UCSC Press Release:Short course on Agroecology offered

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August 6, 1999
Contact: Jennifer McNulty (831) 459-2495; jmcnulty@cats.ucsc.edu
UCSC's two week course on Agroecology attracts participants from around the globe
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SANTA CRUZ, CA--Participants in an upcoming two-week short course on agroecology offered by the University of California, Santa Cruz, hail from all over the world: Morocco, Nigeria, Japan, Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba, Italy, Nepal, Colombia, Costa Rica, American Samoa, and the United States.
The list reflects the growing worldwide interest in--and need for-- the principles and practices of agroecology that are being developed at institutions like UCSC's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and the Department of Environmental Studies.
"Agroecology is of intense interest now because of the failures of modern agricultural technology--for large-scale farmers but especially for small farmers," said Erle Ellis, a postgraduate researcher with the Environmental Studies Department at UCSC and one of three main organizers of the course. "Agroecology deals especially well with farming systems at the scale used on traditional small farms and in developing countries."
Agroecology also addresses the unwanted environmental consequences that have been generated by the heavy use of chemical inputs that is associated with conventional agriculture. "Agroecology is an ecological approach that emphasizes the long-term management of agroecosystems," said Ellis.
Among the registered participants in the short course are farmers, members of development organizations, academics, and graduate students. Only 35 individuals were accepted into the program, which will include lectures, demonstrations, and field applications. Most activities will take place at the UCSC Farm, although one field trip to local farms and farmers' markets is planned.
The main instructors will be Stephen Gliessman, the Alfred E. Heller Professor of Agroecology in the Environmental Studies Department at UCSC; Ellis; and Miguel Altieri, a professor of insect biology at UC Berkeley. They will be joined by several other instructors and specialists from the UCSC Center for Agroecology, the University of California, and other state institutions and organizations.
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August 6, 1999 Contact: Jennifer McNulty (831) 459-2495; jmcnulty@cats.ucsc.edu UCSC's two week course on Agroecology attracts participants from around the globe FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SANTA CRUZ, CA--Participants in an upcoming two-week short course on agroecology offered by the University of California, Santa Cruz, hail from all over the world: Morocco, Nigeria, Japan, Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba, Italy, Nepal, Colombia, Costa Rica, American Samoa, and the United States. The list reflects the growing worldwide interest in--and need for-- the principles and practices of agroecology that are being developed at institutions like UCSC's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and the Department of Environmental Studies. "Agroecology is of intense interest now because of the failures of modern agricultural technology--for large-scale farmers but especially for small farmers," said Erle Ellis, a postgraduate researcher with the Environmental Studies Department at UCSC and one of three main organizers of the course. "Agroecology deals especially well with farming systems at the scale used on traditional small farms and in developing countries." Agroecology also addresses the unwanted environmental consequences that have been generated by the heavy use of chemical inputs that is associated with conventional agriculture. "Agroecology is an ecological approach that emphasizes the long-term management of agroecosystems," said Ellis. Among the registered participants in the short course are farmers, members of development organizations, academics, and graduate students. Only 35 individuals were accepted into the program, which will include lectures, demonstrations, and field applications. Most activities will take place at the UCSC Farm, although one field trip to local farms and farmers' markets is planned. The main instructors will be Stephen Gliessman, the Alfred E. Heller Professor of Agroecology in the Environmental Studies Department at UCSC; Ellis; and Miguel Altieri, a professor of insect biology at UC Berkeley. They will be joined by several other instructors and specialists from the UCSC Center for Agroecology, the University of California, and other state institutions and organizations. ##### Press Release Home \| Search Press Releases \| Press Release Archive \| Services for Journalists
	Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu