To the question ‘Is it possible to grow food without damaging ecosystems?’, Cristina Monge in her latest episode of the programme Claro Que Se Puede on Cadena SER, has sought answers from Carlos Gregorio Hernández Díaz-Ambrona, researcher at CEIGRAM and Professor at the School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering of the UPM.

During his intervention, Carlos G. Hernández Díaz-Ambrona highlighted that the terminology for sustainable agriculture encompasses various terms and practices, such as ecological agriculture, organic agriculture, agroecology and regenerative agriculture. According to Hernández, all these forms of management share respect for life and the importance of soil health. He emphasised the need for sustainable agriculture managed in a respectful way, avoiding excessive use of chemical fertilisers and ionising radiation, and promoting traditional practices such as crop rotation and the introduction of nitrogen-fixing legumes.

Hernández also highlighted Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) as a guide towards sustainable agriculture. He mentioned specific examples such as limiting the use of nitrogen fertilisers and chemically synthesised pesticides, as well as crop rotation, especially between cereals and leguminous plants. He also highlighted the project carried out in collaboration with FAO in Central America, where they identified and systematised eight GAPs and Technologies for Integrated Disaster Risk Management in El Salvador and Guatemala, through participatory and community processes.

Other experts in the field of sustainable agriculture also participated in the programme:

  • María José Sanz, scientific director of BC3, spoke about the importance of combining traditional knowledge with science to adapt agriculture to climate change. She underlined that mitigation is the major responsibility of developed countries, while adaptation allows for agricultural viability under new climatic conditions.
  • Paca Baraza, Commissioner for the Water Cycle and Ecosystem Restoration at MITECO, highlighted the need to conserve soils to guarantee food security and face climate change. She mentioned that 40% of land areas are degraded and that in Spain there are great risks of desertification.
  • Josep Sabarich, oenologist and production director of Bodegas Torres, shared the winery’s experience in mitigating and adapting to climate change since the early 2000s, observing changes in the phenological state of the plants and the time of harvest.

The programme also addressed the problems of the Mar Menor, affected by nitrate pollution, and the need for a sustainable agricultural transition for its recovery.

This episode of Cristina Monge’s programme underlines the importance of integrating traditional knowledge with modern science to promote sustainable and resilient agriculture in the face of climate change, affirming that it is possible to grow food without damaging ecosystems, the question that opened the programme.

The full programme can be heard at the following link: https://cadenaser.com/audio/1719910463873/