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Time for a shift in crop production: embracing complexity through diversity at all levels

  1. Hanne Østergård1,*,
  2. Maria R Finckh2,
  3. Laurence Fontaine3,
  4. Isabelle Goldringer4,
  5. Steve P Hoad5,
  6. Kristian Kristensen6,
  7. Edith T Lammerts van Bueren7,
  8. Fabio Mascher8,
  9. Lisa Munk9,
  10. Martin S Wolfe10

Article first published online: 11 MAY 2009

DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.3615

Issue

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

Volume 89, Issue 9, pages 1439–1445, July 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Østergård, H., Finckh, M. R., Fontaine, L., Goldringer, I., Hoad, S. P., Kristensen, K., Lammerts van Bueren, E. T., Mascher, F., Munk, L. and Wolfe, M. S. (2009), Time for a shift in crop production: embracing complexity through diversity at all levels. J. Sci. Food Agric., 89: 1439–1445. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.3615

Author Information

  1. 1

    Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark DTU, Biosystem Division, PO Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark

  2. 2

    Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Group of Ecological Plant Protection, Nordbahnhofstraße 1a, D-37213 Witzenhausen, Germany

  3. 3

    Institut Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique, 9 Rue André Brouard, BP 70510, F-49105 Angers Cedex 02, France

  4. 4

    UMR de Génétique Végétale, INRA—Université Paris-Sud—AgroParisTech—CNRS, Ferme du Moulon, F-91190 Gif sur Yvette, France

  5. 5

    Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK

  6. 6

    Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University AU, Aarhus, Denmark

  7. 7

    Louis Bolk Institute, Hoofdstraat 24, NL-3972 LA Driebergen, The Netherlands and Wageningen University, Wageningen UR Plant Breeding, PO Box 386, NL-6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands

  8. 8

    Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil Research Station ACW, Route de Duillier, CH-1260 Nyon, Switzerland

  9. 9

    Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

  10. 10

    The Organic Research Centre, Wakelyns Agroforestry, Fressingfield, Eye, Suffolk IP21 5SD, UK

*Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark DTU, Biosystem Division, PO Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 11 JUN 2009
  2. Article first published online: 11 MAY 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 23 MAR 2009
  4. Manuscript Revised: 17 MAR 2009
  5. Manuscript Received: 26 DEC 2008

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Abstract

A radical shift in our approach to crop production is needed to ensure food security and to address the problems of soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, polluted and restricted water supplies, coupled with a future of fossil fuel limitations and increasingly variable climatic conditions. An interdisciplinary network of European scientists put forward visions for future crop production embracing the complexity of our socio-ecological system by applying the principle of diversity at all levels from soil micro-organisms to plant varieties and cropping systems. This approach, integrated with careful deployment of our finite global resources and implementation of appropriate sustainable technology, appears to be the only way to ensure the scale of system resilience needed to cope with many of our concerns. We discuss some of the most important tools such as (i) building soil fertility by recycling of nutrients and sustainable use of other natural and physical resources, (ii) enhancing biological diversity by breeding of crops resilient to climate change and (iii) reconnecting all stakeholders in crop production. Finally, we emphasise some of the changes in agricultural and environmental regulation and policy needed in order to implement the visions. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

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