self-sustaining, low-input, economically viable agricultural ecosystem. Eco-agriculture relies primarily on the positive cycles within agricultural ecosystems to develop low-energy consumption farming, utilizing solar energy and biological resources to produce the maximum amount of food with minimal input of energy, fertilizers, and pesticides. The integration of agriculture, industry, and trade, as well as the unification of production, supply, and marketing, helps achieve increased agricultural output, environmental protection, energy conservation, and recycling, leading to a win-win situation for both social and economic benefits and promoting the coordinated development of production and environmental protection. This opens new horizons for the further development of agricultural modernization.
However, this concept faces four major issues. First, it includes numerous principles, such as systems theory, ecological theory, integrated application, local adaptation, planning implementation, and ecological economic principles. Second, it imposes many conditions, such as reliance on solar energy and biomass, minimal and optimal inputs, which are somewhat idealistic. Third, it is somewhat vague, lacking clear explanations on how to combine organic and inorganic methods and demonstrating weak economic feasibility. Fourth, it does not explicitly highlight the characteristics of eco-agriculture, such as the exclusion of harmful chemicals like synthetic pesticides and the production of healthy food with significant economic advantages over conventional agriculture. The secondary functions of eco-agriculture, such as energy conservation, recycling, and enhancement of social and economic benefits, can be achieved naturally without undue emphasis. Therefore, the traditional concept of eco-agriculture is becoming outdated and lacks specific scientific guidance, especially for the development of the eco-agriculture industry.
In response to these issues, we propose a new concept of eco-agriculture. It is a new agricultural industry model designed using ecological principles. Throughout the entire planting or breeding process, it does not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, plastic film, hormones, or genetically modified seeds (the “six no-uses”); or it uses only a small amount of chemical fertilizers while excluding synthetic chemicals (the “five no-uses”). These two agricultural models set higher standards than the currently recognized organic and green standards, particularly regarding pesticide residue, which must not be detectable.
Long-term development of eco-agriculture leads to continuous improvement in soil productivity, producing green food (using a small amount of fertilizers but no other chemicals) or organic food (using no fertilizers), typically priced higher than conventional agricultural products in the market. Eco-agriculture is not synonymous with backwardness, low yield, or inefficiency; it has significant ecological, social, and economic benefits. It is an environmentally friendly agriculture enhanced with modern ecological principles and technologies based on traditional agricultural wisdom.
The primary task of eco-agriculture is to provide sufficient food for humanity. The boundary of eco-agriculture includes any agricultural production method that conforms to ecological principles and uses no (organic agriculture) or minimal (green agriculture) synthetic chemicals. This view aligns with Hou Xueyu’s “great agriculture” and “great food” concepts. Organic or green planting, natural marine fishing, natural freshwater fisheries, free-range grazing, forest food gathering, free-range animal husbandry in agro-pastoral areas, and the production, processing, and sales of vegetables, Chinese medicinal herbs, tea, and fruits without using pesticides, hormones, plastic film, or genetically modified seeds all fall within the scope of eco-agriculture.
Agricultural models that severely violate ecological principles do not belong to eco-agriculture. These include factory farming, intensive and large-scale monoculture, off-season planting, agriculture using large amounts of chemical inputs or genetically modified seeds, processing industries using many food additives, pseudo-organic or pseudo-green agriculture with only certification but food sourced from farmers’ markets, and so-called “pesticide-free” agriculture with multiple pesticide residues detected, and high-density aquatic farming.
It is worth noting that eco-agriculture cannot solve all problems. Its application depends on changing consumer perceptions, producer participation, and government support. Its drawbacks include high labor input and demanding work. It is necessary to develop ecological technologies to reduce labor input, such as mechanical seeding, harvesting, and weeding. In developed countries, most chemically intensive farmland production is used for export, feed, or industrial raw materials, while eco-agriculture aims to meet health needs and protect the environment and biodiversity.
Author: Jiang Gaoming (Researcher in Eco-Agriculture, Botanist, Former Deputy Secretary-General of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation)
Translator: Linda
Editor: Richard
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