Agroecology and spirituality: reflections about an unrecognized link

ABSTRACT

Agroecologists mainly work with producers from traditional cultures. Ethno-ecological studies conducted in recent decades, clearly demonstrate that the experience these cultures have accumulated can be defined as wisdom, formed as a complex integrating a set of beliefs that lead to a worldview (an ontological dimension), a repertoire of knowledge (an epistemological dimension), and a series of practices (a productive dimension). So far, agroecology has addressed two of these three dimensions interacting with traditional producers (the epistemological and productive dimensions) and, with few exceptions, has neglected the ontological dimension. This paper sets forth the thesis that the ontological perspective leads to spirituality, a theme that has been excluded. Recognizing and integrating spirituality into agroecological practice would reinforce agroecology as a socially and environmentally liberating activity, since it embraces key concepts such as Mother Earth and Harmonious Living (buen vivir, the indigenous principle of harmonizing with the whole of nature).

KEYWORDS:

• Agroecology
• spirituality
• intercultural dialogue
• Mother Earth
• sacred ecology

Acknowledgments

The author is deeply grateful to N. Barrera-Bassols, B. Ortíz-Espejel and Iván González-Márquez for the critical reading of a preliminary version of this essay. I also wish to thank Marianne Gabriel and Freddy Delgado for having facilitated relevant information. I received very useful comments from two anonymous reviewers. The graphs, bibliographical review, and editing was, once again, thanks to Pablo Alarcón-Chaires. Finally, Toña Osher and Leslie Pascoe Chalke translated the text into English.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).