Assessing the scientific knowledge base for ecoagriculture

Continued population growth and urban expansion are reducing the availability per capita of land for agricultural purposes. Growing water scarcity is threatening agricultural production and creating challenges for farmers. As the severity of these problems increases, the world continues to demand that agriculture: feed the growing global population and reduce hunger; generate sustainable incomes and livelihoods; contribute to export growth strategies; reduce poverty; and support economic and social equity. These demands highlight the need for more productive agricultural production systems; however, there is growing concern that current systems are not sustainable and may be contributing to the degradation of ecosystems that are important to humans and other species. Out of this concern comes a new approach to farming that combines sustainable agriculture with the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. This approach, called ecoagriculture, promotes sustainable solutions to global malnutrition and hunger while protecting and enhancing the natural resources used in food production and wildlife conservation.