Agrobiodiversity for Livelihood Security： A Case Study of Agroforestry Technologies in Mexico

The present article examines the livelihood benefits associated with agrobiodiversity in Veracruz, Mexico. Citrus-based agriculture is the principal economic activity in the agricultural sector of the state of Veracruz. It is practiced in mono-crop plantations by the majority of farmers, who are rendered vulnerable to price depreciation resulting from simultaneous harvest and over-supply of a single commodity. Some farmers have associated multiple crops in citrus farms （agroforestry techniques） as a strategy to improve their livelihoods. Farmers who increased agrobiodiversity in their farms have significantly improved their livelihoods compared to mono-crop plantation owners. The research shows that increased agro-biodiversity can be a strategy to improve the livelihoods of citrus producers in the state of Veracruz, with significant economic benefits depending on the crop combination： maize-citrus is the least economically profitable combination （providing 21% in terms of internal rate of return）, while pineapple-citrus, banana-citrus and vanilla-citrus give higher returns （41%, 44% and 221% respectively）. The citrus-vanilla crop combination also has the highest benefit-cost ratio, relative to citrus monocrop （1.91） as well as the highest net present value （MX$579,635.73）. The choice of crop ultimately depends on the farmer＇s priorities. The associated benefits can be classified in three ways which correspond to the tripartite goal of sustainable development： （i） ecological sustainability （through increased ecosystem resilience）, （ii） economic stability （through diversified, less risk-prone sources of income）, and （iii） social well-being （through lower）.

Effects of conservation measures on crop diversity and their implications for climate-resilient livelihoods: the case of Rupa Lake Watershed in Nepal

Agrobiodiversity conservation is vital for achieving sustainability, but empirical studies on the effects of different practices or measures on crop diversity are rare. This study aims to estimate the effects of raising conservation awareness(RCA),building diversity blocks(BDB), and their combination on crop diversity among 240 randomly selected households surrounding the Rupa Lake Watershed in Nepal. Based on descriptive analysis and multiple regression models, the results indicate that the two single measures had no significant effect on the numbers of crop species and varieties grown by households in 2018. However, the combination of RCA and BDB had a significantly positive effect on the number of crop varieties, especially for grain and vegetable crops. Considering that these crops are essential in the daily lives of local people, the results indicate that a strategy that combines both awareness raising and on-farm conservation measures can generate higher crop diversity and better serve the climate-resilient livelihoods of people in mountainous areas.

Coping with Pressures of Modernization by Traditional Farmers: a Strategy for Sustainable Rural Development in Yunnan, China

Traditional farming practices conform to sustainable rural livelihoods, while agricultural modernisation tends to undermine these practices through various perturbations. A case study in Tengchong County (western Yunnan, China) shows that transformation of traditional alder (Alnus nepalensis) and dry rice (upland rice) rotational farming to introduced Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) plantations leads to localised water scarcity and soil fertility decline. While farmers are aware of ecological sustainability of traditional farming, they prefer Chinese fir forestry because it is less labour-intensive, has a high market value, and releases time for profitable off-farm work. Farmers adapt to economic liberalization by planting high value crops and trees. However, alternatives to make local agricultural production more profitable through competitive business strategies, cooperative approaches, innovations in integrating high value crops and 'downstream' processingfor sustainable rural livelihoods have been overlooked largely due to poor information availability and lack of organisational framework.

Biodiversity-friendly Agricultural Practices in the Indigenous Agricultural Systems in the Biodiversity Corridor of the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest (Paraguay)

Agricultural systems result of the coevolution between social and natural systems,where biodiversity and natural resources play an important role,emerging interactions between crops and the natural environment that allow the development of ecological processes which interact with external inputs.This research aims to describe the agricultural practices developed by the Guarani Indigenous people in the agricultural systems located within the biodiversity corridor of the Upper Parana Atlantic Forest.This exploratory study is focused on multiple cases,with a qualitative approach and from data collected during 2017 and 2018 in eleven indigenous communities.The main practices developed for the management of biodiversity are polyculture,rotation,and embroideries;they also practice agroforestry and livestock-raising.The main difficulty they face is the reduction of the surrounding biodiversity,which affects the sustainability of the system.This study shows ways for nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation according to current needs for greening the economy.

Abandonment of croplands: problem or chance for grassland restoration? Case studies from Hungary

In Central-and Eastern Europe,the collapse of socialist regimes resulted in a transformation of state-owned agricultural cooperatives to privately owned lands from the early 1990s onwards.These socioeconomic processes resulted in landscape-scale changes in biodiversity,ecosystem services and agricultural production.In parallel,large-scale abandonment of croplands,especially on sandy,salty or fre-quently inundated areas,became common.Abandoned croplands are usually sensitive to species invasions,and are hotspots of noxious weeds,posing threats both to agriculture and nature conservation.Grassland restoration on former croplands can be an effective strategy for suppressing these species.Thus,a common goal of nature conservation and agriculture can be the restoration of grasslands on former croplands to(1)suppress weed and/or invasive species in line with the EU policy“Good Farming Practices”,(2)support animal husbandry by creating meadows or pastures,and to(3)recover biodiversity and ecosystem services.In the present paper we report“best practices”of grassland restoration projects from Hungary.Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of spontaneous grassland recovery vs.active grassland restoration by seed sowing in terms of the recovery of biodiversity and ecosystem services,such as weed control and biomass production.Our results showed that grassland restoration on abandoned fields offers a viable solution for restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services.Seed sowing ensures higher weed control and biomass pro-duction,but results in lower biodiversity compared to spontaneous recovery.Both restoration methods can be cost-effective,or even profitable even within a relatively short period of a nature conservation project.