152
Subtle Agroecologies
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Over the last 30 years or so, the theoretical and methodological framework of homeopathy has
expanded from the treatment of humans to that of animals, crops and agroecosystems (Bonamin,
2014). The biggest challenge of the homeopathic therapist working in agriculture is to identify the
remedies that restore the dynamic equilibrium in such agroecosystems. This exercise of understanding the sick system as a unique and individualised organism, and seeking the medicine that can best
remedy it whilst prioritising the most important symptoms, requires the homeopathic therapist to
be an integrative healing artist.
Clearly, homeopathy in agriculture is based on a very different scientifc rationality from that
of Cartesian materialism, which seeks to maximise the factors of production for the continuous
increase in productivity. Thus, the medic prescribing pharmaceuticals, the veterinarian prescribing drugs, or the agronomist prescribing agrochemicals is not usually receptive of homeopathy for
family farmers, a concept which takes into account the entire interactive environment. Therefore,
there is a need in the agricultural arena for both new concepts and new training that embrace such
complexity.
Hahnemann believed that homeopathy should help people to reach the highest purpose of their
existence which is living in harmony with themselves, and their (social and natural) environments. In
particular, homeopathy as a social tool may assist more vulnerable communities to free themselves
from the dependencies imposed by the conventional agriculture system. Agroecology is concerned
with biomimicry and social issues that relate to, for example, diversity, inclusion, cooperation, complementarity and self-determination. If farmers are provided with knowledge of a theoretical and
methodological framework that can deal with such complexities on their farms, and are able to
apply low-cost homeopathic solutions, this provides them with a unique opportunity to enhance and
work with the connectivity and integrity in the animal, plant, soil, water and human components of
the agricultural organism in search of harmony of the dynamic, whole, agroecosystem.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to the Study Group on Homeopathy and Agroecology brought together by the
Laboratory of Homeopathy and Plant Health of EPAGRI-Lages that works with postgraduate students and docents and professors from UDESC and UNIPLAC, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. We
should also like to thank our colleagues Leyza P. de Oliveira, Marcelo S. Pedroso, Mari I. Carissimi
Boff and Amarilys Cesar for their valuable contributions to the manuscript. This study was partially supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científco e Tecnológico (CNPq), who
granted the frst author a PQ scholarship as a researcher, and by the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa
e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC) for additional research funding. The second and
the third authors were partially funded by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível
Superior (CAPES).
REFERENCES
Andrade, F. and Casali, V.W.D. (2011) Homeopatia, Agroecologia e Sustentabilidade. Revista Brasileira de
Agroecologia, 6(1): 49–56.
Aversa, R., Petrescu, R.V.V., Apicella, A. and Petrescu, F.I.T. (2016) About homeopathy or “similia similibus
curentur”. American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 9(4): 1164–1172.
Bell, I.R., Baldwin, C.M. and Schwartz, G.E. (2002) Translating a nonlinear systems theory model for homeopathy into empirical tests. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 8(3): 58–66.
Bertalanffy, L.V. (1967) General theory of systems: Application to psychology. Information (International
Social Science Council), 6(6): 125–136.
Bertalanffy, L.V. (1973) Teoria geral dos sistemas. [General System Theory, 1968]. Petropolis: Ed. Vozes
Ltda, 351 p.
Subtle Agroecologies
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Over the last 30 years or so, the theoretical and methodological framework of homeopathy has
expanded from the treatment of humans to that of animals, crops and agroecosystems (Bonamin,
2014). The biggest challenge of the homeopathic therapist working in agriculture is to identify the
remedies that restore the dynamic equilibrium in such agroecosystems. This exercise of understanding the sick system as a unique and individualised organism, and seeking the medicine that can best
remedy it whilst prioritising the most important symptoms, requires the homeopathic therapist to
be an integrative healing artist.
Clearly, homeopathy in agriculture is based on a very different scientifc rationality from that
of Cartesian materialism, which seeks to maximise the factors of production for the continuous
increase in productivity. Thus, the medic prescribing pharmaceuticals, the veterinarian prescribing drugs, or the agronomist prescribing agrochemicals is not usually receptive of homeopathy for
family farmers, a concept which takes into account the entire interactive environment. Therefore,
there is a need in the agricultural arena for both new concepts and new training that embrace such
complexity.
Hahnemann believed that homeopathy should help people to reach the highest purpose of their
existence which is living in harmony with themselves, and their (social and natural) environments. In
particular, homeopathy as a social tool may assist more vulnerable communities to free themselves
from the dependencies imposed by the conventional agriculture system. Agroecology is concerned
with biomimicry and social issues that relate to, for example, diversity, inclusion, cooperation, complementarity and self-determination. If farmers are provided with knowledge of a theoretical and
methodological framework that can deal with such complexities on their farms, and are able to
apply low-cost homeopathic solutions, this provides them with a unique opportunity to enhance and
work with the connectivity and integrity in the animal, plant, soil, water and human components of
the agricultural organism in search of harmony of the dynamic, whole, agroecosystem.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to the Study Group on Homeopathy and Agroecology brought together by the
Laboratory of Homeopathy and Plant Health of EPAGRI-Lages that works with postgraduate students and docents and professors from UDESC and UNIPLAC, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. We
should also like to thank our colleagues Leyza P. de Oliveira, Marcelo S. Pedroso, Mari I. Carissimi
Boff and Amarilys Cesar for their valuable contributions to the manuscript. This study was partially supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científco e Tecnológico (CNPq), who
granted the frst author a PQ scholarship as a researcher, and by the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa
e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC) for additional research funding. The second and
the third authors were partially funded by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível
Superior (CAPES).
REFERENCES
Andrade, F. and Casali, V.W.D. (2011) Homeopatia, Agroecologia e Sustentabilidade. Revista Brasileira de
Agroecologia, 6(1): 49–56.
Aversa, R., Petrescu, R.V.V., Apicella, A. and Petrescu, F.I.T. (2016) About homeopathy or “similia similibus
curentur”. American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 9(4): 1164–1172.
Bell, I.R., Baldwin, C.M. and Schwartz, G.E. (2002) Translating a nonlinear systems theory model for homeopathy into empirical tests. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 8(3): 58–66.
Bertalanffy, L.V. (1967) General theory of systems: Application to psychology. Information (International
Social Science Council), 6(6): 125–136.
Bertalanffy, L.V. (1973) Teoria geral dos sistemas. [General System Theory, 1968]. Petropolis: Ed. Vozes
Ltda, 351 p.