What is syntropy? A beginner’s guide

Syntropic agriculture is a way of reading the ecosystem. Instead of fighting nature, we follow its processes: layers, succession, and cooperation between plants.

It was developed by Ernst Götsch, born in Switzerland in 1948. In the 1980s he moved to Brazil and built a farm in southern Bahia from which the approach spread worldwide.

Four ideas for beginners: work with processes, not only bought inputs; prune intelligently and generously; “plant water” with species that hold and cycle it; and turn “enemies” (including green weeds) into friends of soil and microclimate.

In the North and in Latvia that means hardy species, shelter from wind and frost, and patience — the system grows richer over the years.