Transformative Agroecology

Overview | Curriculum | Instructors

Transformative Agroecology

ALE 6110 | CRN 94683

Covers the evolution of agroecology from its origins to the present, including the myriad ways it is both understood and practiced, evaluating examples from around the world to explore agroecology's biophysical, sociocultural, and political potential for food system transformation.

Program Snapshot

Next Start Date
How Often
Learning Format
Learning Type
August 25, 2025Every FallHybridSynchronous
Required Group Meetings
Duration
Time Commitment
Credential
Wednesdays, 12-2pm ET15 Weeks6-8 hours/weekUVM Credit or Digital Badge

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Overview

Overview

Shifting Practices and Paradigms for Food System Transformation

Agroecology is multifaceted - connecting political, socio-cultural, productive, and environmental threads together in an integrated approach to food and farming systems. This introductory course covers the evolution of agroecology from its origins to the present, including the myriad ways it is both understood and practiced. Course participants will explore conceptual and practical content from around the globe, and collectively engage in critical inquiry, reflect on their own place and power within agri-food systems, and assess agroecology’s potential for moving us closer to full transformation of our current food systems.

Course Days and Times

Fall 2025 Semester: August 25 – December 5. Required meetings (online or in-person) every Wednesday, 12pm-2pm Eastern.

By the end of the course, students will:

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  • Apply systems theory to consider agroecosystem and food system dynamics across contexts
  • Deconstruct the idea of a human/nature divide
  • Describe the foundations of agroecology, honoring its roots in Indigenous and peasant knowledge traditions and identify key characteristics of current debates
  • Practice contextualized learning through connecting course concepts to their own immediate foodshed while also engaging with wider food systems dynamics
  • Co-create a learning community in which each of us are fully able to show up as creative, active contributors to the space

Curriculum

Curriculum

Ideally, to orient ourselves to agroecology, we would all be somewhere together – immersing ourselves in learning from the land and conditions around us. Since we will be connecting through a hybrid classroom environment, we will lean into this opportunity to engage with examples from around the world while connecting the concepts back to our own context. Agroecology is not built on one-size-fits-all ideas. It is an approach that requires us to think about biophysical, cultural, and political dynamics - to engage with multiple truths and accept discomfort, contradictions, and complexity. All of us arrive at this course with something to learn and something to teach each other, and we will work to build a community where we can push ourselves past assumptions and into deeper understanding. We will hone our skills in critical inquiry, observation, and reflective practice to build capacity for transforming our food systems.

Modules

Module 1 – Agroecological Foundations

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Agroecology requires us to consider interrelatedness, connections, and complementarities, so we will begin by orienting ourselves to each other, thinking about systems, and establishing some shared vocabulary and conceptual foundations. In Module 1, we will explore agroecology's lineage and the multiple traditions that it is related to, opening the conversation around which distinctions matter, to whom, and why.

Module 2 - Multidimensionality

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Agroecology is a holistic approach, and we always want to be looking for how things relate to each other, but we will start to deepen our understanding of core concepts by looking separately at some key components: nature and biodiversity; on-farm practices and full system design; labor and value; and food sovereignty and seeds. For each, we will explore examples of how power, knowledge-system, and territorial dynamics are expressed, and then will consider how they are impacted by and contribute to the wider systems around them.

Module 3 – Current Issues

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Working from a foundation in the multiple facets of agroecology that we have developed up to now, in Module 3 we will turn to how agroecology intersects with prominent issues of the moment including climate change, technology/innovation, and conflict and food access. We’ll approach our learning through questions including: What are the different ways that farmers are experiencing climate change across the globe? Is agroecology anti-technology? Do we have a right to food?

Module 4 – Scaling Agroecology

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One of the challenges for agroecology is persistent narratives that question its broad applicability, suggesting that it is a niche approach and not something that can meaningfully contribute toward widespread food systems transformation. In Module 4 we will look at efforts across academia and civil society to reinterpret the viability of agroecology at scale, considering the evidence that is being used to inform those perspectives, and considering the moments and conditions in which change is most possible. What are the levers that need to be pulled to initiate and/or maintain movement toward transformational change? What does agroecology offer as a complement or alternative to other 'sustainable' food system approaches?

Instructors

Martha Caswell

Martha Caswell

Research Affiliate, PhD Student

martha.caswell@uvm.edu