Prof. Dr. Riccardo Bommarco, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – 11 December 2018

Biodiversity-based agriculture for sustainable crop production

ABSTRACT

Agriculture faces the formidable challenge to provide enough food, fibre and bioenergy for a growing and increasing wealthy world population in a changing climate. In parallel, the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment, biodiversity and crop production itself have to be reduced. Beneficial wildlife provides ecosystems services that support crop yields. I exemplify this with the services of insect pest regulation and crop pollination. In the seminar I go through evidence we have for how effective wildlife actually is in supporting crop production. I discuss opportunities, key knowledge gaps and possible means to better capitalize on ecosystem services for sustainable crop production. I emphasize the crucial role that ecology as science plays in the development of productive yet environmentally friendly cropping systems.

Nature of Life seminars

Date       :   11 December 2018

Time       :   15.45 hours

Location:   Room WN-C623, W&N building VU Amsterdam