Ecoagriculture

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A method of farming that prioritizes environmental sustainability while integrating agricultural practices with ecological principles
2. A sustainable agricultural approach that focuses on preserving ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing chemical inputs
3. An agricultural system that aims to harmonize food production with natural ecosystems, promoting sustainability and conservation practices

Etymology: Jeffrey McNeely and Sara Scherr popularized this term in their book "Ecoagriculture: Strategies to Feed the World and Save Wild Biodiversity." Their aim was to argue that farming and wildlife conservation could be pursued together rather than treated as rivals, with farms managed to support the surrounding ecosystem. The word is a compound of "eco-" and "agriculture." The prefix comes from the Greek "oikos," meaning "house" or "household," which also gave us "economy" and "ecology." Ernst Haeckel built "ecology" from that root in German, and "eco-" later spread as a prefix for anything connected with the environment.