Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, sustainable development became an important issue. Sustainable development often focuses on a single ...sector or parameter such as tourism, energy supply, water management, different aspects of nature conservation, or economy. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive picture of the development of a region since the Middle Ages and discuss whether this development can be evaluated as socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. We carried out a combined qualitative–quantitative assessment where we use quantitative data and indicators when available, as well as literature sources and expert knowledge from the region for a qualitative assessment. We judge that generally a sustainable development in the Allgäu region can be found, although also some critical points and contentious issues exist. An overall good economic and income situation for most people, the good ecological conditions and rich biodiversity, the relatively well-established social structure, as well as the identity of the people with the region and comparatively low social discrepancy, can be positively stated. In contrast, different actual and future threats exist such as new or planned infrastructure, increasing traffic or tourism activities in certain areas that degrade habitats and reduce species richness, intensification of agriculture in certain areas, but also abandonment of agriculture in other areas, loss of traditions and customs, and declining numbers of smallholders. The objective for the region would be to minimise these negative impacts and reinforce positive trends to assure the sustainable development of the Allgäu.
Agroecology increasingly has gained scientific and policy recognition as having potential to address environmental and social issues within food production, but concerns have been raised about its ...implications for food security and nutrition, particularly in low-income countries. This review paper examines recent evidence (1998–2019) for whether agroecological practices can improve human food security and nutrition. A total of 11,771 articles were screened by abstract and title, 275 articles included for full review, with 56 articles (55 cases) selected. A majority of studies (78%) found evidence of positive outcomes in the use of agroecological practices on food security and nutrition of households in low and middle-income countries. Agroecological practices included crop diversification, intercropping, agroforestry, integrating crop and livestock, and soil management measures. More complex agroecological systems, that included multiple components (e.g., crop diversification, mixed crop-livestock systems and farmer-to-farmer networks) were more likely to have positive food security and nutrition outcomes.
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•56 agroecology studies had evidence for food security & nutrition (FSN) outcomes.•78% of studies showed positive FSN outcomes from agroecological practices.•Key agroecological practices are crop diversity, organic soil amendments, and agroforestry.•Farmer networks and attention to social equity dimensions were important.•Increased complexity of agroecological system more positively associated with FSN.
•Cultivar mixture was more infested by aphids than the least susceptible cultivar.•Intercrops tended to be less infested by aphids than wheat monoculture.•Combining genetic and species diversity did ...not better than each individual practice.•Wheat yields were reduced in intercropping, but not in cultivar mixtures.
Increasing intrafield plant diversity has been shown to regulate pest populations. Mixing wheat cultivars and intercropping winter wheat and white clover are both promising agroecological practices. On field experiments over two growing seasons, we combined both practices and examined the impact on aphid populations and on wheat production. Results show that combining intra- and interspecific diversity did not outperform each practice individually in reducing aphid populations. Taken separately, intercropping tended to have lower aphid infestation, while it was intermediate in cultivar mixtures. Yearly variation in climatic conditions impacted wheat and clover development, as well as the appearance of aphid peaks. Wheat yields and grain nitrogen content were reduced in intercropping by 10% and 7%, respectively, but not in cultivar mixtures. Our findings suggest that intrafield diversification may regulate wheat aphids to some extent, but combining two diversification practices did not result in an attractive trade-off between pest regulation and wheat production in real farming conditions.
Agroecology largely focusses on terrestrial agroecosystems, but it can also be applied to fish farming. Indeed, ponds are typically used for fish production in Europe, but are also important ...reservoirs of biodiversity. Numerous studies demonstrate that both fish production and biodiversity are strongly determined by human management. One key practice in extensive fish farming, although more rare in Europe, is to dry out ponds. They are left dry for a complete year after several years of fish production. However, the extent to which this practice affects the functioning of the ecosystem, its biodiversity and fish production remain unclear.
We investigated data from 85 fish ponds in the Dombes region, France, sampled between 2007 and 2014. We related variation in key abiotic characteristics to the time since last dry out. The dataset included organic matter content in pond sediments and concentrations of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in the water column, and biotic components such as macrophytes cover and richness, phytoplankton concentration and richness, macroinvertebrates density, and fish yield.
Our results show that drying out facilitates the mineralization of organic matter in sediments and results in higher concentrations of inorganic nitrogen in the water column. Macrophytes cover is highest during the first year after drying out, and gradually declines after at the expense of increasing phytoplankton concentration. The diversity of both is highest in the first year after drying out and declines rapidly, especially for macrophytes. Fish yield is at its maximum in the second year.
Drying out fish ponds appears to be an important agroecological practice in extensive fish farming with an application every three to four years. By nutrient recycling, this practice has a positive impact on the balance between primary producers and indirectly on the whole food web during two years. It optimizes fish production and allows biodiversity conservation.
The demand for cocoa has increased over the past years following the growth of cocoa-based products linked to the rise in living standard in highly populated countries. Cacao industry is therefore ...currently facing the dilemma of producing more cacao while ensuring its sustainability. Cacao monocrops and agroforestry systems (AFS) are two contrasting ways to produce cocoa, yet their impact on yields, contribution to farmer livelihood, cocoa quality remains understudied. Therefore, we reviewed existing literature comparing (1) monocrop cacao farming systems with (2) simple or (3) complex AFS. We found 19 comparisons of the cocoa yields in monocrops and simple AFS and 20 comparisons of monocrop and complex AFS. Three main research findings derive from this work. First, in about one third of cases, cacao trees yield more (or equally) in AFS than in monocrops. However, when considering only simple AFS, cacao trees yield more or equal to cacao monocrop in 52% of the cases. Second, cocoa AFS yields an average of 14% less than cacao monocrop. Yet, on average simple AFS yielded 2% less than cacao monocrops. Finally, there are too little elements to draw conclusions about the nexus between cocoa quality and cacao tree cultivation system.
Context
Permanent grasslands have declined across Europe since the agricultural intensification. Grassland vicinity, landscape heterogeneity and vicinity of hedgerows are enhancing factors for ...farmland carabid (ground beetle) diversity. However, interrelation between grassland and cropland communities needs to be better known in various landscape context.
Objectives
In this study we disentangle the effects of different landscape indicators carabid communities of adjacent grasslands and cereal fields to assess mutual benefits of these two land cover types.
Methods
We sampled carabids in three agricultural plains of southeastern France, each associated with a gradient in grassland coverage. We used regression models to point out effects of landscape indicators on the separate, overall and common carabid species richness of paired cereal crops and grasslands.
Results
Landscape Shannon diversity and field border density explained best gamma species richness. In grasslands, we found a higher species richness when the landscape diversity increased, except in the study region dominated by grasslands. In cereal crops, the landscape parameters showed no significant effect on carabid richness. Finally, the common species richness from cereal fields and grasslands was explained by higher density of field borders between them, but also by higher grassland coverage where grasslands were the scarcest.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that cropland carabid communities may benefit from the habitat and resource complementation provided by grasslands. This finding pleads for the preservation of grasslands in cropped landscapes to favor carabids and illustrates the potential for enhanced biological control in future cropping systems with reduced pesticide inputs.
Agroecology has gradually developed in recent decades, but has only recently been more strongly promoted by different movements, organizations, institutions, farmer groups, and scholars...
Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, sustainable development became an important issue. Sustainable development often focuses on a single ...sector or parameter such as tourism, energy supply, water management, different aspects of nature conservation, or economy. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive picture of the development of a region since the Middle Ages and discuss whether this development can be evaluated as socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. We carried out a combined qualitative-quantitative assessment where we use quantitative data and indicators when available, as well as literature sources and expert knowledge from the region for a qualitative assessment. We judge that generally a sustainable development in the Allgaeu region can be found, although also some critical points and contentious issues exist. An overall good economic and income situation for most people, the good ecological conditions and rich biodiversity, the relatively well-established social structure, as well as the identity of the people with the region and comparatively low social discrepancy, can be positively stated. In contrast, different actual and future threats exist such as new or planned infrastructure, increasing traffic or tourism activities in certain areas that degrade habitats and reduce species richness, intensification of agriculture in certain areas, but also abandonment of agriculture in other areas, loss of traditions and customs, and declining numbers of smallholders. The objective for the region would be to minimise these negative impacts and reinforce positive trends to assure the sustainable development of the Allgaeu.
Carabids (ground beetles) are important beneficial insects that contribute to biological control of pests and weeds in crop production. They can be found in different agricultural landscape habitats. ...However, little has been studied about the composition and similarity of carabid assemblages between two major land covers types: cropland and grassland. In a context of declining grassland areas in farmlands, highlighting complementarities of these two land covers is crucial to encourage land use planning that favors biodiversity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative and shared contribution of cereal crops and grasslands to carabid diversity in farmlands. Carabids were sampled in 104 pairs of cereal fields and grasslands in 3 agricultural regions of southeastern France. Carabid diversity was further analyzed with multiple regression models, including different local parameters. The correlations between assemblage similarities and geographical distance of sampled cereal fields and grasslands were also studied. Overall, 115 different species were found, 82 in cereal fields and 95 in grasslands. Per site species number and activity-density were higher in the two study regions with higher grassland cover. Evenness of carabid assemblages were higher in grasslands. Cropland and grassland remained strongly distinct, but assemblages showed higher similarity up to 4 km distance from each other. The study illustrates the major interest in preserving grassland within farmland for land use planners and/or policy makers. We found that grasslands and croplands complement each other. Though they host distinct communities, they provide continuous and different resources to the species throughout the year.
The development of sustainable agricultural and food systems is of significant importance considering the still-growing world population. For this, it is imperative to consider not only quantitative ...production issues, but also environmental issues such as water pollution, biodiversity loss, and land degradation as well as social and economic issues such as organization of supply chains and communication and coordination among stakeholders. However, the development of sustainable agricultural and food systems is so far almost exclusively proposed either at the scale of specific agricultural systems or for selected supply chains. Still strongly neglected is the development of sustainable systems at a territorial scale. We, therefore, present here the concept of agroecology territories. We define agroecology territories as places where a transition process toward sustainable agriculture and food systems is engaged. Three major domains must to be considered for the transition to take place: adaptation of agricultural practices; conservation of biodiversity and natural resources; and development of embedded food systems. Stakeholder group strategies, developed by those who actively engage in these three domains and are themselves actors in the transition, are integral to agroecology territories.
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