Solari Food Series – Dr. Miguel Altieri: Father of Modern Agroecology

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“The final requirement of an ecological agriculture is an evolved, conscious human being whose attitude towards nature is that of co-existence, not exploitation.” ~ Dr. Miguel Altieri

This Thursday, Harry Blazer interviews an outstanding leader in the world of fresh food, intelligent agriculture and a human future, Dr. Miguel Atieri.

Dr. Altieri is a professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at University of California, Berkeley. He has extensive knowledge and experience working with farmers and students throughout North and South America.

Dr. Altieri is the founder of Agroecology:

Agroecology is a scientific discipline that uses ecological theory to study, design, manage and evaluate agricultural systems that are productive but also resource conserving. Agroecological research considers interactions of all important biophysical, technical and socioeconomic components of farming systems and regards these systems as the fundamental units of study, where mineral cycles, energy transformations, biological processes and socioeconomic relationships are analyzed as a whole in an interdisciplinary fashion.

Agroecology is concerned with the maintenance of a productive agriculture that sustains yields and optimizes the use of local resources while minimizing the negative environmental and socio-economic impacts of modern technologies. In industrial countries, modern agriculture with its yield maximizing high-input technologies generates environmental and health problems that often do not serve the needs of producers and consumers. In developing countries, in addition to promoting environmental degradation, modern agricultural technologies have bypassed the circumstances and socio-economic needs of large numbers of resource-poor farmers. ( From What is Agroecology?)

This interview will give you the facts about o and what is fresh, healthy food, which so greatly differs from most current developed world food production and distribution. Special thanks to Harry Blazer for once again bringing us the very finest people in the world of food and a human future.

Some of the things that Dr. Altieri discusses are the challenges to urban areas to provide fresh, local food. One response to the demand is the growing phenomenon of vertical farming. In Let’s Go to the Movies, take a look at documentary, The Rise of Vertical Farming, which addresses how farmers and entreprenuers are exploring indoor farming in cities in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

I will cover the latest in financial markets and geopolitics in Money & Markets. I will be speaking with you from Mexico City where I will be accepting the International Journalism Award from the Club de Periodistas de Mexico (Journalist Press Club of Mexico). Please post or e-mail your questions for Ask Catherine.

We really do anticipate launching our new website this week! We thought we would last week but delayed for better bug mitigation. If the site is not launched by this coming Thursday at 6pm ET, we will post the audios here. If it is launched you will find the link to login at Solari.com here. Keep your fingers crossed!

Talk to you Thursday!

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