Introduction to Ecoagriculture 207of farming on wild species and habitats. Such approaches need to be integrated
more intentionally with conservation objectives, particularly in biodiversity
‘hotspots’ (Myers, 1988) and areas where the livelihood of the poor depends on
ecosystem rehabilitation. New approaches to agricultural production must be
developed that complement natural environments, enhance ecosystem functions
and improve rural livelihoods. While trade-offs between agricultural productivity
and biodiversity conservation often seem stark, some surprising and exciting
opportunities exist for complementarity. Local farmers and institutions, such as
universities and agricultural research centres, are leading the way through active
experimentation and adaptation of existing knowledge. But more targeted research
on ecoagriculture is needed, and such research must be considered a global priority
if major advances are to occur. Environmental and agricultural researchers must
learn to work closely together to resolve existing conflicts between natural biodi-
versity and agricultural production in different ecoregions and under different
management systems.
This book examines some of the current linkages between wild biodiversity
and agriculture. It suggests strategies for improving agriculture while maintaining
or enhancing wild biodiversity, assesses dozens of systems where this is already
being done and describes how research and policy action can contribute to con-
serving wild biodiversity. The book is structured in three parts. The first part
describes the challenge of reconciling conservation and agricultural goals in areas
important for both. The second part discusses the ecoagriculture approach and
presents diverse case studies illustrating key strategies. The third part explores how
policies, markets and institutions can be reshaped to support ecoagriculture in
areas that are hotspots for both biodiversity and food security.
The emphasis here is on tropical regions of the developing world, where
increased agricultural productivity is most vital for food security, poverty reduc-
tion and sustainable development, and where so much of the world’s wild biodi-
versity is threatened. But the book also highlights lessons learned in developed
countries (for example, California Wilderness Coalition, 2002) where these are of
wider relevance. While profitable ecoagriculture systems can and must be devel-
oped for large-scale commercial farming enterprises that are operating in areas of
threatened biodiversity, most examples in this book emphasize strategies for small-
scale, low-income farmers involved in commercial or subsistence production.
The biodiversity of domesticated crop and livestock species, and the complex
of wild species that directly support agriculture (such as wild pollinators), is also
critically important to future prosperity and is also suffering from numerous
threats. This book will address how increased agricultural diversity can enhance
habitat for wild species, and how strategies to enhance wild biodiversity can
build on the beneficial effects of many wild species for agricultural production
and sustainability. However, it will not address the topic of genetic diversity of
domesticated agricultural species, which has recently begun to receive wide
attention from ministries of agriculture and the many agencies that support them
(Gemmill, 2002).