ICROFS welcomes you to the seminar Agro-biodiversity and ecosystem services Biodiversity benefits organic agriculture and organic agriculture benefits biodiversity - true or false? Embassy of Denmark, 16.12.2010
Why a seminar on organic agriculture, agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services? Niels Halberg Lise Andreasen Thomas Harttung Director International coordinator Chairman The International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems, ICROFS
International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems A centre without walls International board of directors (Europe, China, Africa, America, IFOAM) International mandate and focus Seeking to enhance volume and quality of organic research world wide
Seminar objective To jointly update our knowledge and opinion: Organic agriculture practices Provide ecosystem services? Benefit from ecosystem services? Enhance this synergy for sufficient and resilient food production May be used as inspiration for a wider part of agriculture? substantially?
www.cbd.int/2010/about Biodiversity is life Biodiversity is our life
The four basic principles of organic agriculture Healthy soil Healthy crops Healthy livestock Healthy people Agro-ecology Diversity Recycling Ecological and social justice Fair Trade? Precaution Endorsed by IFOAM, September 2005
Growing carrots in rows between grass-legume mixtures for enhanced pest control and nutrient recycling in Danish horticulture crop rotation experiment "Vegqure", ww.vegqure.elr.dk/uk (Source: ICROFS)
Eco-functional intensification Intensification of land use and agriculture by means of improved knowledge and application of biological principles and agro ecological methods increased cooperation and synergy between different components of agro eco systems and food systems, with the aim of enhancing the health and productivity, adaptability and resilience of all its components.
Source: Tybirk, K., Alrøe, H.F., and Frederiksen, P. (2004) Nature quality in organic farming. J. Agr. Env. Ethics 17(3): 249 274. Distinctive concepts of nature Nature as that which is not human Controlled, ordered culturally formed nature Untouched, original, naturally formed nature The culturalists good nature The naturalists good nature
Distinctive concepts of nature Nature as that which is not human Controlled, ordered culturally formed nature Untouched, original, naturally formed nature Ecosystemic concepts of nature Nature as an allied Humans as part of nature The culturalists good nature Close and fertile nature, mutual benefits The naturalists good nature The ecologists good nature Source: Tybirk, K., Alrøe, H.F., and Frederiksen, P. (2004) Nature quality in organic farming. J. Agr. Env. Ethics 17(3): 249 274.
Ecosystem services
Do we simplify too much? Richard B. Norgaard (Ecol. Econ. 2010): Ecosystem services: From Eye opening metaphor to complexity blinder Stock and flow models Vs. Accepting complexity, limitations to understanding of ecosystems
www.cbd.int/2010/about Biodiversity is life Biodiversity is our life You are biodiversity. Humans are part of nature s rich diversity and have the power to protect or destroy it.
Relevant questions Relevant questions Can the practices used in organic agriculture become more widely used to maintain production and other ecosystem services? If so, how?
Foto af øko landskab i ibuina. Og kina
Two paradigms of food security and biodiversity conservation Separation and input intensification Vs Integration and ecological management Weinschenk, G. 1986. Economic versus ecological farm policies. Agrarwirtschaft 321 327. Brussard et al., 2010: Reconciling biodiversity conservation and food security: scientific challenges for a new agriculture. Current opinion in Environmental sustainability
Relevant questions Relevant questions How can we use eco functional intensification (based on experiences from organic agriculture) to benefit different types of farms and also produce ecosystem services at the landscape level? What are the research and development needs for improved synergy between use of agro ecological methods, knowledge on OA and enhancement of ecosystem services?
Relevant questions ICROFS BHAG The principles of organic agriculture have become a global reference for sustainability in agriculture and food systems due to evidence based on research and adaptive management
VegQure Organic Cropping Systems for Vegetable Production
Relevant questions Relevant questions Can the practices used in organic agriculture become more widely used to maintain production and other ecosystem services? If so, how?
Relevant questions Relevant questions Is there a need for development of organic principles and regulation to support the synergy with eco system services?
Relevant questions Relevant questions How can we use eco functional intensification (based on experiences from organic agriculture) to benefit different types of farms and also produce landscape level? What are the research and development needs for improved synergy between use of agro ecological methods, knowledge on OA and enhancement of ecosystem services? ecosystem services at the