To the scientific community, agrobiodiversity implies crop diversity at the species level and arising there from is the sub-specific level biodiversity often referred to as crop cultivars. Traditional farmers, on the basis of their intuitive experience in managing traditional systems, do selective weeding leaving a certain weed biomass on the plot, which play a nutrient conservation role within the system. A wide range of traditional agricultural typologies are still available in the tropical world, all sustained largely by traditional farming communities. Therefore it is time to ensure dynamic conservation of this rich heritage with concerns for enhanced food security for all sections of the society, but with special emphasis on 'traditional societies' who are the largest custodians of agrobiodiversity.
Part of a series of primers on biodiversity, this volume
discusses designing sustainable pathways for sustainable agriculture for ensuring future food security for all.
Prof. P.S. Ramakrishnan, Emeritus Scientist at the School of
Environmental Sciences, JNU, and Honorary Emeritus Senior Scientist at INSA, is an internationally renowned socio- ecologist. Taking an integrative approach towards conservation and management of natural resources and the linked sustainable livelihood and development of human societies, his area of interest lies in the interphase between natural and social sciences that touches upon ecology, sociology, anthropology, economics and ethics. Prof. Ramakrishnan has published over 460 research papers, 21 research synthesis volumes, besides various policy documents,outreach volumes and audio-visual documentaries.