http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/events/detail-events/en/c/1262/ Presentation of Masroni from Nuasantara Farmer’s movement, describing farmers adaptation to climate change. The presentation was prepared and delivered in occasion of the Regional Symposium on Agroecology in Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok, Senegal on 24-26 November 2015. © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. Valuation of Agroecology and
Ecosystem Services
Dr Harpinder Sandhu
School of the Environment, Flinders University of South Australia,
Adelaide SA 5001
Harpinder.Sandhu@flinders.edu.au
Multistakeholders Consultation on Agroecology in Asia and the Pacific,
24-26 November 2015 Bangkok, Thailand

2. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
1900 2000 20501950 2020
0.5
0.74
1.5
1.66
1.89
3
20
87
135
236
3.75
6.55
10.1

3. Declining natural resources
Agricultural intensification has
occupied and consumed the best
land and water resources, globally.
However, only marginal land in
remote areas, with poor soil and
water quality are available for
further intensification.
Climate change
Climatic variability is a major threat
to the sustainable intensification.
There are likely to be significant
losses in production due to climate
changes. Massive investment
would be required to adapt or
mitigate these impacts.
Consumption patterns
Food consumption patterns are
changing drastically in emerging
economies. As more people move
to protein rich diets, the demand
for animal feed may result in
reduction in food grown for human
population.
Market volatility
Global markets influence local and
regional markets and are more
volatile than ever before. As
current agriculture depends on
market driven inputs, the increase
in prices squeezes profits out of
farming.
Key challenges of global agriculture
Socio-economic and environment factors

4. What are the solutions?
It is vital to integrate ecosystem services into
agriculture through agroecological
techniques to enhance farm productivity and
achieve food and ecological security.
Sandhu, 2015 http://comments.sciencemag.org/content/10.1126/science.349.6252.1037

5. Ecosystem
services are the
benefits provided
by modified and
natural
ecosystems to
human beings
Provisioning services
These include food and services
for human consumption, ranging
from food, fibre, fire wood,
livestock, raw materials, genetic
resources, ornamental resources
and medicinal resources.
Regulating services
These include ecological
processes such as gas regulation,
climate regulation, disturbance
regulation, water regulation,
water supply, erosion control and
sediment retention.
Cultural services
Agriculture provides cultural
services such as aesthetics,
recreation through conserving
field-boundary vegetation or by
planting native trees.
Supporting services
Supporting ecosystem services
are pollination, biological control,
carbon accumulation,
mineralization of plant nutrients,
soil formation, nitrogen fixation.

6. Ecosystem Services Valuation at
Global Scale
• Two ecosystem services
– Nitrogen mineralisation (Avoided cost of N fertiliser)
– Biological control of pests (Avoided cost of pesticides)
• Data from 110 countries, temperate regions, 4 crops, inputs
(fertilisers and pesticides) and outputs data.
• Estimate ES values at each of the 110 countries
• Provide global estimates of ES values
Sandhu, Wratten, Costanza, Pretty, Reganold, Porter 2015 PEER J

7. Global value of ecosystem services in agriculture
Total value of pesticides
and fertilisers in PBBW area
(US Million/yr)
Total value based
on two ES in PBBW
area
(US Million/yr)
Total value based on two
ES in 10% of PBBW area
(US Million/yr)
1 Eastern Africa 0.34 0.86 0.38
2 Northern Africa 665.94 836.11 682.95
3 Southern Africa 28.95 115.79 37.63
4 South America 381.5 1165.7 459.91
5 Northern America 2872.48 5139.62 3099.18
6 Central Asia 154.12 1323.83 271.09
7 Eastern Asia 5347.63 6225.82 5435.44
8 Southern Asia 1347.25 2615.02 1474.02
9 South-eastern Asia 0.02 3.13 0.32
10 Western Asia 1994.66 2026.55 1997.93
11 Eastern Europe 1720.86 6487.52 2197.52
12 Northern Europe 1192.59 2191.44 1292.47
13 Southern Europe 1180.40 1731.23 1235.47
14 Western Europe 2871.81 4286.48 3013.27
15 Australia and New Zealand 360.59 531.89 377.71
Total 20119.14 34680.99 21575.32
Sandhu, Wratten, Costanza, Pretty, Reganold, Porter 2015 PEER J

8. Ecological intensification for food and ecological
Security for Human Wellbeing
Geographic
indicators
Social
indicators
Technical
indicators
Well-being
(ODAGS)Food security
OAGS
LAGS: Low input agricultural system, CAGS: Conventional agricultural system, OAGS: Organic agricultural system,
ODAGS: Optimally diversified agricultural system Sandhu et al. Work in Progress

9. Way forward
• Trade-offs in intensive agriculture are real
• Agroecology based on ecosystem services can ensure food
and ecological security.
• Livelihood of farmers and farming families
• Capacity development in regional/national planning
• Greater participation of agribusiness
• There is need to increase investment in agroecology
• Global policy support is required to develop agroecology for
future agriculture and conservation of natural resources.

10. Thank You
Join the community working on ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems
• ESP working Group on Agro-ecosystems: http://www.es-
partnership.org/esp/81731/5/0/50
• Blog: harpindersandhu.blogspot.com.au
• Twitter: @001harpinder
• Web: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/harpinder.sandhu