Center for Diversified Farming Systems
The Center for Diversified Farming Systems examines how different forms of agriculture along a spectrum of diversification affect human societies and the environment.
Francis et al. (2013) define agroecology as “the integration of ecology in agriculture and agri-food systems, encompassing ecological, economic, and social dimensions.” At BFI we focus our work on both urban and rural agroecological agri-food systems. Although it is often considered the “science behind sustainable agriculture,” agroecology has evolved to a much broader concept: “Agroecology is not only a science and a practice but a movement for social change” (S. Gliessman).
At the Berkeley Food Institute we focus our work on both urban and rural agroecological food systems.