With growing uncertainty about the state of natural resources, pollinator health, climate change and access to good nutrition, the need for resilient and sustainable farming has never been greater.
Agricology is a new online resource that translates scientific research in to practical advice to help farmers become more profitable and more sustainable, while protecting the environment.
Founded by three independent charitable organisations – the Daylesford Foundation, the Organic Research Centre and the Allerton Project – Agricology aims to provide farmers with the best practical information on ecological techniques, via a website www.agricology.co.uk, on social media, and through on-farm events.
“I have always been passionate about sustainable agriculture,” says Carole Bamford, trustee and founder of the Daylesford Foundation. “There is a great deal of good and diverse information available on this important area and we wanted to bring this all together in an easy way for farmers and landowners to understand. By sharing knowledge on organic and other ecological farming techniques, I believe we can work together for the benefit of the soil, the pollinators and the wider natural environment”.
The Daylesford Foundation is actively involved in developing Agricology and has pledged nearly
£500,000 to the project over the next five years.
Agricology is guided by a steering group of leading figures from the worlds of agriculture and horticulture. Together, they represent a diverse range of farming principles including organic, integrated conventional, biodynamic, agroforestry and permaculture.
Dr Susanne Padel from the ORC comments: “Agricology allows us to make the best resources on ecological practices available to all farmers and growers, and those that support them, and encourages the sharing of knowledge and experience”.
Dr Alastair Leake, Head of the GWCT’s Allerton Project, said: “Making agriculture more sustainable is challenging. We are collating useful information found in scientific journals and making it understandable, practical and available, then demonstrating their use with experts ‘in the field’.”
Topics covered by Agricology’s resources include:
Agricology also features inspirational farmer and grower profiles, which are designed to stimulate farmer–led innovation and help spread the word.
Richard Smith, Senior Farms Manager at Daylesford and Chairman of the Agricology Steering Group explains how he and fellow farmers will benefit from Agricology: “Each farm has its own environment, yet often advice is too generic or can be driven by a particular agenda. By following Agricology, a farmer has access to the best available information, which may be the latest agri-tech advancement or a traditional skill. Most importantly, it is honest, practical and user-friendly”.
Visit our
Agricology project page
