Principle No. 4
Imagine that you are in an area full of vineyards, with very long and endless rows of vines, where everything is perfectly ordered. You will probably think: Wow! How beautiful! I also, many years ago, experienced the same feeling. It is normal. However, that order is far from the supreme order that exists in nature.
Human linearity: order or illusion?
It is important to understand why we are attracted to this linearity. The contrast between the linearity to which humans are drawn and the complex, nonlinear order of nature has solid biological, cultural and cognitive foundations.
In fact, humans are attracted to linearity for several reasons:
- Cognitive efficiency: Our brains look for simple, repeatable patterns to save energy. Straightness is easy to recognize, predict and control. Straight rows give a feeling of order, predictability and clarity, allowing the mind to relax when faced with a system that appears “under control.”
- Dominion over natural chaos: Linearity symbolically represents human dominance over the disorder of nature. Fields cultivated in rows evoke the idea of organizational power, a kind of psychological reassurance resulting from the imposition of human order on an otherwise unpredictable context.
- Practical function for the farmer: Straight rows make farm work easier, allowing the use of machinery, simplifying crop management and optimizing space. They are also easier to design and implement, responding to the human desire for immediacy and predictability.
The higher order of nature.
Nature, on the other hand, operates on a completely different plane from human linearity. Seemingly chaotic, nature is based on complex, adaptive and dynamic patterns.
- Biological efficiency: Nature does not seek symmetry or repetition, but patterns that optimize resources and function. Its forms follow adaptive principles, such as Fibonacci sequences in sunflowers or logarithmic spirals in shells. This complexity allows nature to respond to change resiliently and creatively.
- Interconnection: Nature does not like isolation, but favors networks of relationships. One example is forests, where roots and fungi create interconnected underground systems. This distributed system ensures that there is no easily attacked “weak point,” as each element is integrated and functional to the whole.
Man and nature: a complex confrontation.
It is normal to ask: Why is man so approximate to nature? One answer lies in the very functioning of the human brain. Complex as it is, the brain is not designed to process entirely natural systems, which operate on immense temporal and spatial scales. Instead, humans tend to reduce complexity to simple, repeatable patterns.
Moreover, his view is short-term: If nature works for long-term sustainability, humans often think short-term, favoring immediate productivity. Finally, technological progress has reinforced the need for simple, linear patterns of production. Nature, on the contrary, is “biological” and self-organizing, capable of continuous adaptation without a predefined plan.
Learning from nature.
These arguments lead us to a fundamental question: What can we learn from nature? In many fields, such as biomimicry, solutions inspired by natural systems are already being designed (cities that follow flows similar to nervous systems or river networks, for example). But in agriculture, how can we apply these principles?
The answer lies in the development of agroforestry and polycultural systems, which mimic natural systems to increase biodiversity and resilience. These models are inspired by forests, combining plants of different strata and functions.
The MAN Method and the Importance of Syntropy
The concept of syntropy is central to this vision. In the MAN Method, trees and shrubs surrounding the vineyard play a fundamental role. Small vineyard plots bordered by trees and hedgerows enhance biodiversity and create more resilient ecosystems. In addition, introducing plants within the vineyard rows, such as almond or serviceberry trees, adds further biodiversity hotspots that benefit the entire cultivated area.
Seeing a tree towering among the vines requires a different perception of order. This apparent “disorder” is not inefficiency but dynamic adaptation. The challenge is to learn to see the higher order in natural systems and integrate it into our practices, accepting that natural chaos is actually a model of incomparable resilience and innovation.
The invisible order of nature.
The order of nature often operates in the unseen. For example, plant roots are connected to networks of mycorrhizal fungi, which allow the exchange of nutrients, water and information between trees, creating a true “natural internet.” In addition there iscollaboration between trees: A young tree receives nutrients from larger trees through this network, improving its survival. In addition, trees can warn neighbors of pest attacks by sending chemical signals through fungi.
In this case, the higher order is represented by a system of interconnections that ensures the survival of the forest community as a single entity, going beyond competition and taking advantage of collaboration.
Let’s make it more practical by asking what the higher order of nature can teach the grower . Here is what I have learned.
Practical lessons from the natural order.
First lesson: Collaboration, not control.
Instead of forcing nature through intensive practices, the farmer should cooperate with natural processes, letting the ecosystem guide him or her.
For this reason, the MAN Method embraces companion planting and agroforestry, where different plant species work together, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It favors less intensive, non-linear pruning systems, such as the alberello training system, representing a way to co-create with nature, where humans are not dominators but careful and respectful stewards.
Second lesson: Adapting to change.
Nature teaches that resilience comes from the ability to adapt to change rather than imposing rigid order. Resilience is not the same as flexibility. For this reason, the MAN Method includes not only vineyards but also diversified crops and agroecological practices to reduce the risks associated with climate, diseases and economic fluctuations.
Third lecture: Diversity as strength.
No one can deny that biodiversity is a key factor in long-term stability and productivity. For this reason, the MAN Method integrates trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants and annual crops into a single system. Grape varieties are selected not only for their characteristics but also for the environmental relationships in which they are grown.
Fourth lecture: Think in terms of cycles, not linearity.
Nature works in closed cycles (energy, water and nutrients), where nothing is wasted. This teaches farmers to design circular systems. That is why the MAN Method promotes collecting crop residues to produce compost or mulch, returning organic matter to the soil. It integrates perennial crops and cover crops to regenerate nutrients continuously and includes animals in the farming system to close nutrient cycles (for example, allowing them to graze between crops to fertilize the soil).
Lecture 5: Balance between productivity and regeneration.
It is not just a matter of maximizing the immediate harvest, but of balancing production and regeneration in the farming system. Nitrogen-fixing plants, such as clover, should never be lacking in the rows to improve soil fertility, and utmost care is given to grassland management.
Sixth lesson: Observation and patience.
Just as nature takes time to reveal its patterns, farmers must learn to observe carefully and act with patience. Observation lies at the heart of the MAN Method. Monitoring how plants interact over time is essential. Making decisions based on long-term results guides every action, starting with improving soil quality and the local ecosystem.
Lecture 7: Beauty as an indicator of health.
A farming system that is visibly balanced and diverse is often ecologically healthy as well. Natural beauty can be an indicator of a successful system. For this reason, the MAN Method encourages the cultivation of flowers, trees and edible plants that attract pollinators and natural predators of pests, improving the aesthetics of the land. The presence of useful insects and wildlife indicates a balanced system. Cornelian cherry plants, for example, are among the first to bloom (February–March, depending on the climate), at a time when pollen and nectar sources are scarce. Their yellow flowers, particularly attractive to bees, provide a valuable food source for queen bees emerging from winter that need nourishment to establish their colonies. This is why planting Cornelian cherry trees between crop rows or as part of multifunctional hedgerows is especially beneficial, supporting pollinators and improving ecosystem health.
Eighth lecture: Integration of productivity and culture.
Nature teaches us that agriculture is not only an economic activity but also a cultural expression rooted in place and time. For this reason, the MAN Method encourages the use of traditional local varieties (such as Colorino del Valdarno), which are often better adapted to the local ecological context. It also promotes the creation of agricultural spaces that serve as natural habitats, places of beauty and connections with nature.
Surely the rules that can be learned by the cultivator from the higher order of nature are many more than eight. Everyone can experiment with them as he or she pleases, as long as, as I have already said, man positions himself not as a dominator but as a careful and respectful janitor. Agriculture must be seen as an interconnected and collaborative system, not as a collection of isolated elements. This approach helps build a more resilient, sustainable and productive agriculture, where soil and plant health is put at the center, just as it is in nature.
Obviously, something we cannot do without if we want to sustain our families: for example, row linearity (at least in viticulture). However, it is important to compensate for these approximations with sustainable practices and principles of biodiversity. Linearity is not just a tradition, but a response to the need to combine quality and quantity.
In conclusion, this is what the MAN Method proposes.
- Diversify crops: There can be more than just vineyards in one’s agricultural organism. By integrating other crops, diverse plant species interrupt the life cycles of many pests and pathogens. It also results in greater climate resilience: a variety of crops makes the agricultural system less vulnerable to extreme events.
- Complementary plants: Complementary plants are species that provide mutual benefits when grown together. This concept underlies techniques such as intercropping and is based on natural synergies, both above and below ground.
- Polyculture: Polyculture is the simultaneous cultivation of multiple plant species on the same land. It contrasts with monoculture and offers several advantages: functional biodiversity, more efficient use of resources (different crops explore different soil layers, making better use of water and nutrients), and higher overall productivity (thanks to the beneficial interactions among species, the long-term total yield of the farming system is often greater than that of a monoculture). For this reason, the MAN Method places great importance on permanent ground cover and on trees growing both around and within the vineyard.
The next installment will discuss biodiversity and sustainability.
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