This conversation took place on 27 Nov 2024 and has been edited for clarity and
conciseness.
By Alan Cassels
As I write this, it is a fortuitous day, December 5 th , 2024 which, according to the United
Nations is World Soil Day. According to the UN they mark this day “as a means to
focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable
management of soil resources.”
This is an apt segue as I recently had a very engaging discussion with Leonardo Faedo,
a Brazilian agronomist and researcher at Coventry University, about homeopathy in
agriculture. Without healthy soil we don’t get healthy plants, necessary to sustain
human life on this planet and so the robustness and resilience of soil is a vital topic of
interest.
Our lively discussion centered on how homeopathy has been studied, and producing
preliminary results that can potentially revolutionize farming by reducing chemical
dependency and promoting ecological balance. This kind of agriculture is essentially
rooted in health, of the soil, the plants, the farmers, and basically of us, and the
sustainability, and interconnectedness we share with soil.
What is the field of research of Homeopathy in Agriculture look like?
Leo explained that it is a novel field leveraging the principles of homeopathy to promote
crop health and ecological balance. He has a background in agroecology, and newly
graduated with a PhD double-degree award from Coventry University in the UK – (Social
Sciences) and from the University of Santa Catarina State in Brazil – (Natural
Sciences).
Leo explained that homeopathy in agriculture applies the principles of potentized
remedies, commonly associated with human and veterinary medicine, to plants and
soils. (Potentized means diluted and dynamized, ie: making something more active,
productive or energetic) Unlike chemical inputs, these remedies aim to enhance the
natural resilience of plants, strengthen root systems, and support overall ecosystem
health. As most of us know conventional agriculture is the opposite of sustainable,
efficient or healthy for the planet, as it relies heavily on fertilizers, pesticides, and
herbicides that often degrade soil health, pollute water systems, and harm human
health.
The philosophy behind homeopathy in agriculture is rooted in ecology &
salutogenesis—a concept introduced by sociologist Aaron Antonovsky—which focuses
on factors that promote health and well-being rather than treating disease symptoms.
The ultimate goal is to treat the agricultural system holistically.
I kicked off the conversation by asking Leo about the concept of homeopathy in farming
asking him if one of the main side effects of this research is creating agriculture that
uses fewer chemicals—chemicals that poison groundwater and deplete soils.
“Correct,” he said, adding that “one of the advantages of homeopathy is supporting the
resilience of crops and maximizing water use efficiency. By applying remedies to plants,
which are connected to the soil, you benefit the whole biological sphere of the root
system. At the end of the day, homeopathy isn’t just treating the plant; it’s treating the
system.”
Leo shared a historical perspective on how modern agriculture evolved during the
Green Revolution.
“Before the 1970s, farmers grew food locally, and it wasn’t a commodity,” he explained.
“After the Second World War, the industrial infrastructure shifted to agriculture. That’s
when chemical fertilizers and mechanized farming became dominant.”
This transition, Leo noted, introduced significant challenges: “The soluble fertilizers
added salts to the soil, degrading its structure. The ground can’t hold water or organic
matter anymore, so we lose the soil—and the landscape suffers.”
The implications of this is obvious: “industrial farming isn’t just harmful, Leo said, it’s
unsustainable for farmers financially and environmentally.”
He said: “even industrial agriculture is beginning to acknowledge that these exclusive
approaches have negative impacts. Farmers are stuck in a cycle of loans for chemical
inputs, and it’s not viable long-term.”
It’s clear to me what he was talking about: Agroecology: is a major paradigm shift.
Leo placed the use of homeopathy in agriculture within the broader framework of
agroecology, emphasizing its focus on ecological health and food sovereignty.
“For over 20 years, agroecology has been criticized with lies—people saying it can’t
scale up, can’t produce enough food. And so on. But now, there’s a shift,” he said,
today organic farming and regenerative agriculture are being taken seriously as
sustainable solutions for today.”
I wondered how much resistance he was getting from big agribusiness and the
multibillion dollar food companies who rely on industrial-scale farming methods.
“The criticism is mostly toward agroecology as a whole,” Leo clarified. “Big agriculture
lumps everything under that umbrella. For homeopathy specifically, critics often target
its theoretical foundations, but they overlook the real-world results.”
I pressed Leo on the evidence supporting the use of homeopathy in agriculture. “What
are some of the best-supported results in this field? What excites you the most?”
Leo said that “There are robust academic literature in the topic, particularly research
done in Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, India, Italy, UK and Netherlands. We’re
conducting a systematic review of the research done on agriculture, and the results so
far are promising. For example, studies on potatoes, beans, tomatoes, wheat,
strawberries, and medicinal plants have shown benefits in terms of crop resilience,
yields, plant growth and development. The use of homeopathic preparations stimulates
the plants to perform better, perhaps by stimulating root growth or photosynthesis.”
He also described interesting results to pest control: “For instance with ants,
homeopathic remedies reduce their foraging activity instead of killing them. This
approach is not just less toxic; they respect the ecosystem.”
This was novel to me so I wondered aloud: “You’re not killing pests, but managing their
behavior?” I was thinking of the monoculture practices in Canada, (I grew up in
Saskatchewan and most of my uncles were farmers) where herbicides like glyphosate
are sprayed heavily and frequently to wipe out everything except GMO crops.
There’s clearly a different paradigm in play here. Leo expanded on related concepts
like biodynamic farming, which stems from Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of
anthroposophy. “Biodynamics is about the interconnectedness of soil, plants, and
human health. It looks at agriculture through a different lens, emphasizing vitality and
freedom,” he explained.
What did he mean by bio-stimulation?
“Bio-stimulation is about sending an information pattern to the plant/system through a
remedy,” Leo said. “If the right remedy is chosen, it stimulates the plant to perform
better—whether producing more roots or increasing photosynthesis. It’s a systems
information exchange.”
I wondered why the use of homeopathic in agriculture hasn’t gained traction in North
America thinking of the usual suspects “Is it the lobbying power of agribusiness?”
Leo agreed partially. “Yes, big corporations have significant influence. But there’s also a
lack of awareness. In countries like Brazil, India and Germany, farmers are more open
to traditional and alternative methods. Biodynamic farming is growing in the U.S. and
Canada, which is a step in the right direction.”
When I asked Leo what excites him most about the field, Leo’s passion was evident.
“It’s not just the practical results—like seeing crops become more resilient. It’s also the
dialogue spaces that this method creates,” he said. “As Paulo Freire discussed in his
Pedagogy of Freedom, these conversations bring together farmers, agronomists,
scientists, vets, and students in non-hierarchical ways. We talk about health, vitality, and
how to promote it on a global scale.”
He added, “These discussions connect the health of the soil, the health of food, and the
health of people. That’s what brings me the most energy—it’s about creating awareness
and integrating knowledge.”
While our conversation gave me some idea of the transformative potential of
homeopathy in agriculture, it seems like this field is still very much in its infancy.
It is unarguable that using sustainable solutions derived from homeopathy which could
reduce chemical use, respect ecosystems, and empower farmers is sorely needed
today. While challenges remain in gaining broader acceptance, the real-world
successes and collaborative spirit driving this field offer hope for a more sustainable
agricultural future.
By the end of the conversation, it was clear that homeopathy in agriculture isn’t just
about farming—it’s about reimagining the relationship between people, plants, and the
planet. As Leo put it, “We need this kind of discussion today—this awareness of health,
vitality, and interconnectedness.”