Sustainably soil management in agroecological transition processes

Abstract

Large-scale industrial agriculture promotes soil intensive exploitation that can compromise its sustainability over time. In response, Agroecology proposes practices that return the soil to its productive capacity. This research used an analysis framework on sustainability, to identify indicators that relate the state and management of the soil with the physical, chemical and biological dimensions. Nine sustainability indicators applied to twenty-three farms with different trajectories in the agroecological transition process located in Subachoque, Cundinamarca, Colombia were selected. Production systems with five or more years in transition gained the maximum values for eight of the evaluated indicators. It is evident how agroecology generates changes in the sustainability of soil management, ensuring appropriate soil characteristics to maintain its productive capacity over time.