Ecoagriculture: Strategies to Feed the World and Save Wild Biodiversity

Front Cover
Island Press, 2003 - Business & Economics - 323 pages

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 Ecoagriculture, two of the world's leading 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
  • explores how policies, markets, and institutions can be re-shaped to support ecoagriculture
While focusing on tropical regions of the developing world -- where increased agricultural productivity is most vital for food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable development, and where so much of the world's wild biodiversity is threatened -- it also draws on lessons learned in developed countries. Dozens of examples from around the world present proven strategies for small-scale, low-income farmers involved in commercial production.

Ecoagriculture explores new approaches to agricultural production that complement natural environments, enhance ecosystem function, and improve rural livelihoods. It features a wealth of real-world case studies that demonstrate the applicability of the ideas discussed and how the principles can be applied, and is an important new work for policymakers, students, researchers, and anyone concerned with conserving biodiversity while sustaining human populations.

About the author (2003)

Jeff McNeely served as Chief Scientist of IUCN until retirement in July 2009, and as Senior Science Advisor until March 2012. He has recently worked with the Government of Tanzania on World Heritage issues and the Government of Japan, also on World Heritage issues as well as protected areas and natural hazards and advising on the content of the Asia Parks Congress. He has worked on protected areas for the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and numerous bilateral agencies/NGOs in over 80 countries. His publications comprise over 40 books and 500 scientific and popular papers on various aspects of conservation seeking to link conservation of natural resources to the maintenance of cultural diversity and to economically-sustainable ways of life. He serves on the editorial advisory board of seven biodiversity-related journals.