Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Into Agricultural Production and Management in the Pacific Islands Technical Guidance Document
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MAINSTREAMING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND BIODIVERSITY INTO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS TECHNICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT BIODIVERSITY & ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS BIODIVERSITY & ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS MAINSTREAMING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND BIODIVERSITY INTO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS TECHNICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY ROME, 2016 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), or of Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO, or CBD, SPREP and SPC in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO, or CBD, SPREP and SPC. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-109529-4 © FAO, 2016 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. 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Tutua; © Clare Morrison MAINSTREAMING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND BIODIVERSITY INTO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ..............................................................................................................................................ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................x ACRONYMS ..............................................................................................................................................xi Part I Context 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 Defining biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services ........................................................ 3 Ecosystem approaches to agriculture for conservation of agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services .. 4 Economic assessment of ecosystem services in agriculture ......................................................... 5 About this guidance document ............................................................................................ 6 2. INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORKS SUPPORTING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN AND FOR AGRICULTURE .................................................................................................... 8 Conventions on chemical management .................................................................................. 8 Convention on Biological Diversity ......................................................................................10 Agricultural instruments ....................................................................................................13 Sustainable Development Goals ..............................................................................................13 Biodiversity mainstreaming in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international strategies and agreements .........................................................................15 Part II Agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services in the Pacific Islands 3. ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEMS ............................................................................................ 17 Organic farming practices ..................................................................................................19 Socio-economic benefits of organic farming systems in the Pacific Islands ..................................20 Ecosystem services of organic farming systems ........................................................................21 Challenges for enhancing ecosystem services from organic farming systems ...............................23 Examples of current policy instruments supporting organic agriculture across the Pacific Islands ...23 Recommendations for mainstreaming ecosystem services and biodiversity through organic agriculture in Pacific Island countries’ NBSAPs ......................................................................28 iii BIODIVERSITY & ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS 4. AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS ..................................................................................................... 31 Agroforestry systems in the Pacific Islands ...........................................................................31 Ecosystem services from agroforestry ...................................................................................33 Challenges to the conservation of agroforestry systems in the Pacific Islands .............................34 Cultural practices that conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services in tree-based systems ..........36 Suggested policy actions to protect agroforestry systems, for uptake in NBSAPs and agricultural sector policies .................................................................................................37 5. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND SOIL FERTILITY ........................................................................ 41 Pacific Islands context ......................................................................................................41 Ecosystem services from soil fertility ...................................................................................43 Practices that maintain or enhance soil ecosystem services ....................................................47 Challenges in adopting ecosystem approaches to improving soil fertility ...................................52 Recommendations to capture soil ecosystem services in NBSAPs ..............................................52 Soil fertility initiatives in the implementation of NBSAPs .........................................................54 6. EXPLOITING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PESTS AND DISEASES .......... 56 Ecosystem services of ecological pest management ................................................................57 Practices for ecological management of insect pests and diseases ............................................57 Challenges to the adoption of improved pest management strategies ........................................63 Policy and institutional frameworks for adoption of ecological pest management in the Pacific Islands ............................................................................................................64 7. ECOLOGICAL WEED MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................... 66 Ecosystem services of ecological weed management ...............................................................67 Practices of ecological weed management ............................................................................69 Possibilities for using biodiversity to address weed management in agro-ecosystems ..................73 Examples of ecological weed management in the Pacific Islands ..............................................73 Trade-offs and synergies of ecological weed management .........................................................75 Challenges to adoption of ecological weed management and how to foster it .............................76 8. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES ..................................................... 78 Prevention ...........................................................................................................................78 Management ....................................................................................................................80 Challenges of managing invasive alien species in the Pacific Islands.........................................82 Relevant practices for an ecosystem approach to management of invasive alien species in the Pacific Islands ............................................................................................................83