The Science and Practice of Agroecology

The planet's reliance on industrial agriculture has resulted in serious environmental and social costs, including high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, biodiversity loss and widening gaps in food security across the world. Transitioning to agroecological practices is recognised as one solution to reversing the unsustainable trajectory of energy-intensive food systems. The science and practice of agroecology: Pathway to sustainable food systems reviews where we are in terms of the ecological theory underpinning agroecosystem function, the synergies, yield and other tradeoffs involved in practical agroecosystems as well as their social dimensions. Edited by a world-renowned expert, this book will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in the agricultural, environmental and social sciences, soil scientists, ecologists, policymakers, as well as government and other private sector agencies supporting the transition to a more sustainable agriculture. Dr Laurie Drinkwater is a Professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, USA. Professor Drinkwater is internationally renowned for her research on soil nutrient cycling processes in agroecosystems. In 2018 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Organic Agriculture from the Agronomy Society of America. Professor Drinkwater is co-Editor of the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.