This course examines different agriculture and food production systems from an ecological perspective, considering the systemic model and integrated agroecological management, to offer answers that promote sustainability and regenerativity for food production systems design.

After studying the fundamentals and most important ecological processes, diverse applications to agricultural systems will be analyzed within the framework of the imitation of natural systems, including ancestral and novel technologies and methods. The elements of consumption and production that affect current food production systems and the production and management of energy from alternative sources will also be analyzed and students will explore their own role in the food production system, and creation of new solutions. After this course, students will show capacities, skills and attitudes important for the design and development of regenerative projects in agroecology and sustainable food production.

Field trips will provide opportunities for direct observation and interaction in different system designs and their particular operation in Costa Rica, many times applicable to international realities. This course usually interacts with other CIPES courses such as Tropical Botany and Sustainable Development, among others; the course demands extra class reading and preparation for lectures, outside activities, and assignments.