ABSTRACT
The concept of agroecology broadened over the twentieth century, from a term that initially referred to a marriage between agronomy and ecology to one that today brings together disciplines from all around the university. The term agroecology referenced the coming together of two disciplines, agronomy and ecology. The future viability of high input, irrigated monoculture rice production is being questioned in many parts of the world due to the rising cost of inputs and the growing toll the systems are placing on the environment. Agroecological principles also lie at the center of many organic farms which explains, when managed properly, their favorable comparison to conventional methods of food production. Cornelia Flora makes the case that the agro-ecosystem concept cannot be divorced from human communities. As she explains: Agriculture and forestry represent attempts of human communities to use the perceived potential of a local landscape to extract value and maintain human communities: rural, suburban, and urban.
