The 10 Elements of Agroecology:Enabling transitions towards sustainable agriculture and food systems through visual narratives

The magnitude and urgency of the challenges facing agriculture and food systems demand profound modifications in different aspects of human activity to achieve real transformative change and sustainability. Recognizing that the inherent complexity of achieving sustainability is commonly seen as a deterrent to decision-making, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has approved the 10 Elements of Agroecology as an analytical framework to support the design of differentiated paths for agriculture and food systems transformation, hence facilitating improved decision-making by policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders in differing contexts at a range of levels on a number of scales. Biodiversity, consumers, education and governance are identified as promising entry points to build a structured process using visual narratives that rely on the 10 Elements of Agroecology to graphically dissect prospective social-ecological transition trajectories. We illustrate such applications with examples from agroforestry worldwide, public food procurement in Brazil and the United States of America, and agroecology education vis-à-vis secure access to land in Senegal. Nexus approaches are used to highlight and examine salient interactions among different sectors and entry points, and to develop visual narratives describing plausible theories of transformative change towards sustainable agriculture and food systems

Response of melinis minutiflora to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in an inceptisol of colombia

En un invernadero del Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, CIAT, Cali (Colombia) se evaluó la aplicación de cinco inóculos de hongos micorrícico arbusculares, HMA: Kuklospora colombiana, Gigaspora margarita, Glomus manihotis y la mezcla de estos con y sin esterilización, en sustrato sin desinfectar (SD) y desinfectado (D) sobre variables de rendimiento (biomasa aérea y radical, longitud radical), colonización por HMA y concentración foliar de nutrientes en la gramínea Melinis minutiflora Beauv., con el objetivo de seleccionar los inóculos más eficientes. Se utilizaron como unidades experimentales materos de 13.5 x 16.0 x 14.0 cm. El sustrato empleado fue suelo procedente de un Inceptisol con baja disponibilidad de nutrientes, tamizado y mezclado con arena. Los inóculos de Gi. margarita y Gl. manihotis presentaron los mejores resultados en la acumulación de biomasa aérea y radical, longitud radical, porcentaje de colonización micorrícica y concentración de elementos. Kuklospora colombiana presentó efectos inhibitorios sobre las variables evaluadas. La condición del sustrato SD favoreció la acumulación de biomasa aérea y radical y la concentración de fósforo (P) en la biomasa aérea, además, estimuló la longitud radical de M. minutiflora. La concentración de N, K, Ca y Mg en la biomasa aérea fue mayor en el sustrato D. Los resultados muestran que Mellinis minutiflora con inoculación HMA es promisoria para la recuperación de suelos degradados.The effect of five inocula of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the grass Melinis minutiflora Beauv. was investigated under greenhouse conditions at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia, with the aim of selecting the most efficient AMF inocula. Non-disinfected (ND) and disinfected (D) substrates were studied. Inocula were: Kuklospora colombiana, Gigaspora margarita, Glomus manihotis and a mixture of those three species of AMF with and without sterilization. Yield parameters were aerial and radical biomass, root length, mycorrhizal colonization and N, P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the aerial biomass. Pots measuring 13.5 x 8.0 x 14.0 cm were used as experimental units. Inceptisol soil, with low nutrient availability, previously sieved and mixed with sand was used as substrate. Gi. margarita and Gl. manihotis inocula showed the best results in the accumulation of aerial and root biomass, root length, mycorrhizal colonization and concentration of elements in the aerial biomass, while Ku. colombiana presented inhibitory effects on the variables evaluated. ND substrate condition increased accumulation of aerial and radical biomass and P concentration in the aerial biomass, also stimulated root length of M. minutiflora. Aerial biomass had higher concentrations of N, K, Ca, and Mg in D substrate. Mellinis minutiflora is a promising grass species for rehabilitation of degraded soils in combination with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation

Tierras de la microcuenca potrerillo (cauca, colombia): clasificación local en relación con propiedades edáficas.

Este estudio se realizó con el objetivo de relacionar la clasificación local de tierras con propiedades físicas, químicas y biológicas del suelo. Se hicieron entrevistas a 36 agricultores de la microcuenca, Potrerillo, Cauca, Colombia, para considerar criterios culturales de clasificación local; se tomaron muestras de suelo en 8 tierras, de 0 a 5 y 0 a 20 cm, con 5 repeticiones. Se determinó color, textura, N y P disponible, C total, fracción liviana de materia orgánica (LL), PH, Ca, K, Mg y Al. Los datos se trabajaron estadísticamente a partir de análisis de varianza, prueba Duncan y análisis de clasificación de datos. La información sugiere que los agricultores diferencias las tierras a partir de la ubicación, características físicas del suelo y de categorías culturales llamadas tierra buena, mala, brava y cansada. Las tierras consideradas buenas se relacionan con colores pardos oscuros, contenidos más altos de N, C y fracción LL, mayor densidad de miriápodos en tierras con vegetación arbórea y mayor biomasa de lombrices en barbecho de la parte baja de la colina. Entre las tierras de menor calidad, disminuye N, C fracción LL y Al y aumenta el pH; en aquellas que no son utilizadas son frecuentes los colores amarillos o rojos, decrecen los valores de N, C, LL, Ph y se incrementa el Al

Agroforestry boosts soil-mediated ecosystem services in the humid and sub-humid tropics: a meta-analysis

Agroforestry has been increasingly recognized as a key example of agroecological praxis contributing to the sustainable intensification of food production while providing a number of additional benefits to society. However, a quantitative synthesis of the impact of agroforestry on soil health and associated ecosystem services in the humid and sub-humid tropics is still lacking. The objective of this study was to quantify the contribution of agroforestry practices to soil-mediated ecosystem services, specifically, regulation of soil erosion, storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N), availability of soil N and phosphorus (P) to crops, and alleviation of soil acidity across the humid and sub-humid tropics. The analysis demonstrated that agroforestry can reduce soil erosion rates by 50 % compared to crop monocultures. This finding is supported by higher infiltration rates, lower runoff, higher proportion of soil macroggregates, and greater stability of soil structure under agroforestry. SOC increased by 21 %, N storage increased by 13 %, available N by 46 % and available P by 11 % while soil pH increased by 2% under agroforestry compared to crop monocultures. We conclude that agroforestry can make significant contributions to provision of soil-mediated ecosystem services in the humid and sub-humid tropics

Dinámica del nitrógeno y el fósforo del suelo bajo tres sistemas de uso de la tierra en laderas de Honduras

Se condujo un estudio para determinar el efecto de los principios de manejo del Sistema Agroforestal Quesungual (SAQ) en la dinámica de nitrógeno (N) y fósforo (P) del suelo y el impacto de estos en su productividad en el sur-occidente de Honduras, Centroamérica. Se compararon cinco sistemas: (1) talay-quema (TQ); (2, 3 and 4) SAQ de 2, 5-7 y 10 años, respectivamente; y (5) bosque secundario. Prácticas locales fueron aplicadas para producir maíz, Zea mays, y frijol, Phaseolus vulgaris, con (101 kg N +55 kg P /ha en maíz, y 46 kg N + 51 kg P /ha en frijol) y sin fertilización. Las evaluaciones incluyeron descomposición y liberación de nutrientes de la biomasa, ineralización aeróbica de N, fraccionamiento secuencial de P, fraccionamiento por tamaño-densidad de materia orgánica del suelo, y rendimiento. Similitudes en la dinámica del N indican que el SAQ y TQ son igualmente eficientes proveyendo N, aunque en el SAQ como resultado de procesos biológicos. Los reservorios de P fueron más dinámicos y favorables en el SAQ, con menos flujos hacia formas no-disponibles. Basado en la disponibilidad de nutrientes y el rendimiento, el SAQ es una opción factible al sistema TQ en agroecosistemas de pequeña escala.To determine the effect of management principles in the Quesungual Slash and Mulch Agroforestry System (QSMAS) on the dynamics of soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and their impact on QSMAS’ productivity in southwestern Honduras, Central America a study was carried out. Five land use systems were compared: (1) Slash-and-burn traditional system; (2, 3 and 4) QSMAS of 2, 5-7 and 10 years old, respectively; and (5) Secondary forest. Local practices were used for cropping corn Zea mays, and bean Phaseolus vulgaris, with (101 kg N + 55 kg P /ha for corn, 46 kg N + 51 kg P /ha for bean) and without addition of fertilizers. Measurements included decomposition and nutrient release from biomass, aerobic mineralization of N, sequential fractionation of P, size-density fractionation of soil organic matter, and crop yield. Similarities in N dynamic indicate that QSMAS and slash-andburn system were equally effective in providing N, although in QSMAS it is also a result of a biologically mediated process. P pools in QSMAS were more dynamic and favorable by reducing their flows towards unavailable forms. Based on nutrient availability and grain yields over time, QSMAS could be a suitable option to replace the slash-and-burn system in smallholder agroecosystems

Target 10 – Productive Sectors

The bioDISCOVERY programme of Future Earth and the Secretariat of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), convened a group of experts to prepare six briefs to provide scientific support for the negotiations of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF) at the fourth meeting of the Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in Nairobi, from 21 to 26 June 2022. This includes four briefs on individual Targets 3, 7, 8 and 10, a brief on the GBF monitoring framework, and a brief on the ecosystem area and integrity objectives of the GBF that also addresses Targets 1 and 2 in detail. This science brief addresses the inclusion of sustainable agriculture of Target 10. The analysis in this brief focuses on the wording elements of Target 10, definitions of key terminology, evidence review of biodiversity in agriculture and assessment of the adequacy and availability of indicators for tracking the achievement of this target. This analysis is based on the text of the first draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, CBD/WG2020/3/3 and subsequent negotiations of this text: Target 10. Ensure all areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, in particular through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, increasing the productivity and resilience of these production systems This analysis focuses on sustainable agriculture emphasizing the current pressures that agriculture puts on nature which are currently a major source of degradation, and on the potential of sustainable practices to regenerate natures contributions to people, notably food, fuel, and fibre production, but also non production related contributions such as climate mitigation. It emphasizes that clear environmental performance metrics are necessary to monitor agriculture’s transition to net positive environmental values and highlights existing metrics validated by the scientific community

Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas

Soils provide numerous ecosystem services. Most people do not know that the key drivers of soil ecosystems are the living organisms within the soil. Soils may be home to over one fourth of all living species on Earth, with a significant part not yet characterized. The first Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas is a product of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. It aims at raising awareness of the importance and beauty of soil biodiversity among the general public and policy makers. Furthermore, it highlights the need to increase efforts to develop a global assessment of soil biodiversity. Data on distribution of soil-dwelling organisms are often difficult to combine. The atlas represents an attempt to create a unique network among soil biodiversity scientists. Such an effort may help in reaching the level of attention that research on soil biodiversity deserves. With contributions from over 80 experts in soil biodiversity from all over the world, and over 170 pages, the atlas will also display distribution maps of the main soil organisms. Furthermore, an exceptionally high number of images will allow non-specialists to get in touch with this fascinating and mysterious world.JRC.D.6-Knowledge for Sustainable Development and Food Securit