Cultivating Biodiversity: Understanding, Analysing and Using Agricultural Diversity

The United Nations University project on People, Land Management and Environmental Change (PLEC) has used the traditional skills of smallholder farmers - for cultivating their crops, managing the soil, water and vegetation and maintaining their livelihoods in difficult circumstances - to produce this book. Arguably, these farmers have conserved and even created more biological diversity and more economically important species than all protected areas combined. The book draws on the experience of demonstration sites that are the farmers' own enterprises, combining superior production along with enhancement of biological diversity. It is based on work in 12 countries with more than 200 collaborating scientists and about 2500 collaborating farmers, showing how its authors perceive and quantitatively analyse agrodiversity, and how they work together with farmers. This book will be of interest to all concerned with sustainable development, global change issues and participatory approaches to conservation with rural people. Published in collaboration with the United Nations University.