Scaling out agroecology from the school garden: the importance of culture, food, and place

ABSTRACT

We explore potential and limitations for agroecological scaling through formal education, using the LabVida school gardens program in Chiapas, Mexico as a case study. Through LabVida training, educators gained an appreciation of agroecology and learned to apply agroecological practices, although their understanding of agroecological principles and scientific process remained limited. The greatest program impact was on educators’ eating habits, and their perception of the value of local knowledge and its relevance to school work. The case study demonstrates the potential of garden and food-system work to leverage institutional resources in ways that can improve educational outcomes, including agroecological literacy. Increased awareness of agroecology and the value of local knowledge may intersect with other drivers of scaling, including markets, organizational fabric, and policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Inquiry-based learning
• participatory action research
• place-based education
• science education
• teacher training

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to LabVida participants and staff, principally Mercedes Cristóbal, Nancy Serrano, and Isabel Reyes, for their collaboration, to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for grant P3020700 to HM, and to Alejandra Guzmán and Miriam Aldasoro for comments on an earlier draft.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation [P3020700].