From Agroecology to Food Systems Sustainability: An Evolutionary Path Shifting Toward Sustainable Agriculture and Development

Agrobiodiversity as Necessary Standard for the Design and Management of Sustainable Farming Systems

“…Agrobiodiversity provides a multitude of valuable benefits to farming systems, while extending the same to the surrounding landscape where food production is taking place (Duru et al, 2015;Nicholls CI & Altieri MA, 2016;Borsari B, 2022). More specifically, high biodiversity on the farm means:…”

“…• Greater microhabitat differentiation (Zucconi F, 1996). • Increased opportunities for coexistence among beneficial species (Borsari B, 2022). • Making possible various kinds of beneficial population dynamics among herbivores and their predators (Nicholls CI & Altieri MA, 2016;Lampkin N, 1999).…”

“…: three sisters intercropping and their use of soil nutrients) (Gliessman S, 2015). • Reducing risks of crop failure for the farmer (Borsari B, 2022). • Contributing to the conservation of diversity in nearby natural areas ( (Nicholls CI & Altieri MA, 2016;Borsari et al, 2016).…”

“…These advantages have been forgotten due to an excessive reliance of agriculture on input substitution from off farms, that for the last seventy years have been praised as the necessary means and technologies needed to achieve success in food production (Gliessman S, 2015). However, this western approach has marginalize indigenous knowledge and wisdom of farming, while spurring a significant loss of landrace seeds that were deemed irrelevant, or unprofitable by emerging agribusiness corporations (Borsari B, 2022). A restoration of indigenous knowledge in agriculture is much needed instead to conserve native germplasm for future generations and to assist also with a diversification of the human diet.…”

“…• Enhancing the regenerative capabilities of farming where land managed in agricultural systems is converted to sequester carbon, instead of continuing to emit carbon (Rockström J & Gaffney O, 2021;Borsari B, 2022) that is compatible with the regenerative capabilities of Earth, to avoid exhausting resources and without reaching the population carrying capacity. However, it remains uncertain whether agriculture around the world will follow these guidelines, or not.…”