1. President, Ecoagriculture Partners Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Ecoagriculture: Integrating Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation – A Landscape Perspective
Sara J. Scherr
President, Ecoagriculture Partners
Biodiversity Conservation in Agriculture Symposium
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
May 31, 2006

2. Managing and Conserving Biodiversity: Our ‘Natural Infrastructure’
Watershed protection and regulation
Wild species & habitat protection
Plant pollination
Carbon sequestration and storage
Soil formation and fertility
Decomposition of wastes Landscape beauty

3. Importance of Agricultural Landscapes
for Biodiversity Conservation

4. Population in Global Biodiversity Hotspots

5. Dominance of Agricultural Land Use in
Major Habitat Types
Our Vision

6. Importance of Biodiversity for Agricultural Communities Our Vision
Direct consumption of wild foods, medicines and fuel (and “safety net”)
Farm inputs: wild spp as fodder, fertilizer, packaging, fencing
Income from sale of wildlife, ecosystem services
Crop/stock genetic diversity
Local ecosystem services: water, pollination, soil fertility, pest & disease control, nutrient cycling

7. Future Trends in Agricultural Landscapes:
The Urgency of Integrated Action
Agriculture is a key element of rural food security and poverty reduction (UN Millennium Project)
Agricultural product demand is growing:
50-100%+  LDC food demand by 2030
Ecological degradation threatens agricultural productivity, livelihoods, health and assets of the poor (Millennium Assessment)

8. Example of the Challenge:
Lake Victoria Basin, E. Africa
Our Vision
Agricultural Lands and Habitat

9. Strategic Partnerships Required Between Conservationists and Farm Communities
Producers in, around & linking PA’s
Agricultural regions that are key providers of
for biodiversity and ecosystem services
Degraded areas where ecosystem restoration
is essential for both biodiversity & production
Agriculture in and around urban areas

10. Ecoagriculture Our Vision
Agricultural landscapes where farms and natural areas are managed to enhance rural livelihoods and sustainable agricultural production (of crops, livestock, fish and forest), while conserving or restoring ecosystem services and biodiversity.
Putting food security at the heart of conservation;
Putting conservation at the heart of food security…

11. Motivations of Farmers and Communities Who Engage in Ecoagriculture
Reduce production costs, raise or
stabilize yields, improve quality
2) Conserve biodiversity critical to
their own livelihoods
3) Access product markets seeking
biodiversity-friendly sources
4) Earn payments for ecosystem
services
5) Comply with env. regulations
6) Protect rights to farm/herd/harvest wild products in PA’s
7) To reduce conflicts with other groups in the landscape
8) Protect important cultural, spiritual or aesthetic values

12. Developing and Managing an
Ecoagriculture Landscape

13. Inter-Dependence of Agriculture, Ecosystems and Livelihoods Our Vision
Wild biodiversity
Some ecosystem processes and functions help to maintain wild biodiversity.
Conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services
Ecosystem process & function, such as:
Primary production
Decomposition
Nutrient cycling
Gene flow & evolutionary processes
Hydrology
Some ecosystem processes and functions benefit humans directly;. These are ecosystem services.
Ecosystem services
Community and household-level benefits such as:
Protection of natural capital
Wild foods, fuel, medicines
Compensation payments for ecosystem services
Beneficial services within landscape, such as:
Pollination
Pest control
Soil fertility
Water quality
Beneficial services outside landscape, such as:
Carbon sequestration
Flood protection
Habitat for valued species
Sustainable livelihoods
Sustainable agricultural production

14. What Wild Species Need in Agricultural Landscapes
Nesting sites: undisturbed areas
Protective cover: diverse perennial cover
Adequate, clean water: few pollutants, source
flow/recharge, water access
Access to territory: functional corridors
All-season food access: diverse food sources
Predator-prey balance: diversity, protection
Interdependent species: patches of natural
vegetation, avoid unnecessary disturbance
How can agricultural landscapes provide these features, while increasing production?

15. Science Supporting Ecoagriculture
Scientific advances in agroecology, wildlife biology, molecular biology, genetics, hydrology
New research techniques (e.g., remote sensing, systems modeling, biochemical markers)
New tools for ecosystem and landscape analysis
Improved methods for on-farm and landscape-scale action research
New tools to assist multi-stakeholder diagnosis, negotiation, planning and assessment

16. Emerging Principles 1: Terrestrial Habitats
Maintain natural vegetation with adequate
patch size and connectivity (depends on sinks,
ecological traps, location, configuration, edge
effects, boundary zones, ecological
compatibility of production areas)
Protect natural fragments that serve as critical
habitat on/off farm from anthropic disturbance
Retain tree cover on farms for connectivity
Harvest wild products from natural habitats
using low-impact, sustainable methods
Ensure farmers and communities benefit from
stewardship of conserved areas

17. Emerging Principles 2: Freshwater Habitats
Maintain or restore native vegetation buffers
(in US- width of 25 meters for nutrient and pollutant removal; 30 m for
microclimate regulation and sediment removal; 50 m for detrital input and
bank stabilization; over 100 m for wildlife habitat functions)
Protect wetlands and maintain critical function
zone in natural vegetation (In US- at least 10% of watershed
and 6% of any sub-watershed)
Re-establish hydrological connectivity & natural
patterns of aquatic ecosystems (incl. flooding)
Protect watersheds with spatial configuration of
perennial natural, planted vegetation
Maintain continuous year-round soil cover to
enhance rainfall infiltration

18. Emerging Principles 3: Ecologically
Compatible Agricultural Production –
Intensification without Simplification
Reduce agricultural pollution
Manage pests, diseases, nutrients using ecological principles
Minimize run-off of toxic chemicals, nutrients and wastes
Ecologically manage soil,water,natural vegetation
Maintain biologically healthy soils, and year-round soil cover
Time operations to minimize disturbance to wild species
Manage irrigation systems to save water for wildlife
Use crop mixtures and configurations that mimic
the structure and function of natural habitats
Ensure diverse crop mix at a landscape scale
Ensure diverse mix of varieties/breeds at a landscape scale
Use mix of annual and perennial crops that mimic natural vegetation
Maintain diverse land use mosaic
Improve productivity to free other areas of the farm or landscape for nature protection

19. Emerging Principles 4: Achieving Positive
Synergies for Agricultural Production
Increase input efficiency
Enhance biological and
ecological synergies
Improve spatial
organization of land use
Manage wild species to
benefit farming
Economies of scale through collective action
Substitute natural capital for financial capital

20. Building on Traditional Production Systems:
Multi-Species Agroforests in Indonesia
Benefits: % of species
of natural forests
4 million ha in Indonesia
- Many commercial spp
Mosaic with rice
$2 billion value of
rubber agroforests alone

21. Building on Industrial Production Systems:
Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, S. Africa
Benefits:
No loss of habitat
Ecologically compatible practices
Reduced cash costs
Link to market brands and
agri-tourism

22. Institutional Challenges to Implement Ecoagriculture
Collective action within communities
Multi-stakeholder landscape forums
Cross-sectoral knowledge-sharing and research
Marketing chains for biodiverse products
Institutions developed for PES
Coordinated agriculture-conservation policy
Supportive tenure systems for farmland and PAs

23. Building Ecoagriculture
Communities of Practice

24. 1) Understand How Ecoagriculture Works
Document Cases of Ecoagriculture
Monitor Ecoagriculture Landscapes
Mobilize Ecoagriculture Research

25. 2) Promote Learning Among Ecoagriculture Innovators
Community Ecoagriculture Knowledge Service
Ecoagriculture Leadership Course
Ecoagriculture Working Groups

26. 3) Promote Policies and Markets that Support Ecoagriculture
Int’l and National Policies
Incorporate Ecoagriculture
(incl. MDGs, MEAs)
Product Market
Innovations
Payments for Ecosystem
Services in Ecoagriculture
Landscapes

27. Thank you!
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