A major challenge for current and future agroecosystems is to address the needs for global demand for food while protecting biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. Ecological intensification is a new paradigm within agroecology which seeks to redesign agroecosystems based on the utilization of ecological processes, by increasing reliance on biodiversity, attaining greater resource use efficiency and reducing the need for external inputs. In this presentation we provide examples of how ecological intensification can contribute to redesigning more sustainable livestock, bioenergy, and crop agroecosystems. A synthesis of previous and current research projects is presented.
Results/Conclusions
First, livestock systems on the native grasslands in southern South America have been producing beef with almost no external inputs since the 16th century. Intensification of beef agroecosystems based on inputs has negative environmental and health consequences. Our partial life cycle assessment of meat production showed that although trade off exist between different environmental indicators, there is great potential to improve grazing livestock systems productivity while reducing environmental impacts, and conserving biodiversity. Ecological intensification of livestock systems requires improving grazing management of biodiverse grasslands. Second, biomass production for bioenergy generation is increasingly being promoted around the world, using a wide range of feedstocks. Perennial biomass crops have many environmental advantages over annuals, and diverse perennial mixtures or polycultures can maximize productivity and stability over time. Ecological intensification through perennial polycultures can increase sustainability of bioenergy production. Third, the production of annual grain crops like wheat, corn, and rice, which are the basis of human diets around the world, generates soil erosion and nutrient leaching, with serious environmental consequences like soil degradation and water pollution. Although historically little attention has been given to perennial grain crops, recently there has been increased research effort to domesticate perennial cereals and oilseeds by breeding for increased seed yield. The ecological intensification of grain production through perennial grain crops in polycultures, has the potential to fundamentally transform food production. These examples from a wide range of agroecosystems provide evidence that with the proper combination of funding, science, and policy, there is hope for reconciling ecosystem services and food security in our world.