Agroecology, Part 1

By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: September 30, 2003

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
This week, we take a suggestion from a listener in Brazil. Agricultural specialist Luiz Augusto Verona in Chapeco would like to hear about 1)agroecology. He says it is a subject that these days "everybody talks about."
The word agroecology is generally used to describe farming methods that can be carried out in a way that does not damage the environment. Sustainable development is another term often used in connection with agroecology. Sustainable development methods are designed to save resources.
Interest in agroecology has increased in recent years. Now, many universities offer studies in this area. The University of California at Santa Cruz and Pennsylvania State University are just two of the schools that offer agroecology programs. Many agricultural programs are also linking studies in animal biology, soil science and other studies.
In many ways agroecology is an answer to the technological¹ movement to increase production of some crops. This movement which developed in the nineteen-sixties and seventies became known as the Green Revolution. Scientists developed ways to make highly² productive³ forms of wheat, corn and rice.
Norman Borlaug helped bring about the Green Revolution. Mister⁴ Borlaug was an agricultural researcher for the DuPont Company. Later, he went to Mexico where he worked at the International Maize⁵ and Wheat Improvement⁶ Center. He became the director. He also helped create new kinds of highly productive wheat. Mister Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in nineteen-seventy for his efforts to develop more productive crops and to train scientists. He remains⁷ active in this work today.
The Green Revolution produced huge increases in crop size in India, Mexico, Pakistan and the Philippines. It has also placed importance on the use of chemical fertilizers⁸ and insect poisons, and on the need for new crops. Today's genetically⁹ changed crops are the next step.
Agroecology seeks to use scientific knowledge of the environment to make good choices about growing crops. Many experts say it is not competing with the goals of the Green Revolution. They say both have a single goal: to feed the world's people.
Listen next week as we tell more about agroecology.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Steve Ember.
注释
1) agroecology [7A^rEu7i:5kClEdVi] n. 农业生态学

1 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

2 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

3 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

4 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

5 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

6 improvement   

n.改进，增进；改进之处，改善的地方

参考例句：

• The doctor noticed a gradual improvement in his patient.医生注意到病人在逐渐恢复健康。
• I can detect signs of improvement in your thinking.我可以察觉出你思考问题方面的进步。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 fertilizers   

肥料，化肥( fertilizer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the long-term effects of fertilizers 肥料的长远影响
• Crushed bones make one of the best fertilizers. 骨粉是最佳肥料之一。

9 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物