Agri Zero

Reflection

Agri Zero was a very interesting subject for me, as I come from a place in Mexico (Sinaloa) where intensive and industrial scale agriculture is the main economic activity. Since I was a kid, I would see these endless landscapes covered in monocrops which at some point of the year, when the harvest season came, they became this kind of bare soil desertic landscape. As we learned in Agri-zero, bare soil is dead soil; photons kill its microbiota, which are essential for its health.

It was interesting to dig deeper in order to better understand the functionality of ecosystems: from experimenting with soil, seeds, diversity and classification of the plant world, to symbiosis in ecosystems. I also consider crucial the field trips that helped us identify different ecotones in Barcelona’s surrounding hills. Personally, I am very interested in trying to understand the natural complex systems and relationships between species, climate and geography. On the other hand, getting to know these ecosystems that are close to the city gave a perspective of the human activity’s impact on them: from the introduction of invasive species, to the modification of the land configuration and water supplies.

Finally, now I have a clearer idea of the future for healthier takes on agriculture that can be applied in my home region. Permaculture and regenerative agriculture are some options that will allow wild species and humans to coexist in order to produce the food we need. Never the less, in order for this to work, we need to incorporate a circular and more localized economy globally.

Right now, our soils in Sinaloa are being exploited to produce food not only for the region but for the rest of the country and the world. Sinaloa is one of the main exporters of crops like tomatoes, corn and berries (recently); as well as seeds, meat of bovine animals and fishing. This reality leaves me thinking: how longer do our land, rivers and seas will bare this exploitation? Climate change is also affecting the area, as every year gets hotter and dryer. Change needs to be implemented, and it better be sooner than later.