Improving productivity and livelihood benefits of crop-livestock systems through sustainable management of agricultural biodiversity in the semi-arid tropics

摘要

There is a growing worldwide acknowledgment of the multiple values of agricultural biodiversity for sustainable agricultural production, livelihoods, and ecosystem health. Poor people, particularly those living in areas of low agricultural productivity like the semi-arid tropics (SAT), depend heavily on genetic, species, and ecosystem biodiversity to support their livelihoods. This support takes the form of contributions to crop-livestock development, human nutrition and health, and reduced vulnerability to agricultural production risks. Nonetheless, agricultural production often impacts on land, vegetation, water, and soil organisms, eroding biodiversity in ecosystems and thus jeopardizing productivity and livelihoods. How can agricultural biodiversity be managed and sustainably used to increase crop-livestock productivity and livelihood benefits, while maintaining ecosystem health? How can crop-livestock systems management be improved to promote sustainable conservation and use of biodiversity? These are the challenges we face. Figure 1 shows the impacts of crop and livestock production on agricultural biodiversity, and also clearly indicates the direct effects and feedback loops that need to be taken into consideration in the sustainable utilization of agricultural biodiversity to enhance crop-livestock systems' productivity, and thus livelihoods in the SAT.