Linking biodiversity, ecosystem services and social actors to promote agroecological transitions

Abstract

12of disturbances on global biogeochemical flows, leading to the transgression of planetary boundaries, which are characterized as a "safe operating space for global societal development" (Steffen et al., 2015). Furthermore, the conversion of native forests into single-crop plantations is leading to soil degradation, climate change, erosion due to reduced soil cover, loss of habitats for wildlife, and increased CO2 emissions (Fearnside and Laurance, 2004;Liu et al., 2018;Ometto et al., 2011;Symes et al., 2018). Indeed, plant and animal species are extinguished at high rates, characterizing an ongoing global mass extinction with unknown and possibly irreversible consequences for planet earth and human well-being (Barnosky et al., 2011;Ceballos et al., 2017). In addition to its environmental impacts, homogeneous input-based systems are mostly developed through multinational corporatization and financialization, which often results in social degradation due to increased concentration of socio-economic power as well as preclusion of traditional and indigenous local knowledge and culture (Figueroa-helland et al., 2018). The many problems associated with the dominant mode of agriculture calls for a re-design of more sustainable agri-food systems, capable to provide human well-being and promote biodiversity conservation.Despite the strong influence and dominance of the agro-industrial model, farmers operate in various social, political, cultural, economic and technological contexts. Differences in farm management among farmers can have an effect on the ecological structure and functioning of the landscape, and therefore, on the provision of multiple ecosystem services (Modernel et al., 2018;Schmitzberger et al., 2005;Tittonell et al., 2010). Farmers can manage their land to increase biodiversity as an efficient strategy to enhance the provision of ES, such as nutrient cycling, biological pest control, pollination, production diversification, amongst others (Iverson et al., 2014;Jackson et al., 2010;Smukler et al., 2010). In addition, the conversion from how to successfully implement agroecological transitions as well as its social and ecological impacts. Therefore, it becomes important to use interdisciplinary, systemic and multi-level approaches to understand the ecological and social drivers that enable a transition towards agroecology as well as to identify or design effective agroecological management strategies that are able to provide biodiversity conservation and multiple ES (Dendoncker et al., 2018). The case of Zona da MataThe study was conducted in the Zona da Mata region, located in the south-eastern part of Minas Gerais state, Brazil (Figure 1.2.). The region belongs to the Atlantic forest biome, one of the Figure 1.3.A. Landscape in Zona da Mata showing different land uses; B. Coffee harvest in Zona da Mata; C. Discussion with a farmer in his coffee agroforestry system. The FOREFRONT ProgramThis PhD thesis is part of the interdisciplinary and cross-country research program entitled FOREFRONT ("Nature's bene...