Global Agroecology lessons

Science Blog

March 21, 2025

It’s essential for the future of our food system – U.S. farmers must adapt to climate change. Globally, farmers lean on the wisdom of ancient growing techniques as they are rooted in resilience. These cultures demonstrate how working with nature and growing climate-adapted crops can strengthen agricultural systems. I want to highlight agroecology silvopasture and dry land farming as examples of practices we can adopt locally and nationally.

Farmer Molina's Columbian Silvopasture

Silvopasture: Can we Rethink Livestock Management? YES!

Did you know that agroecology can build resilience to climate change by integrating plants, animals, and ecosystems based on local knowledge. Silvopastures are so cool! Livestock graze amongst trees instead of pastures that are exposed to weather.

In Colombia, farmer Carlos Hernando Molina moved his cattle from open fields to grazing under the Amazon tree canopy. I love this hotel system! It provides nutrient-dense foraging opportunities with plenty of seeds and greens. Livestock get a break from extreme heat, reducing stress and improving productivity. These cows are living their best lives! Since adopting silvopasture, Molina’s farm has doubled its herd size, increasing both meat and dairy production (Simon, 2025). Cows grazing in silvopasture emit less methane (Molina-Botero et al., 2024).  Molina’s business is thriving, which is what we all want – farmers to thrive.

In the U.S. pasture-raising livestock in open paddocks is common practice. Without shelter from Mother Nature, animals can be exposed to intense weather.  Herds are lower in weight, live with chronic stress and are more susceptible to disease (Stein, 2025). Overgrazing also contributes to soil degradation, reducing long-term land viability. Nothing can grow in nutrient deficient soil. The U.S. can learn from Colombia’s success by investing in rotational grazing, silvopasture systems, and shaded paddocks, all of which improve soil health, enhance biodiversity, and support long-term farm sustainability.

Open grazing, open to the elements

Recognizing these benefits, Boulder County has begun offering grants to help local farmers establish silvopastures. I am excited to see how this approach can be adapted to the U.S., especially on a local level!

Millets: A Climate-Resilient Grain for Arid Regions – Perfect for Colorado!

We all know, it can be extraordinarily dry (and windy) in Colorado; dry land farming is another agroecological approach that could be adopted in many areas of our state. Basically, grow crops that thrive in arid conditions. Millets have been cultivated for thousands of years in India and Africa. They are a drought-resistant, nutrient-rich grain that could help U.S. farmers reduce water dependency and improve soil health. We certainly need that here!

Recognizing their importance, India led the effort for the United Nations to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets (International Year of the Millets 2023, 2022), bringing global attention to this climate-resilient crop. Unlike water-intensive commodity crops such as corn, soy, and wheat, which dominate U.S. agriculture and require costly inputs, millets grow with minimal irrigation and enrich the soil. We should be incorporating millets into U.S. farming systems. It would increase crop diversity, reducing farmers’ reliance on synthetic fertilizers, and provide more nutritious food options for humans and livestock.  I believe there is so much power in the little millet.

Did you know this? Same.

We must Listen to the Land:

We all know climate change is accelerating, and U.S. farmers must rethink conventional practices. We must look at ancient agroecological methods, like silvopastures and millet cultivation. This wisdom offers practical, proven solutions for building resiliency. We need to get out of the practice of forcing the land to conform to industrial systems. Instead, we must listen to the land, work with natural ecosystems, and adopt farming methods suited to place. The answers to our agricultural challenges already exist, we just need our country and farmers to embrace them.

Sources:

International Year of the Millets 2023. (2022, January 12). FAO United Nations. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/c8e62919-c89a-4b74-a342-9501100c7327/content

Molina-Botero, I. C., Villegas, D. M., & Montoya, A. (2024). Effect of a silvopastoral system with Leucaena diversifolia on enteric methane emissions, animal performance, and meat fatty acid profile of beef steers. Agroforestry Systems, 98, 1967–1984. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-024-01046-y

Simon, J. (2025, March 3). This Colombian “hotel for cows” could help reduce deforestation in the Amazon [Audio]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/03/03/nx-s1-5219431/climate-silvopasture-cows-deforestation-amazon-rainforest

Stein, M. (2025, March 18). Extreme heat impacts dairy production, and small farms are most vulnerable [Nonprofit organization]. TheGIST. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-extreme-impacts-dairy-production-small.html