Ecoagriculture - Jeffrey A McNeely

Although food production systems for the world's rural poor typically have had devastating effects on the planet's wealth of genes, species and ecosystems, that need not be the case in the future. In this work, two experts on conservation and development examine the idea that agricultural landscapes can be designed more creatively to take the needs of human populations into account while also protecting, or even enhancing, biodiversity. They present a thorough overview of the innovative concept of "ecoagriculture" - the management of landscapes for both the production of food and the conservation of wild biodiversity. The book: examines the global impact of agriculture on wild biodiversity; describes the challenge of reconciling biodiversity conservation and agricultural goals; outlines and discusses the ecoagriculture approach; presents diverse case studies that illustrate key strategies; and explores how policies, markets, and institutions can be re-shaped to support ecoagriculture.