Cultivating Biodiversity to Transform Agriculture, 2013

How can cultivated plant biodiversity contribute to the transformation and the "ecologization" of agriculture in Southern countries? Based on extensive field work in the Southern countries, a great deal of scientific progress is presented in all areas affecting agriculture (agronomy, plant breeding and crop protection, cultivation systems, etc.) in order to intensify the ecological processes in cultivated plots and at the scale of rural landscapes.

Foreword.- Introduction.- 1. Biodiversity has always been at the heart of agricultural activity.- 2. The challenges of agricultural transformation.- 3. Intensifying ecological processes to transform agricultural performance.- 4. Agrobiodiversity, the main lever of this ecological intensification.- 5. Ecological intensification, a strategic priority for CIRAD.- 6. A book with six viewpoints.- 7. Bibliographical references.- Chapter 1 The diversity of living organisms: the engine for ecological functioning.- 1. Diversity and unity of living organisms: the successive revolutions of the biological sciences.- 2. A history closely linked to man’s.- 3. Documented risks of erosion of agrobiodiversity.- 4. Why ‘cultivate’ biodiversity?.- 5. What is the best way of understanding the extraordinary complexity of living organisms and agroecosystems?.- 6. Agrobiodiversity: a development issue?.- 7. Conclusion.- 8. Bibliographical references.- Chapter 2 From artificialization to the ecologization of cropping systems.- 1. The impasses in the artificialization of cropping systems.- 2. Opportunities and limitations of cropping systems that promote biodiversity.- 3. Towards new ‘ecologically innovative’ cropping systems.- 4. Conclusion.- 5. Bibliographical references.- Chapter 3 Rethinking plant breeding.- 1. Plant breeding: the past and the present.- 2. Recent changes and developments.- 3. The challenges of ecologically intensive agriculture.- 4. Mechanisms to help meet the challenges of ecological intensification5. Conclusion.- 6. Bibliographical references.- Chapter 4 Ecological interactions within the biodiversity of cultivated systems.- 1. Biodiversity and pest control.- 2. Hidden soil diversity: what potential for agriculture?.- 3. Biodiversity and agriculture-livestock interactions.- 4. Conclusion.- 5. Bibliographical references.- Chapter 5 Conserving and cultivating agricultural genetic diversity: transcendingestablished divides.- 1. History of the conservation of genetic resources in agriculture.- 2. International strategies and policies in favour of mobilizing genetic diversity.- 3. Need for in situ conservation and complementarities with ex situ conservation.- 4. Conclusion: hybridization or co-evolution of conservation models.- 5. Bibliographical references.- Chapter 6 Towards biodiverse agricultural systems: reflecting on the technological, social and institutional changes at stake.- 1. Co-evolution between technical dynamics and social dynamics: an analysis which starts upstream of agriculture.- 2. Recent changes in agriculture and food systems: market dynamics and new directions.- 3. Conclusion.- 4. Bibliographical references.- List of authors.

This book shows a possible reconciliation between biodiversity/environment conservation and productive agriculture This book approaches the issue of the transformation of agriculture from various angles This book is intended for a scientific audience, researchers and academics in the fields of ecology, genetics, social sciences, plant protection, agronomy, environment and rural development Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras