The Role of Ecosystem Services in Sustainable Food Systems

Reveals the operational definition, concepts and applications of ecosystem services, with a focus on sustainable food systems

Leonard Rusinamhodzi (Edited by)

9780128164365, Elsevier Science

Paperback, published 11 November 2019

302 pages, Approx. 240 illustrations
23.4 x 19 x 2 cm, 0.59 kg

The Role of Ecosystem Services in Sustainable Food Systems reveals, in simple terms, the operational definition, concepts and applications of ecosystem services with a focus on sustainable food systems. The book presents case studies on both geographical and production system-wide considerations. Initial chapters discuss concepts, methodologies and the tools needed to understand ecosystem services in the broader food system. Middle and later chapters present different perspectives from case studies of ecosystem services derived from some of the key sustainable food production systems used by farmers, along with discussions on the challenges of deriving full benefits and how they can be overcome.

1. Sustainable food systems: Scope, relevance, and important milestones
2. Ecosystem services in sustainable food systems: Operational definition, concepts, and applications
3. Indices to identify and quantify ecosystem services in sustainable food systems
4. Harnessing ecosystem services from biological nitrogen fixation
5. The role of synthetic fertilizers in enhancing ecosystem services in crop production systems in developing countries
6. Reinforcing ecosystem services through conservation agriculture in sustainable food systems
7. Ecosystem services from different livestock management systems
8. Crop-livestock integration to enhance ecosystem services in sustainable food systems
9. Ecosystem services in doubled-up legume systems
10. Ecosystem services in paddy rice systems
11. The role of ecosystem services in offsetting effects of climate change in sustainable food systems in the Zambezi Basin, Southern Africa
12. The economics of valuing ecosystem services from agroforestry within sustainable food systems
13. Challenges in maximizing benefits from ecosystem services and transforming food systems

Subject Areas: Agriculture & farming [TV], The environment [RN]