agroecological approaches to increasing productivity and securing ecosystem services

Agroecological Approaches to Increasing Productivity and Securing Ecosystem ServicesKelly Garbach, University of California-

DavisFabrice DeClerck, Bioversity InternationalJeffrey Milder, EcoAgriculture PartnersToby Hodgkin, Platform on Agrobiodiversity

Research

Photo: IFAD

Source: Foley et al. 2011

Project objectives

1.Assess the current scale of agroecological intensification (AEI) approaches

2.Meta-review of outcomes:● Productivity● Ecosystem services

3.Global estimates of potential contribution of AEI to food supply & ecosystem services

●Conservation Agriculture ●Forest Farming●Mixed Crop Animal●Permaculture●Polyculture●Silvopastoral Systems●Agroforestry●No-Till Agriculture●System of Rice Intensification●Organic Agriculture●Holisitic Range Management

Examples of AEI Systems

●Conservation Agriculture ●Forest Farming●Mixed Crop Animal●Permaculture●Polyculture●Silvopastoral Syst.●Agroforestry●No-Till Agriculture●System of Rice Intens.●Organic Agriculture●Holisitic Range Mgmt.

●What practices does the AEI system include?

●What functions and services does the AEI system seek to achieve?

Examples of AEI Systems

●Conservation Agriculture ●Forest Farming●Mixed Crop Animal●Permaculture●Polyculture●Silvopastoral Systems●Agroforestry●No-Till Agriculture●System of Rice Intens.●Organic Agriculture●Holisitic Range Mgmt.

AEI Systems Practices

Crop rotation

Soil cover

Cons. tillage

Biol. pest controlMgmt.

native pollinators

Etc.

Erosion control

Nutrient retention

↓ Pollution

Yield vs. conventional

Etc.

Functions & servicesSoil fertility

Pollination

●Conservation Agriculture ●Forest Farming●Mixed Crop Animal●Permaculture●Polyculture●Silvopastoral Systems●Agroforestry●No-Till Agriculture●System of Rice Intens.●Organic Agriculture●Holisitic Range Mgmt.

AEI Systems

Erosion control

Nutrient retention

↓ Pollution

Yield vs. conventional

Etc.

Functions & servicesSoil fertility

Pollination

Practices

Crop rotation

Soil cover

Cons. tillage

Biol. pest controlMgmt.

native pollinators

Etc.

CoreUsualSometimesRareAt Odds

CoreUsualSometimesIncidentalNot pursued

Extent of global agricultural lands

Source: Foley et al. 2011

Conservation agriculture

Milder et al. 2011 .

landscape scale

agronomic practices other componentslandscape scale

farm scaleplot scale

•Minimize soil disturbance•Permanent soil cover•Diverse crop rotations

•Irrigation•Micro-scale H2O harvesting

•Holistic biomass management for livestock & soil fertility•Management for E.S.•Diverse crop rotations

•Farm-scale H2O harvesting •Mosaic of crop & non-crop areas

•Perennial vegetation•Management of shifting & permanent cultivation

•Watershed mgmt.•Formal & informal conservation areas (biodiversity & E.S.)

Area under conservation agriculture (no-till farming) by continent

Source: Derpsch et al. 2010

Benefits of conservation agriculture in Africa

Improved soil quality, labor reduced, reduced costs, increased cropping areaKenya

Labor reduced, income augmented, product diversity, increased biodiversityand resilient land-use systems, improved water quality and reduced erosion

Uganda

Improved soil structure and water retention, reduced need for chemical fertilizers, increased crop yield

Zambia

Data: Kaumbutho & Kienzle, 2007; Nyende et al., 2007; Haggblade & Tembo, 2003. Table: Milder et al. 2011

.

Thanks!

Fabrice DeClerck, Bioversity International f.declerck@cgiar.org

Kelly Garbach, University of California-Davis kgarbach@ucdavis.edu

Jeffrey Milder, EcoAgriculture Partners jmilder@ecoagriculture.org

Toby Hodgkin, PAR

t.hodgkin@cgiar.org