Harpinder Sandhu

The Value of Producing Food, Energy, and Ecosystem Services within an Agro-Ecosystem

Abstract Agricultural ecosystems produce food, fiber, and nonmarketed ecosystem services (ES). Agriculture also typically involves high negative external costs associated with, for example, fossil fuel use. We estimated, via field-scale ecological monitoring and economic value-transfer methods, the market and nonmarket ES value of a combined food and energy (CFE) agro-ecosystem that simultaneously produces food, fodder, and bioenergy. Such novel CFE agro-ecosystems can provide a significantly increased net crop, energy, and nonmarketed ES compared with conventional agriculture, and require markedly less fossil-based inputs. Extrapolated to the European scale, the value of nonmarket ES from the CFE system exceeds current European farm subsidy payments. Such integrated food and bioenergy systems can thus provide environmental value for money for European Union farming and nonfarming communities.

Significance and value of non-traded ecosystem services on farmland

Background. Ecosystem services (ES) generated within agricultural landscapes, including field boundaries, are vital for the sustainable supply of food and fibre. However, the value of ES in agriculture has not been quantified experimentally and then extrapolated globally. Methods. We quantified the economic value of two key but contrasting ES (biological control of pests and nitrogen mineralisation) provided by non-traded non-crop species in ten organic and ten conventional arable fields in New Zealand using field experiments. The arable crops grown, same for each organic and conventional pair, were peas (Pisum sativum), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Organic systems were chosen as comparators not because they are the only forms of sustainable agriculture, but because they are subject to easily understood standards. Results. We found that organic farming systems depended on fewer external inputs and produced outputs of energy and crop dry matter generally less than but sometimes similar to those of their conventional counterparts. The economic values of the two selected ES were greater for the organic systems in all four crops, ranging from US

Poverty, development, and Himalayan ecosystems

68–200 ha−1 yr−1 for biological control of pests and from US

Assessing Risks and Opportunities Arising from Ecosystem Change in Primary Industries Using Ecosystem-Based Business Risk Analysis Tool

110–425 ha−1yr−1 for N mineralisation in the organic systems versus US

Interspecific competition between two generalist parasitoids that attack the leafroller Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

0 ha−1yr−1 for biological control of pests and from US

Evaluating the Economic and Social Impact of Soil Microbes

60–244 ha−1yr−1 for N mineralisation in the conventional systems. The total economic value (including market and non-market components) was significantly greater in organic systems, ranging from US

Soil-based ecosystem services: a synthesis of nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration assessment methods

1750–4536 ha−1yr−1, with US

The activities of generalist parasitoids can be segregated between crop and adjacent non-crop habitats

1585–2560 ha−1yr−1 in the conventional systems. The non-market component of the economic value in organic fields was also significantly higher than those in conventional fields. Discussion. To illustrate the potential magnitude of these two ES to temperate farming systems and agricultural landscapes elsewhere, we then extrapolate these experimentally derived figures to the global temperate cropping area of the same arable crops. We found that the extrapolated net value of the these two services provided by non-traded species could exceed the combined current global costs of pesticide and fertiliser inputs, even if utilised on only 10% of the global arable area. This approach strengthens the case for ES–rich agricultural systems, provided by non-traded species to global agriculture.

Scarcity of ecosystem services : an experimental manipulation of declining pollination rates and its economic consequences for agriculture

AbstractThe Himalayas are rich in biodiversity but vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures. They are also host to growing number of rural poor who are dependent on forest and ecosystem services for their livelihood. Local and global efforts to integrate poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation in the Himalayas remain elusive so far. In this work, we highlight two key impediments in achieving sustainable development in the Himalayas. On the positive side, we also highlight the work of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a research organization based in India that seeks to integrate biodiversity concerns with livelihood security. For impediments, we draw on two examples from the Darjeeling district, India, in Eastern Himalayan region to illustrate how development organizations are failing to simultaneously address poverty and environmental issues. Based on the success of ATREE, we then propose a conceptual framework to integrate livelihood generating activities with sustainable and equitable development agenda. We recommend developing a Hindu-Kush Himalayan Ecosystem Services Network in the region to formulate a strategy for further action. We conclude by offering measures to address the challenge of integrating livelihood and environment issues through this network.

Host Plants Affect the Foraging Success of Two Parasitoids that Attack Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

ABSTRACT Land-based primary industries depend on the health of ecosystems that provide ecosystem services (ES) such as fresh water, pollination, and natural hazard protection among others. Degradation of ES can pose a number of risks to businesses and the well-being of rural populations. At the same time these ecosystem-based risks create new business opportunities. In this work, three land-based organizations were evaluated using case study approaches comprising a dairy processing company, a grain company, and a wine-making company. In-depth interviews with environmental managers of these organizations were used to elicit the current organizational approaches to identifying key environmental risks associated with ecosystem degradation and the ways they deal with these risks. After initial analysis of the interview data, the production component of these organizations was further examined using an Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) model with their respective environmental management teams. This resulted in the development of an ecosystem-based impact and dependence profile for each case study company. From these profiles, risks and opportunities were identified by developing the Ecosystem Based Business Risk Analysis Tool (EBBRAT). This can be used as an internal management tool by organizations to improve profiles and evaluation of ecosystem-based risks and opportunities.