Public invited to ‘An Evening of Agroecology and Agroforestry’

If you’re looking to learn more about how best sustainability and ecological practices can help solve inequality problems in agriculture, increase agricultural production, resist climate change and more, there’s an upcoming workshop just for you.

The public is invited to “An Evening of Agroecology and Agroforestry,” from 4 to 7 p.m. on Indigenous People’s Day.

The free online class and conversation is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Marine & Envrionmental Institute of Pohnpei and University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resources Center and will feature speakers professor emeritus of agroecology at the University of California, Berkeley, Miguel Altieri and David Sansone, owner of Hawai‘i Edible Landscaping in Pāpaʻaloa on the Big Island.

Altieri will teach participants about agroecology — a science, practice and social movement that focuses on the application of ecological principles to agricultural practices in an effort to solve the sustainability and social inequality problems of agriculture.

He is known as “the Godfather of Agroecology” and the author of many articles and books about the topic, including “Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture.”

Sansone has 20-plus years of experience in agroforestry. He will share how agroforestry, the combination of agriculture and forestry practices and species, can help cultivators develop natural solutions to beat the weeds and pests, increase production, resist climate change, protect the water and revitalize the soil.

There will be a special focus on the ancient roots of agroforestry and its importance today.

Altieri and Sansoen will have a wide ranging discussion about these topics, current challenges and successes and a vision for the future of sustainable agriculture.

Register for free educational materials online.

The workshop will be conducted via Zoom. For more information, visit the Hawai‘i Edible Landscaping website.