Management for sustainable use — conservation farming: evaluating the overall benefits of landuse options for people and the environment

Abstract

Many terrestrial landscapes are managed as farming systems but there is an increasing need for these systems to fulfil functions that are not directly related to agriculture. Agricultural production must be balanced against the need to maintain healthy ecosystems that can provide a variety of goods and services necessary for human wellbeing. Achieving this balance poses a significant challenge to modern societies and requires the integration of ecological, economic, and social issues. There are many exciting and ground-breaking projects underway to address this problem and the papers in this session present some of the advances that have been made in recent years.